Origin: Trentino Alto Adige (Italy)
Type: Italian Malt Whisky
Strength: 43%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Pinot Noir Wine
Chillfiltered: No
Added coloring: No
Owner: Puni (Ebensperger family)
Average price: € 68.00
Official website: www.puni.com
Vote: 81/100
I was finally able to get my hands on one of the two bottles that (for now) I had been missing from the Puni distillery’s entire production, namely this limited bottling aged in Pinot Noir barrels for 4 years (in 2016 the 3-year version with an alcohol content of less than 43% was released).
Released with its twin Nova, this Nero intrigued me a lot precisely because of this particular choice of wine cask in which it spent its (short) maturation.
Tasting notes
Light gold in the glass.
The nose is as vinous as it couldn’t otherwise be, but not overpowering: squeezed blood orange, liquorice, red fruits, a touch of cinnamon, with a very pleasant herbaceous and fresh, almost balsamic undertone.
Liquorice returns as the main marker on the palate, accompanied by candied orange, a hint of vanilla, pepper and grapes (d’oh). Dry, with a bitter background note, and a clear presence of spices and nutmeg. Less balanced than on the nose, but with a certain personality.
Medium finish, rather astringent, of nutmeg, liquorice and wood.
Young on the one hand, on the other the time spent in the pinot cask is perhaps excessive and has led to some imbalance, perhaps an initial refinement in a different cask would have helped, but the end result is still pleasant and different.
Reviews of Puni whisky in the blog
Other perspectives:
The Whiskey Reviewer