Taste the world’s best single malt whisky (and others) at JW3 on Thursday
Tasting and masterclass will reveal the remarkable story of how Israel's distilleries are producing world-class whiskies
If someone had told me they were producing single malt whisky in Tel Aviv, Israel, I would have said it was pure chutzpah – and not the charming sort.
I mean, honestly – are we short of whisky in this world? What exactly is Israel planning to do better than the Scots or the Irish… not to mention the Canadians, or those rather capable people who have been perfecting the craft for centuries in Kentucky and Louisiana? It all sounds faintly ridiculous.
But then – if someone had added that this Tel Aviv whisky was crowned World’s Best Single Malt in 2023, at one of the most prestigious competitions in the global whisky industry, I might have had to give myself a small, corrective slap – just to be certain I wasn’t drifting into fantasy.
Because this is precisely what happened. The Milk & Honey Distillery, founded in Tel Aviv in 2013 as Israel’s first whisky distillery, set out with what can only be described as admirable audacity: to produce world-class whisky under the Mediterranean sun.
And that sun matters. With around 300 days of sunshine a year and an accelerated maturation process, the whisky develops at a pace – and with a character – that is rather different from the traditional Scottish model.
Its now-famous Elements Sherry Cask, matured in ex-bourbon and specially sourced sherry casks, managed to charm a panel of judges who taste thousands of whiskies annually, securing the top prize and placing Israel, rather improbably, on the global whisky map.
This coming Thursday 7 May, at JW3 in London, in my role as wine and spirits specialist and Chairman of the Wine Guild of the United Kingdom, I, together with David Cover, the distillery’s UK ambassador, will host a tasting alongside a comprehensive masterclass exploring this remarkable story.
For the first time, we shall also be unveiling whiskies matured in truly extraordinary conditions: the Dead Sea, the Galilee, and the Negev Desert -because if one is going to challenge convention, one might as well do so properly.
Places are, alas, limited and disappearing rather quickly. Book your tickets at jw3.org.uk
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