Milk & Honey Apex Terroir Negev Desert Single Malt (70cl, 54.2%)

Apex Terroir Negev Desert is a single malt whisky from the Milk & Honey Distillery in Israel, bottled at 54.2% ABV in a 70cl bottle. It belongs to the Apex Terroir series, which looks at how climate, altitude and locale affect maturation. This one was aged in the Negev, where hot, dry desert days give way to cold nights in the Arad hills. The large swings in temperature make the barrels expand and contract, and the relatively high altitude moderates some of the effects. The nose is delicate, with nuts, dark chocolate and dried fruit. The palate is dry, with bursts of red berries and fresh fruit, and the short finish brings dried fruit, berries and a soft marshmallow note.