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KWM 2022 Whisky Calendar Day 18: Milk & Honey Elements Sherry Cask

Posted on December 19, 2022

BONUS CONTENT: Read Andrew's post the ONLY Bowmore KWM Cask so far here!

by Evan

It is Day 18 for our 2022 KWM Whisky Calendar. If you are following along in real time and it is December 18th for you as well, that also means that today is the start of Hanukkah. With that in mind, returning to the distillery of Milk & Honey in Tel Aviv, Israel seems apropos, doesn’t it? Today we will be tasting the Milk & Honey Elements Sherry Cask!

While doing eight days of Milk & Honey single malt whisky would have been a fun way to celebrate Hanukkah, we sadly could not make that happen.

So, just how do you get a Kosher ex-Sherry cask? First of all and for my own edification, here is a definition of Kosher from Chabad.org:

“The Hebrew word “kosher” (כָּשֵׁר) literally means “fit.” The laws of kosher define the foods that are fit for consumption for a Jew (as well as the ritual items that are fit to be used), but the word has come to refer more broadly to anything that is “above board” or “legit.””

Scotch or other whisky aged in ex-Sherry casks can be problematic for those following a strict Kosher diet. The reason for this is… Well, I am not going to weigh in on that. I am an ignorant heathen and after spending far too much time reading various views on the subject, I have stepped no further toward enlightenment from whence I started. I will again turn to Chabad.org for an explanation regarding kosher wine, which should fit for sherry as well:

“The production and handling of kosher wine must be done exclusively by Jews. Wine, grape juice, and all products containing wine or grape juice must remain solely in Jewish hands during the manufacturing process and also after the seal of the bottle has been opened. We are not allowed to drink any wine or grape juice, or any drink containing wine or grape juice, which has been touched by a non-Jew after the seal of the bottle has been opened.”

So, if a whisky was aged in an ex-sherry cask which cannot be Kosher because of the handling of the wine that was in the cask before the whisky was, that would potentially mean the whisky was not Kosher as well.

To make things even more confusing and difficult to prove whether a sherry or wine could be kosher, many wines use animal bi-products to fine or filter the wine before bottling. That would not be considered Kosher.

So, how does Milk & Honey Distillery make a Kosher Single Malt Whisky that was aged in Sherry Casks? Here is what they say on their website:

“To create this whisky, we travelled all the way to Jerez, Spain to oversee Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry made especially for us. The casks, once filled with quality sherry and seasoned for one year in Jerez, were brought to the distillery to mature our New-Make spirit for a wonderful complex whisky.

The M&H Elements Sherry is the first and only single malt whisky in the world, aged in kosher Sherry casks. This single malt reveals robust flavors of red fruit, dark chocolate, and oaky notes.”

That sounds complicated, but also impressive in its attention to detail. Because of all of that work put in before the grain spirit part even came to fruition, the Milk & Honey Elements Sherry is certified kosher by STAR-K. This can be seen on the back label of the mini bottle in your hands. 

But how good is the whisky itself?

Milk & Honey Elements Sherry – 46%

Also available in full-size bottles.

Part of the Milk & Honey Elements range, this single malt was matured in Kosher Oloroso & PX Sherry Casks.

Evan’s Tasting Note

Nose: Cranberry Cocktail and apple juice, mulling spices, boozy fruitcake, plums, dates, peach slices, milk chocolate, a touch of wax candy wrapper, and mint chewing gum.

Palate: Minty and slightly cooling up front. Notes of candy cane, Bing cherries, freshly picked raspberries, artificial banana flavouring, cinnamon heart candies, and a touch of Dr. Pepper.

Finish: More Dr. Pepper and cherry cola notes plus a touch of cinnamon and spice.

Comment: This is no sherry bomb; more of a whisky from sherry-seasoned casks. Regardless, it is a well-made whisky with red fruit notes from the sherry cask influence. A very quaffable dram at 46%.

This bottle wasn’t as wild as the Milk & Honey Elements Wine Cask that we tasted waaaaay back on Day Seven, but it is my preference between the two. It would be cool if we got one of their Dead Sea cask releases for next year’s calendar…

Cheers,
Evan
evan@kensingtonwinemarket.com
Twitter and Instagram: @sagelikefool

This entry was posted in Whisky, Whisky Calendars, KWM Whisky Calendar 2022

 

 

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