Last year (in April) I posted note for a little boutique distilation conducted by Nimrod Rosenblatt and his brother who distil all sort of lovely liquids (see post) back then it was only 16 months old, but showed great promise, and here were are some time after, and the whisky is more than 3 years old, a REAL whisky (Israeli whisky does not have to be 3 yo to be called so, but EU whisky has to be that old, and this is the first such whisky from the Holy Land). Actually what we’re tasting today differs a bit from the original, not only by age but also by finish. this time it was finished in a small cask used previously to age Rum at Tuthiltown distillery, and used to age Rum distilled by the same Nimrod (I told you he distils a lot of spirits). I was really intrigued to see how this has developed in just over 16 months. Let’s dram!
‘The Attic’ Single malt, 3yo, Rum finish, 50% abv [not for sale]
Nose: Very appealing and fragrant. perfume like even, with a good balance of young wood, and a very nice touch of sweet fruity yet malty element. The Rum does complement the liquid nicely, and adds another dimension, with some old school sugar Lollipops and confectionery elements. Also not alcoholic at all when you think it’s bottled at 50% which is also very nice. Maybe not the most complex of noses, but hey- this 3 year old whisky does feel much older when sniffing.
Palate: Starts very perfumed like and rather sweet, and luscious.barley sugar, pepper, even a slight earthy feel to it (i would not say peaty but almost), very nice play with sweet and salty (yes, a pinch of salt too) . Good mouth feel, with some more alcohol bite than the nose suggested (this is 50% after all) , but it’s rather tame for a 3 year old. New world whisky, right? Again, palate wise i’d say it’s a 10 yo whisky or so. You get the rum effect quite clearly, and that adds a lovely dimension here too, perfumed wood, it does feel more “exotic”. I do not know if this is by suggestion since I know it’s Israeli, and was matured in a hot humid climate, or if it’s real. Anyways, this is highly drinkable stuff, showing good balance.
Finish: Dry, spicy fragrant wood, sugar and spice.
Bottom Line:
This is a surprsingly good whisky. So young, yet it displays much older charactersitics, and this just shows how good whisky can be made and aged in Israel, at the hot and humid climate. 3 years maturation here is equivalent of 8-10 years in Scotland , and this is really great news for any upcoming initiative to make and age whisky locally. At this moment we’re still waiting for the first commercial distillery to start production (The Milk and Honey). I sure hope Nimrod can use his passions and training and one day produce Commercial amounts of this whisky. It’s going to sell really well. No doubt, and you’re going to need patience, as this whisky is not for sale.
Score: 84/100
Many thanks to nimrod for the sample, and for the vision. Onward!