M&H APEX Series: 2017 Fortified Red Wine Single Cask + Peated Bourbon, Rum & Ex-Rye Small Batch - b. 2022, 2023 - 700ml - 4 bottles

The M&H Apex Series from the Milk & Honey Distillery in Tel Aviv is a prestigious, award-winning collection of limited-edition single malts. Guided by the foundational expertise of the late legendary whisky consultant Dr. Jim Swan, the Apex Series serves as the distillery's playground for pioneering innovation, exploring how extreme regional microclimates and unorthodox wood management accelerate and alter maturation.

1. The M&H Apex Peated Fortified Red Wine Cask (Batch 012) is a highly unique expression that pairs the distillery's experimental peated single malt with local Israeli casks crafted in a rich, Port-style fortified wine fashion.
Fully matured under the intense heat of Tel Aviv, this combination delivers a robust profile where dense, sweet, fortified red wine properties heavily entwine with heavy, earthy smoke.

Key Specifications

• Vintage: Distilled on May 8, 2018.
• Bottled: October 12, 2021 (Aged 3 years in accelerated climate conditions).
• Strength: 55.3% ABV (Natural cask strength).
• Volume: 700 ml.
• Limited Yield: 1,700 bottles produced globally.
• Production Standards: Non-chill filtered, naturally colored.

2. The M&H Apex Ex-Rye Cask (Batch 020) is an incredibly texturized and spicy small-batch single malt. Instead of just a quick finish, this spirit was fully matured in rare, smaller ex-rye whisky quarter-casks.
Because quarter-casks are much smaller than standard barrels, the liquid had a significantly higher ratio of wood-to-liquid contact. Combined with Tel Aviv's high-temperature acceleration, the spirit aggressively pulled out the bold, dry, herbal baking spices embedded deep within the seasoned rye timber.

Key Specifications

• Vintage: Distilled on March 12, 2019.
• Bottled: October 11, 2022 (Aged 3 years in Israel).
• Strength: 56.7% ABV (Natural cask strength).
• Volume: 700 ml.
• Limited Yield: 2,111 bottles produced worldwide.

The M&H Apex Rum Cask is a tropical, funky entry in the experimental small-batch line. For this specific expression, the distillery sourced old rum barrels from traditional, heavy-flavor regions—primarily Jamaica and Cuba. Maturing single malt spirit in these active casks under the hot Mediterranean sun extracts dense molasses sugars and bright tropical fruit esters extraordinarily fast.
Because M&H continuously innovates across batches, the Rum Cask expression has seen a few sequential iterations:

3. Apex Rum Cask (Batch 004)

The initial wide-release bottling that established the flavor profile.
• Vintage & Bottling: Distilled on December 24, 2017, and bottled on January 16, 2021.
• Strength: 57.3% ABV (Natural cask strength).
• Limited Yield: 1,420 bottles.
• Production Standards:

4. The M&H Apex Peated Bourbon Cask (Batch 024) is a brilliant expression that showcases the distillery's core maturation process with an added smoky layer. Unlike the standard unpeated line, this release features M&H's limited, gently peated new-make spirit as its foundation, which then undergoes full maturation entirely in classic ex-Bourbon casks.
The result is a dynamic balance where the soft, sweet oak profile of traditional bourbon barrels meets earthy Mediterranean peat. The expression was highly recognized in the industry, securing a Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2024.

Key Specifications

• Vintage: Distilled on July 14, 2020.
• Bottled: December 24, 2023 (Aged 3 years under Israel's accelerated maturation).
• Strength: 58.2% ABV (Natural cask strength).
• Volume: 700 ml.
• Limited Yield: 3,524 bottles produced worldwide.
• Production Standards: Non-chill filtered and naturally colored.