PUNI Alba

I had heard good things... and bad things about this whisky. Being from France, I've been able to see whisky rise up in France, Sweden, Wales, Ireland (after a collapse in production) and so I was curious to see what Italy had to offer. So lets start, the nose was delicious, wine cask, a drier feel from the Italian wine, not as round and sweet as French wine cask whisky, and smooth peat, in one word, promising. Upon tasting it... It is watery, young, the grain is weak, not sturdy Breton, not austere but subtle Scottish, not generous French... just dull, lacking in personality, the Marsala starts to be felt, but it's barged out of the way by the peat. A rough Ileach Cask Strength hum of old oak, bourbon, rye and merciless peat tears through, it strikes the wrong chord with the youth of the whisky at hand. Finally, the Italian wine feebly flits through after the peat, dry and peppery, sweet, but the impact is tainted by the bitter peat. Maybe if this whisky is given time to age, we'll see something worth while, but as it stands, it's a mess. I'd recommend Ileach Cask Strength if you are looking for that old cask and peat feel or G. Rozelieures Rare if you want European oak, wine cask and peat, if it's something rough and delicate you want, look at Naguelann Mesk with malted buckwheat and malted barley, just stay clear of this overpriced whisky.