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From Ireland to Baltimore to Brianza, the importance of whiskey in Ilva Saronno’s business is growing. And it is also growing with an unprecedented development because Ilva Saronno, after having invested in The Busker Irish whiskey (in 2016 it entered the Royal Oak distillery and then took it over completely in 2019) and after having bet a few months ago on the Sagamore Spirit of Baltimore in the USA, is now launches its most interesting challenge by entering the promising niche of whiskey made in Italy.
The investment in Albedo
Ilva Saronno, in fact, taking advantage of a capital increase, took over 20% of the capital of Albedo, a Lombard artisan distillery (precisely from Seregno, in the province of Monza Brianza). Albedo was founded by Raiload Brewing and began producing whiskey under the Strada Ferrata brand in 2020 even if the first tasting has not yet taken place. In fact, distillation operations began on 11 February 2021 and therefore the first taste of whiskey made in Brianza is expected at the end of 2024.
«We believe a lot in this product – they explain at Ilva di Saronno – as in the people who started this journey before us and who have only now landed with our participation. It is a young Italian and entirely Italian reality, an aspect of great importance for us at Ilva who are 100% made in Italy. With the bet on Lombard whiskey we continue our process of strengthening in this sector for which we note how the quality of the products and the market are growing at a global level.”
The Italian way to quality whisky
The Italian path to whiskey started by Albedo involves high quality raw materials for a cereal distillate aged for a minimum of 3 years «in which – they explain to Albedo – the gustatory characteristics of the raw materials are integrated with the complexity of the aromas brought by wood and time . The innovative spirit also lies in the search for the ideal types of barrels for refinements, from the classic ex-bourbon and ex-sherry barrels to barrels that previously hosted Italian wines or beers or even less conventional virgin barrels such as Cherry and Acacia produced by Italian master coopers ».
Favorable climate
The other characteristic that can mark the production of Italian whiskey is entirely climatic because generally harsher climates lead to slower maturation while milder conditions, such as those that can generally be found in Italy, can speed up the refinement of the product.