In the heart of Tel Aviv, where sun-drenched avenues meet the whispers of ancient history, there lies a distillery that is quietly redefining the world of whisky. Amid the vibrant chaos of this cultural crossroads, M&H Distillery is like a master painter, mixing bold strokes of innovation with the delicate brushstrokes of tradition. Founded in 2012, M&H is more than just a maker of fine spirits—it’s an alchemist, turning passion into liquid gold, fueled by the daring spirit of Israeli ingenuity.
Every drop of whisky that emerges from M&H tells a tale. It’s a story where the old world and the new collide, like a seasoned traveler returning home with treasures from far-off lands.
The whisky itself is poetry in a bottle, a harmonious blend of the familiar and the unexpected. Traditional methods anchor their process, but the soul of the distillery pulses with innovation. From the fertile soil of locally grown barley to the bold experiments with cask maturation—where pomegranate wine casks and ex-bourbon barrels play their part—M&H stands as a testament to the courage of creativity.
We had the chance to sit with Steven Ligoff, M&H’s Product Specialist and Stillman, a man whose sharp wit is matched only by his deep well of whisky wisdom.
Speaking with Steve is like opening a well-aged cask: there’s a richness, a depth, and a slow unraveling of secrets. With the charm of a seasoned raconteur, he took us behind the scenes of M&H’s whisky-making magic, showing us how they blend the audacious with the time-honored, creating whiskies that not only capture the imagination but also invite you to sip, savor, and explore the unexpected.
Here’s how it went:
Q: M&H Distillery has been described as the perfect blend of tradition and innovation. In your opinion, what’s the most surprising way the distillery marries old-world whisky techniques with Israeli ingenuity?
A: This question vexed me for hours. Due to the unique nature in which we operate across the board, it's a true challenge to single out one facet of our distillery as being distinctively 'surprising' in how we coordinate Israeli innovation with old-school praxis. However, in order to actually answer your question, I must introduce you to two local terms:
'Chutzpah' - Extreme self-confidence or audacity. Eng: Ballsy.
''Combina' - An underhanded or improvised trick used to resolve an issue or complete a task. Eng: Jerry-Rigging
Did you know that sherry is not universally considered kosher? It should come as no great surprise, as Spain quite famously got rid of all its Jews in 1492! Indeed, due to the legacy of Queen Isabella's famous diktat, M&H was initially unable to acquire sherry casks without breaching its policy of fully kosher whisky. You, dear reader, are fully aware that sherry cask-matured single malt is the gold standard in the industry. Our lack of participation in this centuries-old practice would have been beyond the pale!
Thus, armed with ample chutzpah, we plotted our combina. We coordinated the Rabbi of Barcelona with a Jerez-based bodega to produce the world's first industrially manufactured kosher sherry...which we don't give a damn about, as it's only the casks that we're after!
The ballsy and jerry-rigged creation of a new form of alcohol sanction to engage with the classic means of single malt production is, to me, the most surprisingly Israeli aspect of our distillery.
Q: With M&H pushing boundaries in cask maturation, like the pomegranate wine cask finish, do you think there’s a unique Israeli ingredient or process that could become the next big trend in the whisky world?
A: Look at your home bar or local bottle shop. What do you see among the single malts? Ex-bourbons, sherries, ports, red wines, a rum or two to keep it spicy. It's the same old casks on a carousel of reuse. While I doubt that any one ingredient from Israel can become an international trend, our approach to localising and indigenising our whisky portfolio most certainly can.
The pomegranate wine cask releases are just the start. Marc and Pomme de Galilee casks, Bittuni biblical heritage wine casks, orange wine casks, and Café Shachor Israeli coffee casks are among our stock unique to our country and thus our whiskies. Australian distilleries like Archie Rose are embarking on similar projects, of complementing the classic and traditional with the local and cutting edge.
M&H doggedly hunts for casks from our local region that make our whiskies an experience unique to our brand. I foresee this mindset coming more into the mainstream as consumers grow increasingly tired and frustrated with the globalised norm.
Q: Given that M&H Distillery is rooted in the terroir of Israel, how do you think the country’s climate and geography influence the whisky's character compared to more traditional whisky-producing regions?
A: What a FANTASTIC question! Jim Swan once called Israel a "playground" for maturation. Six unique climate zones to fiddle with? It's any distiller's dream!The most often cited benefit of our climates here is speed.
After three to four years, we can mature a single malt that can stand toe to toe with Scotches that're old enough to drink themselves!The heat, air pressure, and humidity of our climates veritably squeeze flavour from our casks. True, this does come at the expense of a draconic angel's share (10-11% in Tel Aviv, and up to 25% per annum at the Dead Sea!), though the trade-off in terms of speed and flavour makes it truly worthwhile.
Q: The Apex Pomegranate Wine Cask Finish is a bold expression—how do you think such innovative whiskies challenge the conventional palate of whisky connoisseurs, and what has been the most unexpected feedback you’ve heard?
A: A few years ago, we launched a limited release Elements Pomegranate Wine Cask just for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year where pomegranates ritualistically feature prominently. The demand for this bottle's return was so loud and persistent that we've just re-released it as a fixture in our Elements range!
When the Apex Marc de Galilee cask was released to the Israeli public, I served seasoned whisky connoisseurs who were scrambled over one another to buy as many bottles as they could carry after just a single tasting.
As mentioned previously, those invested in the whisky world are eager for change and innovation. They want to be surprised. To taste and experience a manifestation of their passion that has never been crafted before. The strength of our industry lies not in adherence to the status quo, but in diversity of thought and practice. At M&H, we understand the need to buoy the imagination of whisky drinkers with our creations.
The feedback that we received from our innovative local bottlings was universal but totally expected: "This is so different. Give us more."
Q: Between the meticulous cask maturation and the locally sourced barley, which aspect of M&H’s whisky-making process do you find most fascinating, and how do you see it shaping the distillery’s future in the global whisky scene?
A: I find that our cutting regime is by far the most fascinating. You see, the longer you distill a spirit, the more oils and heavy particles are picked up by the vapour. It eventually reaches a point where these impurities dominate the flavour profile of the spirit, at which point the liquid is known as the 'tails' or 'feints'. These impurities result in gorgeously complex flavours in whisky, but take an obscene amount of time to settle down and behave themselves in a cask before they're palatable.
We cut our spirit VERY high compared to most distilleries. Our casks do not and cannot mature for very long, due to the climatic factors influencing our maturation—even a 6-year-old cask is considered ancient. Thus, our spirit needs to be as light and pure as possible, so that it settles in the cask within an appropriate timeframe.
This is common among hot climate whisky producers, though our spirit is uniquely cut to prioritise an approachable palate and short maturation time.This does come at the expense of volume, however, and thus inflates cost.
The precarious balance between time, quality, quantity, and cost is such a fascinating part of our process to me. The interplay of maturation times, intensity of cask influence, quantity of both spirit and whisky-post-angel's share, and the need to still make the whisky affordable would drive most producers mad!
Thankfully, here at M&H, we were all born mad and relish a challenge.
*In the land down under, M&H Distillery’s finest expressions find their home exclusively through The Whisky List. It’s the only passport you’ll need to transport your taste buds from Terra Australis straight to Tel Aviv, one dram at a time.
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Intro and questions by AW.
Answers and photos courtesy of Steven Ligoff / M&H Distillery.
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