Italian Whisky is having a renaissance and getting people talking and Drinking.
Italians are having a new affair with a new mistress, and their new love is whisky. The country has seen a renaissance in whisky drinking, and Italian Distilleries are benefitting. There is even an annual Italian Whisky festival which takes place in Rome.
On a recent trip to Tuscany, I was fortunate to stay on the Villa Saletta estate, where they make renowned wines. I stayed in a beautiful villa called Fagnana, surrounded by stunning views and close to one of the estate's vineyards. Over a superb meal cooked by a local Chef who visited Fagnana, I was introduced to Italian Whisky, which I had never known existed. It inspired me to learn more about Whisky production in Italy, and I found the scene booming.
The Italian love for whisky was born after WWII when celebrities from Cinema and Fashion started to visit Rome. They filled the bars along the Via Veneto, and the Male stars wanted Scotch; the trend took hold with locals wishing to emulate their idols. Italy is now believed to have the greatest collection of Scotch, started by Armando Giovinetti, an importer passionate about whisky and responsible for bringing single malt brands such as Macallan and Glen Grant to Italy in the 1960s.
Italy imported many blends in the '60s, but Armando wanted to add some diversity to the whisky scene. The Scots thought Armando was foolish for trying to sell malt whisky rather than the popular blend whisky to the Italians, but after the first one hundred bottles sold quickly, he was soon back for more.
Lake Como opened eight whisky teca (whiskey shops) during the 1970s, and in Milan, Giorgio D'Ambrosio's bar became the go-to place for whisky cocktails. Imports of Scotch reached 40 million bottles a year by 1979, making Italy one of the world's top whisky importers. Like most trends, popularity began to wane with a generational shift and younger drinkers believing whisky is an "old man's drink". By the 1990s, Italy's love affair with Scotch whisky was almost over, and yes, only the previous generations continued to drink whisky, but not in large amounts.
In the 21st century, the love for whisky is revived, especially in the mixology sector. Brave pioneers are bringing the golden era of whisky back to the country's top bars. Italy's revolutionary leader in the distilling world is the rather intelligent brand Puni.
Located in South Tyrol, Puni is the first producer of single malt on Italian soil. The Puni Distillery started distilling in February 2012, but the brand had to wait three years and one day before they had whisky, as this is the legal requirement to call a spirit, whisky.
Puni takes its name from a nearby river where they are high in the Alps. The main elements for Puni's creation are pure alpine water, locally sourced grains, traditional copper pot stills from Scotland, and bespoke maturation warehouses. Due to considerable seasonal temperature variations, the whisky matures much faster than in other parts of the world, acquiring complex aromas even at a young age. The Puni Distillery itself is worth visiting as its design is truly modern. It has been created as a 13-metre-high cube; the eye-catching design of the outer hull with offset red bricks is inspired by the traditional building style of barn windows in the region and reflects the harmonious interplay of tradition and modernity at the distillery.
Puni has produced two whisky expressions to showcase the complexity and variety of flavours obtainable from their spirit.
Puni Nova.
Puni Nova, described as a wonderfully delicate yet spicy single malt with warming and sweet aromas of honey, banana and vanilla, is matured for three years in American ex-bourbon barrels, then finished in European oak casks.
Puni Alba.
Alba has a complex bouquet of candied fruits, sultanas and exotic fruits entwined with warm, reassuring hints of smoke. It is matured for more than two years in Marsala dessert wine casks and one year in ex-Islay casks, creating a harmony of Italy's fruity flavours and the Scottish island's smoky notes.
https://www.puni.com/en
Another company taking innovative steps in Italian whisky making is the fruit distillers Psenner, based in the village of Tramin. The German art of fruit distillation has always been influential in the area.
The Psenner company and brand have grown, distilling apples, pears and plums and grappa after the second world war.
Werner Psenner took over the family distillery following the death of his father, and having been inspired by an experience with Japanese whisky, Werner decided to go back to his roots and make whisky where the ancient Retic people used to live. Using wooden ex-grappa casks, eRètico was born. Psenner, with a deep knowledge of German distillation techniques, decided to make whisky this way rather than the more conventional Scottish method.
eRètico is distilled in two German stills (one water bath pot still and one four-plate column still) and four copper stills with steel water baths for three to four hours. The whole process of whisky distillation only takes place four times a year, and they produce just 10,000 bottles, but the identity on the palate and the remarkable technique of Werner makes this whisky so distinctive and a popular choice.
Silvano Samaroli founded Samaroli SRL Wine & Spirits Merchant in 1968 and became the first non-Scottish, non-English bottler of Scotch whiskies. Samaroli spent his first decade in business importing whiskies and didn't release his series of bottlings until 1979 when he produced a selection of 'dumpy' style Cadenhead's.
Whisky fans constantly praise this single malt for its unsurpassable quality, whose prices skyrocket in the secondary market. All the whiskies selected for bottling by the late Silvano, who sadly died in 2017, are old and rare collector's items. The pinnacle of these was possibly those bottled in the 1980s when he released a series of unique whiskies such as the incredibly hard-to-find Bowmore 1966 Bouquet. Like the Bowmore, most of Samaroli's malts have acquired legendary status for quality close to perfection.
Whisky Festival in Rome.
The annual Rome Whisky Festival brings together the best suppliers in Europe, promoting the contemporary and classic whisky culture with an interactive, high-profile event combining business and pleasure. The festival presents various classes, seminars, mixology showcases, whiskey masterclasses, collectors' fairs, and cigar and food tastings.
