Milk & Honey - "Apex" Pomegranate Wine Cask

57.2% - Batch no.014 (total batch out-turn 3396 bottles)

First off, did you know the word pomegranate comes from the Latin "pomum granatum" which means "apple with many seeds"?

I didn't either until I started writing this review.

Did you also know that there is a wine that's made from pomegranate fruit? Neither did I until Milk & Hiney's Brand Ambassador, Shilton Almeida told me.

You learn something new every day.

This whisky was initially matured in ex-Bourbon casks before being transferred to casks that previously held pomegranate wine (and not pomegranate juice as I wondered at first - although, I bet that would be lush)

Appearance: Deep amber with a rich red flash. Waxen oily legs.

Nose: Big waves of rich fruit and dried wood jump out of the glass. It's quite a tick and unctuous aroma with extra notes of honey, nuts, mint, wine, black tea, dried nuts, freshly grated coconut, and maple syrup. It's such a rich bag of aromas.

Palate: Rich & oily with a sweet aromatic delivery from the off. Some "chewy" heat appears like when you bit down on soft red peppercorns. Now the fruit appears by the bag-full with a particular emphasis on blackberries, soft plums, and prunes (yes, I know prunes are plums!). Notes of oats and cereal appear in an oily delivery. A beautiful sweetness is imparted from the previous casks that contained the pomegranate wine.

Finish: Long, with butter-rich caramel sauce, nuts, soft ripe apples, and a gentle red chili tingle.

Conclusion: Indulgent, deep, and very, very moreish. This is an absolutely delightful whisky. Possibly my favourite in the Milk & Honey range so far. I've also discovered that I find the spelling of pomegranite pommegranite pommegraite pomegranate really fiddly.

Available for around £90-£95 (at the time of writing)

Read more about the Milk & Honey Distillery here