Milk & Honey STR Cask - Waxhouse Whisky Edition #8

53.9% ABV / STR Cask / 3yrs - specially bottled for Waxhouse Whisky

The Waxhouse Whisky chaps from St Albans have released their 8th bottle, and it's come all the way from Israel. It's a cask from the Milk & Honey Distillery that is located in the hot climate of Tel Aviv.

At only 3 years old, this whisky has been subjected to some tropical conditions that has resulted in an accelerated maturity. Being about a mile from the shores of the Med, the warehouse where the casks sit undoubtedly benefit from some nice sea air and aren't far if they want to go for a swim.

The liquid has spent it's life maturing in an STR cask. STR stands for Shaved, Toasted, Recharred , and is the legacy that the late Dr Jim Swan left behind, and has been adopted by many distilleries all over the world to great effect.

Appearance: Rich & vibrant polished pine.

Nose: Vimto, old style thick-cut orange marmalade, fruit salad sweets, honey coated peanuts. It’s packing lots of fruit and lovely rich sweetness. Further nosing reveals some more subtle layers such as mint, sour cherry juice, and a freshly baked gooey pain aux raisin. All in all, it’s like walking into an old-fashioned sweet shop with a myriad of candy aromas hitting you all at once. And at a hefty 53.9% ABV, there’s not a sign of any alcohol-burn on the nose.

Palate: A sweet, thick viscosity hits the tongue followed by a fruity pepper tingle. And then cola! I wasn’t expecting that. The minty-hint that was picked up on the nose comes through in more detail now reminding me of a Viscount mint biscuit (to be exact) Notes of short crust pastry with an oak-dryness follow-up at the end.

Finish: Medium-long with notes of liquidised pan aux raisin and that lovely hint of mint.

Conclusion: Superb. The guys at Milk & Honey are really knocking it out of the park with this one. And Waxhouse Whisky are again showing that their cask selections are spot-on. This one will have you taking your time over as all the flavours appear and develop.

Do not compare this to a 3 year-old whisky that's matured in the UK. They are worlds apart.

Available from specialist retailers for around £85 (at the time of writing this review)