I once worked at M&H Distillery. It might seem like an innocent confession, as rare as they come in our regions, but it's a crucial preamble to an article about the new generation or rather, the new season? of the Art&Craft series.
For those who rush to the nearest liquor store after reading these lines, you might still find a few bottles from the previous edition, where the distillery collaborated with six Israeli breweries to create ex-beer barrels, in which whisky editions were aged.
This time, the distillery chose to focus on dessert wine barrels. Don't feel bad if the last time you drank dessert wine was at your cousin's wedding. It's a wonderful and diverse category of wine, but it hasn't enjoyed much popularity outside enthusiast circles.
Where does this popularity come from then? Whisky. Dessert wine barrels, and pardon the pun, have become sought after among whisky aficionados, largely due to the rich flavor profile they impart to the aging spirit.
The word "impart" plays an important role here; I've often encountered whisky bottles promising "port cask" or "Madeira cask" on the label, only to find out that in a taste test, they fall short. Every trend born in the shadow is endearing, but only if it stands the test of outcome.
When It's Deep
Do the dessert wine editions in M&H Distillery's Art&Craft series stand the test of outcome? I didn't know the answer until I tasted them myself, and here we return to the opening paragraph.
Although already establishing its international presence with well-crafted and consistent shelf products, one of M&H's most defining features is its ability to innovate and surprise.
Sometimes the power of surprise overrides any influence of prior acquaintance with the distillery, delving as deep as it can. That's precisely what happened here.
The Israeli climate is a decisive factor in shaping M&H's whiskies. The heat of Tel Aviv not only significantly accelerates the aging process but also enriches it.
The ability to produce a rich and complex whisky — one that even won the title of World's Best Single Malt in 2023 — in a relatively short period of 3-5 years, drives the distillery to experiment almost obsessively with various barrel types. These adventures result in limited editions snatched from shelves worldwide.
Joining this adventure are intense barrels like dessert wine barrels, the very material from which fascinating whiskies are made. To captivate sight as well, labels are adorned with original designs by artist EREZOO (Erez Sameach), whom I've admired in blues contexts. Another story for another time. Let's drink.
Art&Craft, Madeira Barrels
First poured is the Madeira edition. Madeira wine, named after the Portuguese island in the Atlantic Ocean it comes from, is aged under extremely harsh conditions; for a period of at least half a year out of a minimum of 3 years, barrels are stored in warehouses with tin roofs, where the sun's heat significantly speeds up the aging process.
The intensified interaction between the wine and the wood creates both an opportunity and a risk; alongside the characteristics the wine retains from the wood, it also loses many of its original organic compounds. For this reason, it's not always easy to create a balanced and impressive whisky in Madeira barrels.
But at M&H, they're not really familiar with the combination "not easy" and present here a whisky that successfully brings a rounded wine experience alongside the wood. Pronounced notes of red cherries, almonds, and a cigar box.
On the palate, there's a concentrated sweetness of salty caramel with dried apricot refreshing notes, with a hint of mint leaves. The finish brings full-on wood with oak dominance in the center of the tongue and a bit of cocoa powder on the edges.
Art&Craft, Tokaji Barrels
Continuing with Tokaji, the Hungarian dessert wine once dubbed "the sweetest wine in the world." Whether true or not, generations of Austro-Hungarian nobles drank Tokaji, considered an exclusive and luxurious wine, at least until there were no more nobles and no more Austro-Hungary.
Today, Tokaji still enjoys a distinguished status, with its prominent features being the use of local grapes, traditional production methods, and limited supply. Very limited. This last part makes Tokaji barrels sought after among whisky producers, although so far, I haven't come across a whisky that truly brings out the wine beyond a hint. Yet.
On the nose, forward notes of ripe white wine grapes, English pepper, and a bit of maple syrup. The palate continues the fruity line with apricot, thyme, and a touch of lemon zest, leading to a finish of toasted bread and a gentle bitterness of mint.
Art&Craft, White Port Barrels White
Port is one of my favorite dessert wines. It tends to have a more playful and funky character compared to red or tawny Port, a character I hoped would resonate in the whisky. I wasn't disappointed.
On the nose, funky notes of chamomile flowers balanced well with orange and honey, with the palate adding sweetness of white chocolate complemented by Chinese pecan creating much interest and recalling the nutty character of young White Port, finishing crisp and spicy with white pepper and a hint of bruised pear.
Among the editions in the series, the White Port has a heavier body, so it's important to give it and others a few minutes in the glass to enjoy the full range of aroma and taste. True for the wine itself, by the way.
Art&Craft, Recioto Barrels
Finally, we come to Recioto. It's one of the most special dessert wines in the world, produced in the Valpolicella region, Italy, from grapes partially dried over several months.
Of all the editions in the series, I must say this is the bottle that intrigued me the most, partly because it's rare to begin with to find whisky aged in Recioto barrels.
It's a powerful wine with very high fruitiness bordering on bitterness, qualities of a wine that tend to come to the fore when used for whisky aging. Already upon opening the bottle, the rich aroma is felt, and after a few minutes in the glass, it unleashes raisins, fennel, and orange peel on the nose.
On the palate, high sweetness of dried figs and nougat, with a slightly unusual seasoning of cumin. The finish here is long and satisfying, with a well-baked pastry with sour cherry jam.
Recommendation for Dessert
When you buy yourself a bottle from the Art&Craft series of dessert wines, ask the store clerk if there's wine in the same style in stock.
It's a great opportunity to be exposed to a category of wine worthy of a renaissance, and also to experience a complete and colorful journey that begins with superb wines somewhere in Europe and ends on the shores of the Mediterranean.