Magnetic to distribute Puni to the UK

Italian whisky producer, Puni, has made its official UK debut with the announcement of a sales and marketing agreement with Magnetic Brands.

Puni is Magnetic’s first client and it will be handling its Nova and Alba three year old whiskies. (Read also about this whisky's launch: First Italian single malt whisky plus its World's Best Whisky Design award in 2016).

Named after the local river, the distillery lies just outside the medieval town of Glurns in the Vinschgau valley – a German-speaking area of the Italian Alps. It was set-up in 2010 by Albrecht and Daniela Ebensperger with their two sons. The first whisky was released in 2015. Housed in a 13 metre high cube-shaped building, the distillery has two traditional copper pot stills imported from Rothes in Scotland. As well as pure Alpine water, barley and wheat, Puni also uses locally-grown rye – including a centuries old variant.

There are significant seasonal temperature variations in the Vinschgau valley, meaning that Puni’s whiskies mature quickly. Long-term maturation then takes place in barrels located directly beneath the ‘cube’ in a converted WWII military bunker – complete with four metre wide walls, which ensure a consistent temperature and high humidity levels.

Dave Steward of Magnetic says: “Puni’s a fantastic ‘best-kept secret’ in the whisky world. Few have heard about the area, let alone the whisky – but both are a delight. The family’s been determined to get everything just right - as shown by importing genuine Scottish stills and bringing over whisky experts to install them. This attention to detail, the area’s climate and unique ingredients mean these are truly special whiskies.”

Puni Nova is 43% ABV and available for 70cl at an RRP of £56.00. Puni Alba is 43% and a 70cl bottle has an RRP of £69.00.

11 August 2017 - Sam Coyne The Drinks Report, news editor