M&H APEX Pomegranate Wine Cask

The high proof is immediately noticeable. Rich and deep, yet not overpowering, with a thick texture carrying notes of earthy malt, burnt coffee, and dark caramel, plus toffee apple, mint, and a hint of vanilla with a faint orange spritz. It becomes stickier and 'redder' the longer it sits, though I don't detect pomegranate. The palate is heavy and intense. Thick with honey and raisin, a pomegranate syrup flavor is present. Oak spice is warming, leaning towards cinnamon chili, with the wood being somewhat restrained and toasty. Vanilla toffee and fading mocha notes appear. The finish is long, with drying oak, sticky sweet, and spicy chili heat alongside a fruity presence that seems to be the pomegranate. A very faint hint of salt. After adding a few drops of water and letting it rest, the aroma becomes brighter, fruitier, with more nose prickle. It also develops a musty red grape and woody herbal quality, like thyme and lavender. It's quite pleasant. The palate shifts to savory notes, supported by a herbal bouquet that complements an earthy character. The pomegranate flavor is on the sweeter side. The palate dries further, becoming slightly astringent, which shortens the finish without introducing new elements. This is skillfully crafted. The higher proof provides length and depth. What I expected to be syrupy and cloying has been managed effectively. Some of the musty, honey, and orange blossom notes are present, reflecting the core spirit well. The cask influence is complementary and well-executed. It might be slightly too tannic, which I suspect will always be an issue in the Israeli climate. I'm undecided if it surpasses the standard bottling; it's more adventurous and challenging to get right. I didn't enjoy it more, but I think it offers more to explore, giving it a slight edge over the top spot with one contender remaining…

Score: 13/23 I've encountered conflicting reviews for this, making me keen to taste it. Before its release, I hadn't encountered pomegranate wine, so I have little idea what to anticipate. Nose: Initially subtle for something with such an unusual finish, it then reveals earthy, slightly vegetal notes. There's a faint fruit presence with a touch of strawberry sweetness. A hint of tannic wood appears. A tarter, richer dimension of the strawberry emerges, followed by clove-like spices and a whisper of cardamom. The ethanol is detectable but clean and not overwhelming. Cashew hints precede spices resembling dry cinnamon, cardamom, and clove. This genuinely needs about 15 minutes to develop. Allow it time. Palate: Sweet, malty, spicy. It has a noticeable burn and is somewhat rough. A nectar-like quality is present, becoming nutty, reminiscent of buckwheat, then introducing a bit of red fruitiness and orange peel – less than anticipated – before transitioning to notes of dungeness crab or possibly rust. Some minerality lingers in the background. A distinct funkiness pervades, presenting waves of various spices (cinnamon, ginger, clove, cardamom, white pepper) mingled with young spirit, some vegetal character, and that specific fruit profile. It most closely resembles Rabbit Hole Dereringer. The palate is unfortunately rough. For a moment, I suspected it was merely spicy, but I've concluded it is indeed rough. Finish: Numbing from the spice. Somewhat vegetal with a touch of earthiness and faint fruit. A tartness from the fruit marks the long finish. Not an exceptionally engaging or pleasing conclusion, but not bad. - Summary - I expected to criticize a syrupy sweet profile, but I'm actually quite content with the wine's impact. This strongly reminds me of Rabbit Hole Dereringer. While the Rabbit Hole overdoes the sherry influence, this remains within a sensible range and possesses a character that feels more naturally suited to the funky wine infusion. However, this is clearly young and rough. I make the same observation about the Rabbit Hole, but this is more so. Frankly, if you asked me which one had the pomegranate wine finish, I would have guessed the Rabbit Hole. I don't dislike this, and I was aware it would be young, but it just seems excessively young. What's astonishing, though, is the quality of the pomegranate wine influence. A release of this with 10 years in a fairly neutral barrel followed by a pomegranate wine finish? I would be eager to try that. Regarding a score, I appreciate the potential here, but the distillate's youthfulness appears significantly flawed. Given the roughness, a 14 is the highest I can justify. I can faintly envision a 15, but I doubt it. I considered as low as a 12, but I spent most of my time undecided between a 13 and a 14. Due to its roughness, I settled on a 13. This was truly a fascinating experience. It was absolutely not what I anticipated. And while I can't say I loved this, I'm enthusiastic about the prospects for future pomegranate wine finishes from Milk & Honey. Many thanks to a friend for the sample of this! Milk & Honey's success with such an unusual cask was eye-opening, and I look forward to trying some of their older releases when they become available.

