Milk & Honey - 2017-2020 - PX-Sherry Finish - Steven E. Winston Single Cask - 57,2%
Photo taken at Roche Bobois Stuttgart
You've been warned that we'll keep tracking this distillery! That cask was picked by an indie bottler and scotsman living in Tel Aviv (so consider it Lowlander approved), who wanted to buy a few bottles and ended up owning a whole cask. Who can blame him for that! (He who is without sin among you...etcetera)
Nose
Splendid! Say hello to a beautiful old sherry cask bouquet, which fell on the sweeter and more herbal side with figs, raisins, hazelnuts and drops of cough syrup. Moreover, we also spot a gentle freshness of sage and thyme, rounded by touches of menthol and one lonely lavender blossom. From now on we will always associate this sage and thyme note with the Milk & Honey distillery character. On the label we can clearly read that this is cask strength, but where is the alcohol bite? (Not that we're missing it).
Palate
The sweetness subsides a bit and gives room for a gentle bitterness and a mellow, oily texture. There is milk chocolate, there are cloves, there are dates. It's a bit one dimensional, but balanced and very tasty though. It strongly reminds us of a 12 year old Glenfarclas. Well, there are worse compliments.
Finish
Medium long, with milk chocolate, carob and a lovely twist of aniseed (the region seems right).
Rating
Other than with rum where the new make can already be exceptionally good due to long fermentation, young whiskies often struggle with sharpness or metallic notes. Not in here, Sir! If somebody would smuggle this fellow into a blind tasting range between a few 12 year old sherry malts, it would surely stand it's ground. Great select, Steven!
