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About Me

When not nosing, tasting, drinking and reading about malt whisky, I own one of Israel's premiere boutique coaching practices, specializing in small businesses and executive teams.
Trained in the law, I was an international law attorney and took part in Israel's peace negotiations with the Palestinians, as well as representing my country at the UN for parts of the negotiations on the implementation of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Later I was appointed to the military bench.
My favorite thing, other than whisky, is teaching.
You can contact me through the social media buttons above or by email: michael(at)maltandoak.com, replacing the (at) with an @.

Statement of Integrity and Guidelines

Malt and Oak is an independent whisky blog, offering my own views, opinions and news from the world of malt whisky.
These are my guidelines:

1. All whisky reviews published are of whiskies I have personally tasted and noted. Guest bloggers only write about their own personal tastings.

2. With the exception of official whisky samples, I accept no consideration whatsoever from any distillery, bottler, distributor, drink company or store for my opinions.

3. I maintain strict impartiality and objectivity in tasting all whiskies, not least when tasting official samples. Any review of official whisky samples sent to me will be so noted in the post.

4. I will accept invitations to tastings, events and official visits, and full disclosure will be made on any tasting notes and articles resulting from these events or visits.

5. Any sample received over 30 ml in volume is shared with fellow whisky bloggers. In any event, no sample larger than 100 ml will be accepted.

6. No advertisements promoting specific brands will be accepted.

7. I will answer any inquiry by my readers as quickly and as fully as possible.

8. Should I give a link purchase the reviewed whisky, it will be given free of any commercial interest. The link given will always point to cheapest selling price I found on the web. No commission is paid, nor any other consideration given, for such link.

9. As of July 2017, I serve as Douglas Laing’s Israel brand ambassasdor. As such, I will obviously not be posting reviews of Douglas Laing products.

Laphroaig 10 – Unchanged for 75 years???

By Michael Bendavid | February 10, 2015

Laphroaig 10 – Unchanged for 75 years???

Laphroaig prides itself on the 75 years in which the Laphroaig 10 hasn’t changed. But that’s part of the unspoken fiction in the world of whisky: the idea of sameness in whisky. Whisky is not the same as it was decades ago, for many reasons: The barley isn’t from the same strain, the yeast isn’t the…

Core Range, Laphroaig, Official Bottling, Scotch Single MaltBourbon Barrel , Creative Whisky Company , Independent Bottlers , Islay , Laphroaig , Linger , Nose , Palate , Peat , Tasting Note , Whiskey , Whisky , Whisky Blog , Whisky Guide , Whisky Tasting Notes

Back to our flight of Indie Laphroaigs – An Utterly SPICY Laph!!!

By Michael Bendavid | January 5, 2015

Back to our flight of Indie Laphroaigs – An Utterly SPICY Laph!!!

A Laphroaig that’s a spice bomb? Sounds unlikely, doesn’t it? But there you have it, I had a 19 year old 1990 vintage Creative Whisky Company (David Stirk) Laphroaig at cask strength. David Stirk started the CWC in 2005, and keeps his operation small. He selects casks and bottles them into three ranges: Exclusive Malts…

Independent Bottling, Laphroaig, Scotch Single Malt, The Creative Whisky Company, Whisky Tasting NotesBourbon Barrel , Creative Whisky Company , Independent Bottlers , Islay , Laphroaig , Linger , Nose , One Quick Dram , Palate , Peat , Tasting Note , Whiskey , Whisky , Whisky Blog , Whisky Guide , Whisky Tasting Notes