M&H APEX Pomegranate Wine Cask

This is the definition of a distillery with promise and this edition proves it. Clearly young at 3 years and sharp at 60% but a light and inviting nose, a full and and sweet palate that would shine with a few more years in the barrel! A short but pleasant finish and a very strong showing for M&H and Israeli whisky!

N - very fruity, can see the pomegranate influence. Strong and robust. T - very young and sharp. Flavor profile is great. Sweet and fruity with a hint of honey. But too young. This whisky will be amazing if it is aged for a few more years

At a M&H tasting this was our favorite. Pomegranate comes through a in smell and taste. Very smooth smell. Fruity. Citrussy. spicy. A bit alcoholheavy in the taste so could use a drop of water.

Dark bitter chocolate. Fruity notes with a bit of water. Slightly floral. Tartness.

Another Israeli whisky, this time a Cask Strength expression from Milk & Honey, a Pomegranate Wine finish. This should be interesting. Bottled at 59.5%abv. On the nose, the typical Yeasty note from this distillery but super spicy. Pumpkin, very tropical aroma. Peaches. A Tropical fruit punch. On the palate is fairly good. Chocolate with hazelnut. Very rough and salty. After a first sip it was all about creamy nuttiness like Ferrero Rocher bombom. Aftertaste is sweet and spicy. A chocolate hard cream. Salty and something that i can only describe as a spongy pepper. Overall, this is not a bad whisky at all. I could rank it in a third place from this distillery after the Red Wine Cask and the Apex Dead Sea Cask Strength one. A nice offering, but a little rough on the edges. My score for it is an 80 over 100.

Rich and fruitful. That’s on the initial nosing. Very similar to a sherried whisky: Dalmore or Macallan. The aromas come across like a speaker design. Bass, mid-range and treble. Pecan and/walnuts nuttiness provide the low end. Honey, Grape Nuts cereal, blood oranges, watermelon and thin-sliced strawberries provide the mid-range. Those distinct notes of cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla frosting provide the high range. They pop here and there and mix in with the other ranges. A viscous mouth rich and flavorful with an edge. Strawberries, vanilla primarily provide most of the flavor. The spice level runs high and the palate is in a constant prickle state. Cinnamon spice, cinnamon Red Hots, white pepper and vague hints of raspberry jam float and bite amongst sparse primary flavors. A fair amount of water actually mutes, diminishes the richness, and draws more of the bitterness out of the dram. It’s actually better in its natural state. A medium length finish of dark chocolate, raspberry port wine, ginger and barrel spices. Though the aromas and flavors are not wide ranging and the burn factor high, there is a quality about it that is approachable, enjoyable but with an heir of sophistication. A dram that I can visualize after a rich meal with some dear friends. Or just sitting on and Adirondack chair with a mild cigar just enjoying the silence. Thanks @PBMichiganWolverine for the generous sample. This is one one I would not have normally thought to seek out, but I may now. [88/100][[Tasted: 4/9/22]

Nose - cereal grain, strawberry, raspberry, apricot, butterscotch, pecan, orange, vanilla, nutmeg, cocoa, moderate to high ethanol burn. Taste - raspberry, strawberry, bitter herbal notes, cherry, cereal grain, lemon pith, orange zest, vanilla, caramel, apple seed, allspice, moderate to high alcohol bite, finishing medium short with jammy red fruit, bitter citrus, and cereal grain flavors. This one has received some recent attention here, so I thought it was time to throw my hat in the ring. First things first, I’ve never tasted pomegranate wine and don’t have much experience with the fruit in general. Oh man, this definitely lets you know it’s 60% ABV on the nose. I breathed in too deeply on the first nosing and had to catch my breath. It’s really grainy, but nice jammy fruits shine through, along with some butterscotch, baking spices, and hint of pecan nuttiness. There’s something slightly off about it too, not quite sulphuric, but maybe it’s a fungal note. Difficult to say. The palate brings the same heat and more jammy red fruits. There are some apple seed tannins and lemon pith bitterness leading to a short drying finish. This is a hard one. On one hand, there are some really nice red fruit notes, probably some of the best I’ve encountered on a wine finish. On the other hand, it’s super hot, grainy, bitter, and obviously young. Water helps a bit, but it also further exacerbates the graininess and thinness. More time in the barrel is desperately needed, and probably a lower bottling proof if the bitterness persists. Overall there’s a lot of potential here, but I just don’t think it’s quite ready for prime time. A big thank you to @PBMichiganWolverine for sharing! I’ll be very interested to try version 2.0 of this one.