Milk and Honey Newmake Spirit

In the lead-up to Passover, I usually review a Japanese whisky before I seal up my cabinet. This year, I decided to do a series of reviews from my open collection of Israeli whiskies before I seal up the cabinet in April.

I visited Milk and Honey Distillery in 2019, and took many notes and photographs. You can read about it here:

connosr.com/milk-and-honey-israel-the-next…

After completing 3 reviews in an order designed to culminate at the “Apex”, I realized I had left out 2 expressions which should have come first… newmake and a less than 3 year old expression.

The newmake is bottled at 50%. I purchased it in Calgary in 2020 for a virtual tasting of several expressions including their gins which we did in 2021. I have not opened it up much since except to let people taste it. It is just under half full, gassed with each use.

This expression is reviewed in my usual manner in a Brilliant Highland whisky glass, allowing it to settle after which I take my nosing and tasting notes, followed by the addition of a few drops of water, waiting, then nosing and tasting.

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Nose: 20/25

Fruity, sweet. There is a slight vegetal note, a mustiness. I am transported to a laundromat. It smells a bit like scented powdered laundry detergent. In a good way.

Taste: 20/25

Sweet and spicy arrival. Peppery. Oily mouth feel. Hint of mint. Unsurprisingly, not very complex. Water rounds it out and makes the flavour more rich. (20.5/25)

Finish: 20.5/25

Peppery, mustiness on the exhale. Water smooths and shortens the finish. (21/25)

Balance: 20/25

The nose and palate are similar, and simple.

Score: Neat - 80.5/100 With Water: 81.5/100

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Despite this being newmake, it’s actually quite sippable. Inoffensive for sure. I’ve tasted aged whiskies that this one would definitely beat.