Introduction Introducing the #04 release from independent bottlers, The Heart Cut. Discover our limited edition release from the M&H Whisky Distillery. This Israeli Single Malt Whisky was fully matured in a pomegranate wine cask. Whisky Tasting Notes You know the rich, fruity character you get from a Sherry cask whisky? Well with this whisky, turn that dial up to 11 and layer on fresh pomegranate, baked plums, medjool dates, cherry pie and a thick, unctuous mouthfeel and then you’re halfway there. AN INTRODUCTION TO M&H DISTILLERY Founded by a group of whisky enthusiasts who wanted to showcase the best of their home country in a glass, the M&H Distillery was built 10 years ago in the heart of Tel Aviv, Israel. When we visited we were shown around by Tomer Goren, their head distiller and Dana Baran, VP marketing. From digging through barrels to find our Heart Cut cask, showing us the R&D room to taking us through a tasting of their entire portfolio (of which there are quite a few), their passion and pride for M&H radiated from them, making us love the whisky even more. As Israel’s first whisky distillery, M&H have - alongside others - been at the forefront of the new world whisky narrative. In our eyes, these are distilleries that combine tradition with innovation, that zig when traditional distilleries zag, that are putting their home countries, often not associated with whisky, on the world whisky map and combine passion, skill and a desire to have fun along the way. The distillery is located in the up-and-coming neighbourhood of Jaffa. A stone's throw from the city beachfront and close to a bustling and aroma-filled hub of markets and restaurants. Not just a working distillery, it has a cool and welcoming visitor centre, bar and shop with locals regularly popping in to stock up on bottles of M&H whisky and gin. In addition to their warehouses at the distillery in Tel Aviv, they have 4 additional warehouses across Israel. These allow the team to explore the full effect of the Israeli climate on their whisky as it matures. These are : The Sea of Galilee : An area with high humidity for most of the year Jerusalem Mountains : Characterised by low temperatures compared to the other areas in Israel, meaning a lower angel’s share. The Desert : Arid and dry area with very low humidity The Dead Sea : An area with an extreme climate - very hot and dry - where summer temperatures can reach 50°C To create the fruity, oily, chewy whisky they had in mind, they needed to make the region's climate work in their favour. So it was only natural that they bought in Dr. Jim Swan, one of the world’s most accomplished master distillers and an expert in hot climate distillation and maturation, to help design the distillery around these two factors. Remember that the climate in Israel is very different to that of Scotland - the country experiences 300 days of sun a year. As we said - VERY different! Under these temperatures, spirit will interact more rapidly with the cask during maturation, taking on flavour compounds from the cask in a shorter time period. A few ways in which this impacts production include : Taking a small heart cut (only about 10% of the run) during distillation. Maturing their spirit for less time, as in that shorter time they’ll get a rapid ‘infusion’ of sorts of flavour from the cask into the whisky due to the heat. Keeping an eye on their Angel’s Share (the evaporation that comes from the cask, where - depending on the humidity - you lose a combination of water and alcohol) which averages 12% in Tel Aviv and goes up to a whopping 25% at their Dead Sea warehouse. Read more about the distillery here. Cask Details 57% ABV 398 bottles available Cask: Poemgranate Wine Distilled: 26/02/2019 Bottled: 26/03/2023 Who is this whisky for? This is the perfect whisky gift for someone who is a fan of sherry whiskies and wants to explore new and exciting whisky brands from around the world.
