M&H Elements Peated

Still circling an average score of ‘good’ with an undertone of underwhelming we are half way through and entering the back stretch. This is the third of the M&H elements series that explores the influence of different barrels. Here, M&H fill ex-Islay barrels with their spirit and mature them in the hot climate before combing them with ex-bourbon aged spirit. N: Light and bright. Vanilla scented honey, a freshly cut hay meadow and a lightly lemony smoke that definitely brings Islay into the minds eye. A light tarry-brine comes through and I am wondering if this the touch of a Lagavulin cask? A light juicy melon comes in along the way as well. Not bad at all. P: Odd, there is a powerful hit of smoke but this is delivered by a somewhat thinly juicy palate. Sweet honey and fresh cut lush grass are quite jarring against a stand alone creosote and preserved lemon smoke. There is some fruitiness by way of pear and apple, but they don’t do a lot. The oak is peppery, but again, I don’t find this well integrated. F: Medium. Peppery to chilli tannins and a slightly creamy texture unfolds. Vanilla panacota and a touch of honey sweetness (there it is: milk and honey). The smoke hangs around longest and brings the same tarry-lemon as on the nose and palate but adds a little salinity. This one was a curious drop. Every flavour, scent, and sensation was pretty much great. But, only as individual elements. Altogether, this is like a divorce settlement fighting over who gets to keep the holiday house. M&H seem to have a very admirable spirit profile which lends its self well to clean casking and a simple directionality. Sadly, the delicacy and nuance of this sweet floral malt is tossed into a lions den with the heavyweight Islay cask here and it just cannot find its feet. Points for ‘elements’ here but big negatives on execution and integrated balance. Two more to go, and these seem to ring truer on paper to an Israeli whisky than what has been imbibed so far… Distiller whisky taste #245 [Pictured here with Azurite suns on a white kaolinite matrix from Mablunka, 220 km north of Alice Springs in the Australian Northern Territories. Leaving the desert theme behind momentarily to bring you the Israeli flag in rock form. Each blue sun is a radial cluster of copper carbonate minerals (azurite). These formed when during the Alice Springs Orogeny hot circulating basin fluids penetrated 300-400 million year old clay sediments} M&H Running scores Classic: 3.5/5 Sherry: 3/5 Red Wine: 3.25/5 Peated: 3.25/5

My fourth Milk & Honey, was the last in their core range, The Peated one. Was it really peaty? Is this going to be as good as the Red Wine Cask Finish; or as bad as the Sherry cask one? Let me tell you all about my thoughts on it. Bottled at 46%abv. Uncorking doesn't smell peaty. On the nose, cotton candy; Yeast and pepper. Yeast is overpowering and nice, just not peated. After a first sip a "peaty spice" has risen, nice, but still not enough peat for me. Prunes, a little swampy. The pepper tries to become ashes. Yeast again. On the palate, it is too light but way better than the sherried expression from this distillery. Salty water. Very dim but nice. Vanilla water. Light. Some herbal notes and salt. Sadly, aftertaste is once again the lowest scored part. Slightly peaty, actually earthy peaty, not smokey. Overall, this is a baby step into a peated malt from this distillery. It feels that they went too safe with this expression. It has a "peaty feeling", but not peat "per se". Nothing bad or undrinkable, just not memorable. They have to improve this one and the sherried one to match the amazingness of the Red wine cask one. My score for it is 70 over 100.

The nose is traditional single malt of hay, honey, barley, but starts with a wonderful amount of cocoa powder. Oak, vanilla, camp fire smoke and pepper follow in a perfect balance. The palate is a burst of jalapeño followed by cocoa powder, hay, honey, oak, smoke, pepper, with slight underlying notes of vanilla and astringency. The finish is medium with a lingering smokey spice and a cocoa bitterness that is not overpowering but is just so slightly there and then immediately starts to fade.

Sweet aroma, grain, sugar, faint peat. Interesting flavors on the tongue, the dame grain and peat which is excellent, but with some sort of weird undercurrent that tastes green. Like oak, but young oak. Not unenjoyable, but a little strange for me

Flaviar Advent Calendar: samples says Element peated but cleary a strong pleasant sherry element on the nose. Fruits and wood notes. Taste is mildly sweet, mild peat, fruits again. Not sure that I have the right sample but I really like this one

Has a lovely earthiness Nose: Honey, Lemon, Smoke, Honey, Salted Caramel, Salted Cod, Grass, Mint, Ginger Palate: Honey, Vanilla, Ginger, Salted Caramel, Tar, Lemon Peels Finish: Grass, Ginger, Heather, Vanilla, Sunflowers