Vor über einem Jahr stellte die italienische Poli Distillerie (bekannt für ausgezeichneten Grappa) ihren ersten Whisky, Segretario die Stato vor – und fand mit ihm viel Anklang unter Whiskyfreunden. Nun hat uns von dort die Info erreicht, dass der Segretario die Stato und ihr neuer Whisky, Conclave, bei der International Spirits Challenge (ISC) in London ausgezeichnet wurde, als erster italienischer Whisky überhaupt.
Bei der Poli Distillerie in Schiavon, ungefähr auf halbem Wege zwischen der Nordspitze des Gardasees und Venedig gelegen, freut man sich natürlich sehr über diese Auszeichnung, und wir gratulieren dem Team um Jacopo Poli zu diesem Erfolg für seine Whiskys.
Hier die Presseaussendung, die wir aus Italien erhalten haben:
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The first Italian whiskies awarded by the ISC are from Poli Distillerie
Double success for Segretario di Stato and Conclave at the International Spirits Challenge 2025
There is a silent strength born from time, patience, and dedication: it is the strength of the spirit, distilled with artisanal care, drop by drop, with the intent to create something unique and authentic. Just like the whiskies from Poli Distillerie, which – in every sip – tell a story made of pure malt and masterful waiting. A story that has now also managed to conquer the esteemed jury of the 2025 International Spirits Challenge in London.
A double success for Poli and its Segretario di Stato and Conclave whiskies, which were appreciated and awarded at the longest-running and most prestigious global competition dedicated to spirits, now in its 30th edition.
They are the first Italian whiskies ever to receive recognition in this historic world- renowned contest.
“When we approached the world of whisky, more than 11 years ago, it was a stimulating challenge for us, not only from a production perspective but also from a cultural one: we were entering a fascinating yet completely new universe, with humility and respect. The many signs of appreciation we have received, including this recognition from the International Spirits Challenge, encourage us to continue along this path. Our whiskies, and Italian whiskies in general, though of recent genesis, are able to convey a precise and defined identity, rooted in a centuries-old distilling tradition – that of Grappa distillation – which today finds new ways of telling the story of our territory and our vision of elegance“.
Jacopo Poli, owner of Poli Distillerie
Segretario di Stato is a whisky made from pure barley malt, pleasantly peated, artisanally distilled using a discontinuous bain-marie pot still and aged for 5 years in oak barrels, with further finishing in Amarone barrels. An international spirit with a Venetian soul, born to celebrate a historic event that took place on October 15, 2013: the appointment of an illustrious citizen of Schiavon – a small town in the heart of Veneto – as Secretary of State of the Holy See, where Poli Distillerie has been based since 1898.
Conclave, launched in autumn 2024, is a whisky with a bold and vibrant aroma that evokes the ritual of waiting. It is made from both peated and unpeated pure barley malt, distilled separately with a bain-marie pot still. The new-make spirits then rest in medium-toasted white oak barrels that have been used and regenerated, in order to extract only the softest tannins from the wood. After 5 years of aging, the individual barrels are blended to create a whisky with a unique character.
From the Latin “cum clave,” meaning „room locked with a key,“ it is inspired by the place where the cardinals of the Catholic Church gather when electing the new Pope, under lock and key, just like the barrels in which Poli Distillerie’s whiskies age for long years.
Segretario di Stato and Conclave were awarded a bronze and a silver medal, respectively, at the International Spirits Challenge 2025.
POLI DISTILLERIE is a historic artisanal company, owned by the Poli family and founded in 1898 in Schiavon, near Venice and Bassano del Grappa (Veneto, Italy), in the heart of the region most renowned for the art of distillation and for the production of Grappa,
the authentic Italian Spirit. For four generations the Poli family has been operating with an ancient alembic entirely made of copper, one of the very few still in existence, to which innovative bain-marie stills (vacuum and traditional) have been added, always with the aim of crafting distillates characterized by a sophisticated balance between personality and elegance.
Discover the two Poli Grappa Museums: symbols of the Poli family’s dedication to Grappa.
