Adam, Author at Scotchology

Puni Alba

Puni Distillery was founded in 2010 in the Venosta Valley, the middle of the Italian Alps, by the Ebensperger family. Two years later, in 2012, it distilled its first whisky in two copper pot stills. That whisky had a mash bill made up of malted barley, malted rye and malted wheat. The Puni Alba was one of the first two whiskies made by the distillery, released in 2015 (the other being the Nova). Alba, of course, is one of the names Scotland was known by in the centuries leading up to England’s first major invasions (900-1286) by Edward I. It has since been adopted by English-speaking scholars to apply to a specific Scottish political period in the High Middle Ages. Alba is also the Italian word for dawn. Puni uses both of these references highlight both the dawning of a new era in Italian whisky and the fact that it was finished in casks previously containing scotch from Islay after maturing for a few years in ex-marsala casks from Sicily.

By Adam | August 5, 2024 | Foreign | No Comments |

Deanston is relatively new for a distillery in Scotland, being converted from the a cotton mill that was almost two centuries old when converted to a distillery in 1966. Since that time, Deanston has created a number of blended and single malt whiskies, albeit with occasional bouts of stoppage due to diminished demand or other factors. There are 2 wash stills and 2 spirit stills, which produce a total of 3 million liters per year, offerings ranging from a core line of aged and unaged whiskies. It is also the only distillery currently in Scotland to be self-sustaining from an electrical standpoint, powered by a hydro-electric facility on site. The Deanston Virgin Oak is part of their core line up. Matured at first in ex-bourbon barrels like a majority of scotches, it is then finished for 9-12 months in fresh virgin casks from Kelvin Cooperage in Kentucky, a family operation that got their start by the River Kelvin in Glasgow, Scotland. While using virgin oak is normal for bourbon in the United States, it is very rare to see in scotch production.

By Adam | July 20, 2024 | Highland | No Comments |

Jersey Spirits Wildwoods Applewood Smoked

Jersey Spirits was founded in 2013 by John, Sue and Betty Granata and began production in 2015. A true family affair, John and Sue’s daughter Noël has grown up with the distillery and now serves as operations manager and lead distiller. The distillery is a grain-to-glass operation and is in now rush to grow just for growth’s sake. They are invested in their community, the tasting room serving as a frequent local gathering spot, and are not afraid to serve their spirits either on their own or mixed into a cocktail. For a micro-distillery, Jersey Spirits offers a wide offering of gins, vodkas, rums, moonshines and bourbons. The Wildwood series is named after a resort city in New Jersey and is the banner all their single malts appear under. The Wildwoods Applewood Smoked is made from barley sourced from Rabbit Hill Farms in South Jersey and then smoked over an applewood fire. Other single malts are the Cherrywood Smoked and Celtic Riviera.

By Adam | July 5, 2024 | Foreign | No Comments |