Whisky from...? Italy

Our latest in the Whisky from...? series comes from Italy from the Psenner and @Poli_Express distilleries.

Like most of distilleries in Italy, these started making Grappa before adding single malts to their portfolio.

A recent trip to Italy allowed me to hunt out some Italian single malts.

I was looking for a brand called Puni which I'd tried before but it was no where to be found. Instead I was introduced to eRètico and Poli.

Lets see what they are like:

The history of our family distillery began in 1947, when the South Tyrolean Ludwig Psenner put his first still into operation in Termeno on the Wine Route to distill a grappa based on the best pomace in the area. Shortly thereafter, the first fruit brandies followed, thus laying the first international milestone in the art of South Tyrolean distillation.

Today, our characterful grappas, noble fruit brandies, intensely flavoured liqueurs and our innovative single malt whisky reflect the ingenuity and authenticity of South Tyrol, our homeland, as well as the perseverance and pioneering spirit that are typical components of our family tradition.

With eRètico, we have created the first Italian Single Malt Whisky, distilled according to the pot still method and aged in barriques, previously filled with grappa and sherry. The changeable climate of Alto Adige, with its Mediterranean and at the same time Alpine character, contributes significantly to making it unique in style.

“eRètico” refers to the ancient people of the Reti who, over 2000 years ago, colonized and cultivated the Alpine region of Alto Adige. In Italian, it is a term referring to a person who makes a free and eccentric choice.

Psenner buys its mash direct from Germany, but the fermentation takes place at the distillery in Tramin, in steel, water-cooled washbacks. Fermentation takes a remarkable 10 days, and two kinds of yeast are employed: one normally used for whisky, responsible for heavy, mushroom notes, and another used for fruit distillation, which gives a fruitier character.

eRètico 2017 5yo

Distillery notes: A quadruple distilled whiskey, aged in three different barrels: Limousin oak, American oak and Commandaria casks. The refined flavours and aromas these different barrels enjoy, grant this specialty whiskey its enriched taste, which has vibrant notes of honey, vanilla, raisins, mild spices, as well as hints of dried fruits and herbs. 40% ABV

My thoughts:

Appearance: Dark gold in the glass, swirls cling as a thick line, take a while to bead up and eventually fall as quick thick legs.

 

Nose: Huge herbaceous notes to start, damp wood, pine needles, hazelnuts and used engine oil. It's not great. I got to try a couple of grappa in Italy, didn't like either, and this smells like them. Not getting much of the sherry influence.

Palate: Thick sweet juicy arrival, much better than the nose would suggest. There's sweet orange juice, hedgerow berries, milk chocolate and a little pine needle note. It's is pretty simple but quite drinkable if you can avoid nosing it first.

Finish: The herbaceous note is back lingering with a little honey sweetness.

Overall: The nose isn't pleasant - this isn't one I was able to try before I bought a bottle, I wouldn't of if I'd had the chance. The nose really puts you off but once on the palate it's a nice enough dram. being a Grappa distillery I think all of the eRetico releases have some Grappa cask maturation. 

 

Poli Distillery is located in Schiavon, nearby Bassano del Grappa, in the heart of Veneto, the most renowned region for the production of Grappa, founded in 1898 by GioBatta Poli. For more than one century the Poli family have been working towards a goal: to let people understand and appreciate the hard work, the constancy but, above all, that kind of Love that goes into a bottle of Grappa, a total Love for our art, for our world, a Love without which no results would ever be achieved.

Segretario di Stato (Batch 2)

Distillery notes: Segretario di Stato. Solemn, as the embrace of St. Peter's Square. On the 15th October 2013, what an extraordinary day for us people of Schiavon, a little village in the heart of Veneto: our most illustrious fellow citizen has been nominated Secretary of State of the Holy See.“Such an event deserves to be celebrated with a special distillate!” says the Mayor Mirella Cogo. Whisky aged 5 years and finished in Amarone barrels. It's aroma reminds of a bowl of toasted nuts, raisins, plums, chocolate and smoked spices.

My thoughts:

Appearance:  Dark gold in the glass, swirls cling as a thick line, bead up slowly and fall as slow thick oily legs. I don't usually mention the bottles but this one is quite unusual with a narrow neck and a Grolsch style ceramic enclosure!

 

Nose: Fresh and fruity, honey, apples, pears and some berry notes. There's a little almond marzipan nuttiness and sweetness here too. Smoke from a distant BBQ, some chocolate raisins, orange zest and a little peppermint.

Palate: Thick fruity arrival turning dry and smoky. There's the apple, pears and berries from the nose and a little tropical note: dried pineapple, mango and kiwi. Honey and icing sugar offer sweetness, pepper a little spice. A little wood smoke lingers as each sip is swallowed. A few more sips offers plums, black cherries and a little citrus.

Finish: Lingering fruit, smoke and dry spice.

Overall: A much better dram than the first one, this tastes like whisky and has a definite sherry influence. It reminds me a little of the Wire Works Amarone cask here. I think anyone would be hard pressed to suggest this wasn't Scotch, it's very drinkable, moreish even.