The Israeli Milk & Honey distillery (M&H) from Tel Aviv have released the ‘Founder’s Edition’ yesterday evening. This edition is bottled solely aimed for its crowd funding campaign backers, who 6 years ago !! (yes, that’s 6 years – a very long time when it comes to crowd funding) participated and funded the very early steps M&H ,when it was only a vague idea in the minds of its founding fathers.
Founder’s Edition has been aged for 3 years in a combination of ex-Bourbon, STR wine Casks, and then finished in a Kosher PX sherry cask especially made for the distillery in Spain. FE is bottled at 57% slightly lower than cask strength ABV.
Because all the bottles were pre-allocated long ago, the whisky will not go on sale, but not to worry, more whisky is coming this year from M&H… as their first commercial 3 year old comes of age…
M&H fans will also notice the bottles have been re-designed, and I think they really look better now, a nice touch. The entire range is about to undergo this change, as M&H will be presenting quite a few new whiskies and single casks in the near future.
M&H Founders Edition, 3yo, 57% abv
Nose: Quite sweet to start with, with the PX sherry finish sweetness dominating, it’s has got a nice chocolate-y note, with cocoa, spicy and red berries, very fragrant and no alcohol bite, which is nice for 57% … Good balance and not too oaky, with a slight sour note that balances it out.
Palate: There’s more wood in the palate now, with the sweet notes and dark chocolate & nuts, some vanilla notes and more spices, maybe a hint of ginger prickle and a peppery tang, harmonious and quite more-ish.
Finish: Medium length with wood notes, oak spices, dark chocolate, cocoa powder and a hint of chilly flake.
Conclusion: All in all this is a very good example of what M&H are able to do in such a short time. Very enjoyable and easy drinking even for the occasional whisky drinker, with the sweet PX finish, it really is dangerously drinkable, if not the most complex of whiskies, it is impressively good for a whisky at such a tender age.
Looking forward to future releases this year. If you’re going to attend TWE whisky show (London) or Whisky Live Paris, Check out the M&H stand I know they have some special expressions bottled for those events.