Milk & Honey Distillery Pomegranate Wine Cask, Rum Cask and Dead Sea Cask Apex Series Israeli Whisky

The Milk & Honey Distillery in Tel Aviv have created an astoundingly good series of Single Malts, bringing together quality Israeli whisky with some intriguing maturation techniques.

Excellent Whisky, Excellently Matured

The Apex series currently has nine bottlings in total, each one completely unique and pushing the boat of maturation a little bit further.

The distillery, which was established in 2014, was the first whisky distillery to open in Israel and has been thriving ever since. They have been exploring ways to mature their malt and have several series of whiskies that do this. Due to the hot climate in Israel, the malt made there tends to be young and mature quite quickly.

The Apex series has some really exciting bottlings. Their website describes the series; “The M&H Apex is a culmination of years of work and research that exemplifies our spirit of innovation and creativity. Driven by boldness and an aspiration to reach new heights, we composed our apex – an exclusive opportunity of limited editions.”

Tasting notes for Milk & Honey Pomegranate Wine Cask Single Malt Israeli Whisky

This is a truly unique single malt, having been matured in ex-Bourbon casks and finished in Pomegranate Wine casks, which is definitely not something you see every day.

The nose begins with sweet notes of pomegranate and orchard fruits. There is a lovely vanilla and caramel note that brings out oak wood flavours.

The palate is full of herbal note, oak wood and more pomegranate. It is rich with a slightly dark edge, bringing in hints of coffee and mahogany wood.

The finish is slightly salty with big notes of oak wood and vanilla.

Tasting notes for Milk & Honey Rum Cask Single Malt Israeli Whisky

A deliciously warming single malt that has been matured in Rum casks specially sourced from Cuba and Jamaica.

The nose begins with big notes of caramel, spices and vanilla. Dark chocolate and honey appear, adding a lovely richness to the overall aroma.

The palate is sweet and spicy. Coconut, almonds and more honey come through. Sweet nuts abound and a dark treacle flavour wraps everything up perfectly.

The finish is strong and lingers onexotic fruit and mint.

Tasting notes for Milk & Honey Dead Sea Cask Single Malt Israeli Whisky

This is the first whisky that has ever been matured at the lowest point on earth, the Dead Sea. The flavours are bright and powerful, owing to the intense 50°C that the casks were matured in.

The nose brings in earthy herbal notes of fresh mint and oak wood. Vanilla wafts throughout and adds a wonderfully sweet note. Hints of chocolate and coffee appear in the background.

The palate is brimming with peppery spice and dark chocolate bitterness. There is an earthy quality here as well, reminiscent of tea and curry spices. Chocolate appears and brings in more vanilla notes with it.

The finish is full of oak wood and caramel.

These are some really fascinating malts. Not only are the casks used for maturation almost unheard of in the whisky world but the environment that the casks age in is also very unique to Milk & Honey. The Apex series is a true exploration of what can be done with some high quality malt and we are excited for what comes next.

What are your thoughts on Milk & Honey Distillery and their Apex Series? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Tags: Apex SeriesDead Sea CaskMilk & Honey DistilleryPomegranate Wine CaskRum Cask

Greg

My name is Greg, and I’m a brand strategy consultant, writer, speaker, host and judge specialising in premium spirits. My mission is to experience, share and inspire with everything great about whisky, whiskey, gin, beer and fine dining through my writing, my brand building and my whisky tastings.