M&H APEX Pomegranate Wine Cask

Ok. Core expression and ‘elements’ series out of the way. I now have what I was most excited about, the Apex series. I have two of them in front of me. I am excited as I feel these are the two (whether good or bad) with the best shot of being reflective of an Israeli character. The Apex series are supposedly, according to Ari in marketing, “an exclusive opportunity to taste limited editions driven by our boldness and aspiration to reach new heights”. That is, these whiskies are the Apex of M&H. Thats not at all setting themselves up to fail… The pomegranate cask is M&H Single malt whisky aged in ex-Bourbon casks and finished in fortified style pomegranate wine casks for six months. Ooooo 59.5% ABV, this should have some oomph. N: And a little oomph it has. The almost 60% ABV is apparent right away. Rich and with depth, but not overwhelming. This has an oozy kind of thickness laden with earthy malt, burnt coffee and dark caramel, toffee apple, mint, and a little vanilla with a vague spritz of orange. The longer I sit with this the stickier and ‘redder’ it has become; still, I am not convinced it smells of pomegranates. P: Heavy and forceful. Thick with honey and raisin a pomegranate syrup presence permeates. Oaky spice is warming, and leans towards cinnamon chilli, with the wood somewhat restrained and toasty. Vanilla toffee, and fading notes of mocha. F: Long. Drying oak, sticky sweet and spicy chilli heat with a fruity presence that is the pomegranate at work. The faintest notion of salt. A few drops of water and a few minutes to calm later… the nose becomes a little brighter, a little fruiter, and with more nose prickle. Amongst that though there is a musty red grape and woody herbal presence like thyme and lavender. Really quite lovely. The palate enters savoury territory, again backed by a herbal bouquet that lends well to an earthy presence. Pomegranate is on the ride side of sweet. The palate does dry a little further and becomes slightly astringent but only shortens the finish without developing anything new. This is well made. The higher proof offers length and depths to work with and what I though would be sticky and cloying has actually been pretty well managed. Some of the musty, honey, and orange-blossom is here and represents the core spirit well. The cask is additive and pretty well executed. It may be a little too tannic and that, I fear will always be an issue in the Israeli climate. I am torn though, is this better than the classic? It’s more adventurous, it would have been more challenging to do correctly. I don’t think I enjoyed it more, but I think it does offer a little more to discover, so it just about edges the top spot with one contender left to go… Distiller whisky taste #246 [Desert only theme has fallen away it seems. So, pictured here with a rock for the pomegranate cask. The mineral name garnet is derived from the 14th‑century Middle English word gernet, meaning 'dark red' and is further derived from the Latin granatus, from granum ('grain, seed'). Granatus is likely a reference to mela granatum or even pomum granatum (pomegranate).⠀This garnet schist/gneiss is from Southern Norway. I used it for taste #140; HP16 Eagle, but it is the most pomegranate-like rock I have, so its coming out again] M&H Running scores Classic: 3.5/5 Sherry: 3/5 Red Wine: 3.25/5 Peated: 3.25/5 Apex Pomegranate: 3.75/5

Rating: 13/23 I've heard very mixed opinions about this one, so I'm curious to try it. I'd never even heard of pomegranate wine before this was released, so I have minimal idea what to expect here. N: Starts of surprisingly faint for something with such an eccentric finish. then I start getting earthy, slightly vegetal notes. There's a faint hint of fruit with a little strawberry sweetness. Some kind of tannic wood. A somewhat tarter, richer side of the strawberry emerges. Then some spices in the clove realm with a hint of cardamom. I do smell the ethanol, but it's clean and not overpowering. Hints of cashew lead into some spice that's like dry cinnamon, cardamom, and clove. This really takes around 15 minutes to open up. Give it time. P: Sweet, malty, spicy. It burns substantially and is kind of harsh. There's a nectar character to this that gets kind of nutty like buckwheat, then brings in a bit of red fruitiness and orange peel - less than I'd expected though - before moving into a little dungeness crab or possibly rust. Some minerality hangs out in the corners. There's a definite funkiness throughout here in which I get waves of various spices (cinnamon, ginger, clover, cardamon, white pepper) mixed with young spirit, some bit of vegetal flavor and that particular profile of fruit. What it reminds me most of is actually Rabbit Hole Dereringer. The palate is unfortunately harsh. For a second, I thought it might just be spicy, but I've concluded that it actually is harsh. F: Numbing from the spice. Somewhat vegetal with a bit of earthiness and faintly present fruit. A kind of tartness from the fruit on the long finish. Not a super interesting or enjoyable conclusion, but not bad. - Conclusion - I thought I might be criticizing a syrupy sweet profile here, but actually I'm pretty fine with the wine's influence. This reminds me most of Rabbit Hole Dereringer. Whereas the Rabbit Hole goes too far with the sherry influence, this stays within a reasonable range and has a profile that seems innately more suited to the funky wind influence. That said, this is clearly young and harsh. I say that about the Rabbit Hole as well, but this is moreso. Honestly though, if you'd asked me which one had the pomegranate wine finish, I'd have guessed the Rabbit Hole. I don't dislike this and I did know that it would be young, but this just seems too young. What astonishes me though is how good the pomegranate wine influence is. A release of this with 10 years in a somewhat neutral barrel followed by a pomegranate wine finish? I'd be excited to try that. As for a rating, I love the potential here, but the youthfulness of the distillate seems quite flawed. Considering the harshness, a 14 seems as high as I can go. I can faintly imagine a 15, but I don't think so. I considered as low as a 12, but I spent most of my time waffling between a 13 and a 14. Because of how harsh it is, I landed on a 13. This was really a fascinating experience. It was absolutely not what I expected. And although I can't say I loved this, I'm excited by the potential for future pomegranate wine finishings from Milk & Honey. Thanks so much, @PBMichiganWolverine , for the sample of this! Milk & Honey's success with such an unusual cask was eye opening and I'm looking forward to trying some of their older releases when they become available.

