PUNI Distillery

PUNI, Italy’s first dedicated whisky distillery, stands at the edge of Glorenza in South Tyrol’s Venosta Valley. The Ebensperger family established the project in 2010, distilled its first spirit in February 2012 and released the first mature whiskies in 2015. Named after the nearby Puni river, its cube-shaped building takes inspiration from the old barns of the valley.

Inside, fermentation takes place in vessels made from local larch, before distillation in pot stills heated with superheated water. Early whiskies combined barley, rye and wheat; since 2016 the emphasis has shifted toward barley malt, much of it sourced in Italy. Maturation uses a variety of casks, including bourbon, sherry, Italian wine and peated-whisky barrels.