Milk and Honey Young Single Malt - The Last One

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 it up.

I visited Milk and Honey Distillery in 2019, and took many notes and photos. 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, the review of which which I just posted, and this less than 3 year old expression. This is apparently the last expression that they released before their first official whisky, the Classic, released in 2020. It was matured in ex-red wine casks (STR) and ex-bourbon casks. The label says it was bottled on May 5, 2019. It is labelled Kosher by the Tel Aviv rabbinate, but we all know that with very few exceptions, ALL whisky is Kosher.

I purchased this in Calgary in late 2020 for a virtual tasting of several expressions including their gins which we did in 2021. I have not opened it up much since then except to let people taste it. The 500 cc bottle 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: 21/25

Sweet, fruity. The wine casks are clearly detectable. Some baking spices. A hint of vanilla. Pleasant nose. Water opens up the nose a bit. I get the sweet, rich perfume that you get from some flowers, possibly a gardenia. (21.5/25)

Taste: 20.5/25

Sweet. Red wine influence is forward on the arrival. Slightly spirity. A little “rough”. Not very complex. Water makes the taste a bit richer, but the mouthfeel a little thinner.

Finish: 21/25

Long finish, peppery, red wine on the exhale.

Balance: 21/25

The nose and the palate complement each other. It’s young, not very complex.

Score: Neat - 83.5 /100 With Water: 84/100

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Not a bad young spirit, and a harbinger of what would come later on…