I've been curious about this distillery for some time, but have heard mixed reviews and, given their relatively young age statements, have avoided them. Fortunately, a friend kindly provided me with a sample of this pomegranate wine-finished whiskey so I could finally mark Israel off my whisky country list. Upon pouring the sample and taking a whiff, it's strong and closed off with sour fruits and a high proof overpowering the notes. However, after a good 15 minutes, the high ethanol begins to subside, revealing malty fruity flavors. The nose starts with rich caramel followed by buttermilk pancakes topped with whipped cream and fruits like pomegranate seeds, sour cherries, and strawberry syrup. This transitions to light floral notes and then spices of ginger, cloves, leather, and polished oak, with a high ethanol burn. The taste has a rich mouthfeel, beginning with fresh-baked cinnamon rolls topped with cream cheese frosting. This transitions to fruits like pomegranate seeds, sour cherries, sautéed apples, and orange peel, followed by a medium drying spice that fades to dark chocolate, light floral notes, and spices of ginger, cloves, leather, and medium tannic oak, with a 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 whiskey. It starts with a nose of pastry and a balanced mix of sour red fruits, showcasing that pomegranate wine cask along with oak barrel spices. This carries over to the palate with rich sweet pastry leading, before the sour fruits from the pomegranate wine intermingle with bourbon citrus, turning into a medium dry spice mid-palate that fades to chocolate, light floral notes, and barrel spices before finishing with mild sourness, pomegranate, red berries, citrus, dark chocolate, fried pastry notes, and slightly tannic oak. If you enjoy pomegranates and whiskey, this is a must-buy. It manages to find a balanced approach to combine those sour red berries with a rich, decadent whiskey. These are currently costing around $100, which might seem steep for a 3-year-old whiskey, but it's a very unique and successful spin. I truly hope they release older stocks with the pomegranate finish in the future.

While born and raised in the US, my South Asian heritage presents a constant internal debate between traditional Asian culture and the American lifestyle. This difference is evident in all aspects of life, particularly in the contrast between the American notion of "it is my right" and the Asian perspective of "it is my obligation." For instance, the way we raise children and care for parents emphasizes "us" over "me." There's a fundamental divergence between inherent "my right" and "my obligation." Naturally, there are also unifying elements, such as cuisine. The noble pomegranate is one such example. In the US, this fruit is often relegated to salad toppings and smoothies. However, in Indian, Israeli, Turkish, Greek, and Middle Eastern cuisines, the pomegranate is celebrated with remarkable artistry. Growing up, we considered it a special indulgence. It was costly and, of course, seasonal. My mother would prepare a dish with pomegranate, potatoes, green chilies, asafoetida, cumin, and coriander seeds. Stir-fried in ghee, the house would fill with the aroma of spices and fruit. So, when I saw a review of this, it brought back memories of taking such a noble fruit and elevating it to its rightful place as the star. I felt compelled to purchase a bottle of this whiskey. The initial aroma offers the wine scent, not necessarily pomegranate yet, but more red berries and vanilla. On the palate, however, the pomegranate emerges, complemented by dark chocolate. It's exceptionally well-crafted, with the cask playing a significant role. I wished it had spent more time in the cask, but that's a personal preference; I desired more pomegranate. If you dislike wine influence or a pronounced floral/fruity taste, this might not be for you. Similar to the cultural divides between East and West, I can see this being divisive. It's not for everyone, but at the very least, it's a worthwhile pour.

Nose - Cereal grain, strawberry, raspberry, apricot, butterscotch, pecan, orange, vanilla, nutmeg, cocoa, with a moderate to high ethanol burn. Taste - Raspberry, strawberry, bitter herbal notes, cherry, cereal grain, lemon pith, orange zest, vanilla, caramel, apple seed, allspice, with a moderate to high alcohol intensity, finishing medium short with jammy red fruit, bitter citrus, and cereal grain flavors. This has been getting some recent attention, so I decided to share my thoughts. First off, I've never tasted pomegranate wine and don't have much experience with the fruit itself. Oh man, the 60% ABV is definitely apparent on the nose. I inhaled too deeply on the first sniff and had to recover. It's very grainy, but pleasant jammy fruits come through, along with some butterscotch, baking spices, and a hint of pecan nuttiness. There's also something slightly off, not quite sulfuric, perhaps a fungal note. Hard to say. The palate carries 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 difficult one. On one hand, the red fruit notes are quite nice, possibly some of the best I've experienced in a wine finish. On the other hand, it's intensely hot, grainy, bitter, and obviously young. Water helps somewhat, but it also makes the graininess and thinness more pronounced. More time in the barrel is desperately needed, and likely a lower bottling proof if the bitterness persists. Overall, there's significant potential here, but I don't believe it's quite ready for prime time. A big thank you to a friend for sharing! I'm very eager to try a future iteration of this one.

Rich and fruity on the initial inhale. Very similar to a sherry-finished whisky, like Dalmore or Macallan. The aromas are layered like a sound system: bass, mid-range, and treble. Nutty pecan and walnuts form the low end. Honey, Grape Nuts cereal, blood oranges, watermelon, and thinly sliced strawberries make up the mid-range. Distinct notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla frosting provide the high range, occasionally popping out and blending with the other layers. A viscous mouthfeel that is rich and flavorful with an edge. Strawberries and vanilla are the primary flavors. The spice level is high, keeping the palate in a constant tingle. Cinnamon spice, cinnamon Red Hots, white pepper, and faint hints of raspberry jam mingle and bite amongst the sparse main flavors. A fair amount of water actually mutes the richness and brings out more bitterness from the dram. It's actually better in its natural state. A medium-length finish with dark chocolate, raspberry port wine, ginger, and barrel spices. Although the aromas and flavors aren't incredibly diverse and the burn is significant, there's an approachable quality that's enjoyable yet sophisticated. A dram I can picture enjoying after a rich meal with close friends, or simply relaxing in an Adirondack chair with a mild cigar, savoring the silence. Thanks to a friend for the generous sample. This is one I wouldn't have normally considered, but I might now. [88/100] [Tasted: 4/9/22]