I’ve been interested in trying Milk and Honey for a while now, but have kept hearing mixed reviews and with their relatively young age statements, I’ve steered clear. Thankfully @PBMichiganWolverine was kind enough to provide me with a sample of this pomegranate wine finished whisky to try and finally be able to check Israeli off my whisky globe country list. After pouring the sample and going in for a nose it’s strong and closed off with sour fruits and that high proof overpowering the notes, but after a good 15 minutes the high ethanol begins to calm down to reveal those malty fruity flavors. The nose starts with a rich caramel followed by buttermilk pancakes that are topped with whipped cream and fruits of pomegranate seeds, sour cherries and strawberry syrup that transitions to light floral notes then spices of ginger, cloves, leather and polished oak with high ethanol burn. The taste is a rich mouthfeel starting with fresh baked cinnamon rolls that are topped with cream cheese frosting that transitions to fruits of pomegranate seeds, sour cherries, sautéed apples and orange peel that then has a medium drying spice that then fades to dark chocolate, light floral notes then to spices of ginger, cloves, leather and medium tannic oak with high ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with sour cherries, pomegranate juice, dark chocolate, cinnamon churros, orange zest, ginger, cloves, leather and slightly ashy oak. This is a rich high proof whisky that starts with a nose of pastry, balanced mix of sour red fruits showcasing that pomegranate wine cask along with oak barrel spices that carries over to the palate with rich sweet pastry leading before those sour fruits of the pomegranate wine intermix with bourbon citrus that turns into a medium dry spice mid-palate that fades to chocolate, light floral and barrel spices before finishing with a mild sourness, pomegranate, red berries, citrus, dark chocolate, fried pastry notes and slightly tannic oak. If you enjoy pomegranates and whisky, this is a must buy that manages to find a balanced approach to combine those sour red berries in with a rich decadent whisky. These appear to be costing around $100 right now, which might seem like a lot for a 3-year-old whisky, but it’s a very unique spin that works well and I really hope they have some future releases of older stock with the pomegranate finish.

Born and raised in the US, yet from a south Asian heritage, there’s always a conflict of balancing the traditional Asian culture against the American way of life. This permeates in everything —the very notion of the American “ it is my right “ is so contrary to the Asian “it is my obligation “. As an example—Way we raise our kids, way we treat our parents—-it’s less about “me “ as opposed to “ us “. There is that fundamental difference in the inherent “my right “ vs “my obligation “. Of course, there’s non-divisive balancing acts as well—-like cuisine. One such item is the noble pomegranate. Here in US, this fruit is reduced to salad toppings and smoothies. But if you look at Indian, Israeli, Turkish, Greek and Middle Eastern cuisine, this fruit is elevated to amazing heights. Growing up, we always considered having this as a special treat. It was expensive, and of course seasonal. My mom used to make a dish with pomegranate, potatoes , green chilies , asofoetida, cumin, and coriander seeds. Stir fried over ghee, the house just had the aroma of spices and fruit. So—when I saw @worldwhiskies95 ‘s review on this, it bought back memories of taking such a noble fruit, and elevating it to where it truly is the star. I had to buy a bottle of this whiskey. First whiff, you get the wine aroma. Not necessarily pomegranate yet. More red berries and vanilla. But on the palette, you get that pomegranate—-backed up by dark chocolate. Really well made, where the cask seems to have a huge influence. I wished it had more time in cask, but that’s just me—-I wanted more pomegranates. If you don’t like wine influence, or a strong floral / fruity taste, this may not be for you. Like the cultural divisions between east and west, I can see this being polarizing as well. Not for everyone, but a worthwhile pour at the least.

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.

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]