And it’s time for the fourth single malt whisky cask release from the Golan Heights distillery. I visited the Golan Heights last month to see the distillery, and am happy to tell you that there are plans afoot for a serious expansion slated for next year. The new stills that will be built locally will have a capacity of 3000 liters for the wash still and 2000 liters for the spirit still, and a new 5000 liter mashtun. The current stills are a 1000 liter wash still and a 500 liter spirit still, so we’re really looking at a major expansion here. Once operational, the distillery will have a working capacity of 150,000 liters of whisky per year, on par with Milk and Honey and several Scottish distilleries. I’ll be up there before the opening of the new distillery and update you on the progress.
You’ll surly recall the previous single casks released: We first had Cask 1 in a Cabernet cask, then Cask 10 in an ex Golani cask like this one, followed by Cask 16 in Cabernet and now cask 13 in a second ex Golani Black cask. This cask is a bit different than the other three in the single cask release series, as this cask will only have 20 bottles at cask strength (not 40), so if you want one, you’d better be quick.
If you were following our coverage of David’s distilled beer project (the Spicy Hummus and the Amber BBX), I can tell you that there’s a new project coming soon, which I think will be fascinating. I can’t say too much about it, only that you should never mix a grain and a grape!
Photo Credit: David Zibell
Golan Heights Distillery, Single Cask 13, Distilled 16 February 2015, Bottled 7 June 2018, Filled into First Fill American Oak ex Golani Black Cask, Yielding 272 bottles at 46% and 20 Bottles at Cask Strength (56.7% ABV, NCF, NC)
Appearance: Gold, slow legs with a sturdy necklace.
Nose: In what’s almost the distillery DNA, I’m getting the toffee and a touch of licorice with toasted oak, yellow plum, vanilla and white pepper. The toffee is pretty intense, and there’s also a hint of a mild apple vinegar, maybe even of calvados. Left in the glass, that mint that comes up in David’s casks waves a hello, though it’s not overly intense. The mint is followed with some of the grain.
Palate: Sweetness followed by intense unsweetened canned peaches, then by a wash of dry spices, toffee, thyme and a tad of sage.
Linger: Starts off with syrup and spice, with those canned peaches, this one lingers mostly in the mouth with the finish going to toffee and fading into barley sugar candies.
Conclusion – Golan Heights Distillery Cask 13
Clearly of the same DNA as cask 10, but with far less oak. This whisky is totally harmonious, with the promise that the nose makes, being fully delivered upon by the palate and the linger duly perpetuating it.
Official sample by Golan Heights Distillery.
My son and I got a tour yesterday, June 24, from Ilana. I bought a few bottles, of course not enough. Where can I buy your Mahya and Boukha in Jerusalem?