Milk and Honey Classic 3 Year Old

This sample comes to me courtesy of the one and only @Nozinan. This Israeli single malt is aged in ex-bourbon and STR Red Wine Casks.

• Nose (undiluted): red apples, vanilla, honey (the power of suggestion?), some red fruits (strawberries and raspberries perhaps?)
• Palate: rich arrival, red fruits reminiscent of better batches of Glendronach 12, slightly peppery, a touch of cinnamon, something slightly floral, some oak
• Finish: long lasting, red Twizzlers, cinnamon, a bit of milk chocolate, a touch spirity at the tail end but nothing too distracting (nowhere near the bitterness I get on the finish of some recent Forty Creek releases)
• With water: the nose gets a touch darker, with dates and figs replacing the strawberry aromas, maybe a bit of chocolate as well, there's also something a bit earthy on the nose, dried leaves perhaps. Interesting. It's much maltier in the mouth with the addition of water but some of the richness is lost. I suppose there are always tradeoffs.
• Thoughts: This is a fascinating and well-executed young malt from Tel Aviv's first whisky distillery. This whisky shows a lot of promise and works quite well in its own right.