Colour: Gold.
Nose: Quite fresh and fruity on the nose with red currant, raspberries and brumbles. This is complemented with a gentle touch of grain, lovely mixed with honey, vanilla and subtle lemons in the back. Still youngish with hints of new make, but improves significantly with air.

Palate: Sweet and smooth on the palate with vanilla, plums and dates, accompanied by a warming spiciness of oak, black pepper, ginger, and aniseed. Becomes slightly dry towards the finish.
Finish: The finish is long, warm and smooth with creamy vanilla and subtle caramel. Becomes dry with oak and a touch of bitter orange peel on the tail.
With water: There's less freshness on the nose when water is added. Dark fruits dominate - brambles, cherries, and black currant. Still sweet and creamy on the palate with vanilla and a warming spiciness of pepper, ginger and prickling oak. The finish is a bit shorter, creamy and less dry with a noticeable increased spiciness of oak and pepper.
Comments: This limited bottling of the young Italian distillery PUNI is a rich and full-bodied single malt with a convincing fruitiness and warming spiciness derived from the pinot noir casks. Although only three years of age, the rough edges of the new spirit are slightly present on the nose while this dram already shows good character and maturity on the palate. Definitely more than a work in progress.

I thank Kirsch Whisky Import for the sample and the photograph!

Colour: White wine.
Nose: Very fresh and clean on the nose with intense citric notes and a delicate touch of grapefruit. Fruity aroma of unripe pears, green apples, banana and tender floral notes arrive. Vanilla and gentle toffee are coming through as well mixed with nutty flavours and subtle spiced oak, ginger, fine cinnamon and nutmeg. Clear and very appealing!
Palate: Delicate flavours of lemon and vanilla complemented by a mix of warming spices - oak, cinnamon, caramelised ginger and white pepper. Still very fresh and clean with eau-de-vie derived fruity flavours, banana and yellow plums. Lingering dark honey with slightly dry oak towards the finish.
Finish: The finish shows a short to medium length with vanilla, toffee and lingering honey. Fruity and spicy with delicate cinnamon, ginger and oak.
With water: There's a bit more lemon coming through with a slightly spirituous touch. Still fruity, clean and very fresh. Very fruity on the palate with warm notes of oak spice, cinnamon and ginger. Vanilla, toffee, and pleasant flavours of dark honey. The finish is medium long, fruity, and warm with prickling oak and delicate cinnamon.
Comments: Oh yes, this is Bella Italia! Already nicely complex for a 3 years old with a delicate balance of fresh fruit, warm spice and sweet notes of vanilla and honey. This is a very good example to demonstrate the enormous potential of PUNI distillery. I am quite curious how this malt will taste in a few more years.

I thank Caminneci - Wine & Spirit Partner for sample and photograph!

Colour: Full gold.
Nose: Quite fruity on the nose with raspberries and vinous aromas. This is complemented with a gentle touch of perfume and an sweet malt profile. With time subtle peaty flavours emerge with tobacco leaves and cloves. Youngish with hints of new make, but improves after a while.
Palate: Bold and boisterous. Decent fruity sweetness followed by gentle spice of pepper, cloves and oak. The spiciness becomes more powerful with time, complemented by dark honey and sugary sweet malt. There's a smoky and peaty touch with a maritime edge towards the finish.
Finish: The finish shows a medium length with a mix of sweet and fruity notes. Warm with gentle peat smoke and a slightly salty end.
With water: There's not too much change on the nose with water. On the palate, there's more fruit with luscious oranges coming through, complemented by an increasing amount of spiciness. The finish is medium long and dry with warm spices fading towards the end.
Comments: Bella Italia meets Islay? I am not quite convinced. This first Italian single malt shows nice flavours of fruit, wine and malt, mixed with delicate spices from the casks. The slow but constant increase of the spiciness is very satisfying here. However, it seems to need more time to iron out some rough edges of the new spirit and infuse it with more complexity. A bit strange and not entirely my taste. Looking forward to seeing how this single malt ages.

I thank Caminneci - Wine & Spirit Partner for sample and photograph!