“He took a trip in our small country and he saw the differences between the climate zones in a very short drive from one point to the other.
“And then he said: guys, we have the playground.”
The ambitious team at M&H took this insight seriously, and soon set about “strategically” placing four warehouses around the country in order to take advantage of Israel’s full range of “terroir”.
The Dead Sea whisky is said to be full of minerality and spice as well as a well rounded sweetness (Photo: M&H)[Missing Credit]
The results are quite staggering – so much so that M&H was awarded “brand innovator of the year” at the 2026 Icons of Whisky Awards.
While the Dead Sea bottle is described as being “full of minerality and spice as well as a well-rounded sweetness”, the whisky matured high in the Jerusalem mountains is said to be “light and fresh, with a green natural flavour”.
The Sea of Galilee and Negev bottles are also similarly distinct, with the former offering a “warm market spice that keep pace with sticky and exotic date syrup” and the latter manifesting as a “uniquely delicate but flavourful whisky” with a “clear fruity character that’s still dry as the desert”.
The Jerusalem mountains whisky is said to be light and fresh, with a green natural flavour (Photo: M&H)[Missing Credit]
Israel’s first-ever whisky distillery, M&H has been a keen innovator since arriving on the scene in 2013. Just ten years later it made its mark on the international stage, winning Best Single Malt at the 2023 World Whisky Awards for its Elements Sherry Cask dram. Since then, it has continued to experiment and push the boundaries of whisky production, maturing its signature single malts in locally inspired casks, including pomegranate wine and kosher sherry.
Reflecting on the success of the Apex Terroir Series, M&H founder Gal Kalkstein says: “This series represents the culmination of years of research, patience, and passion. It embodies our identity as a distillery – bold in our ideas, driven by experimentation, and committed to playing a key role in the future of the whisky industry.”
Book your tickets at the link below[Missing Credit]
You can taste M&H’s award-winning whiskies for yourself at a whisky masterclass with the JC on Wednesday May 27 from 7.30-9pm at a north-west London venue.
Guiding you through the brand’s exceptional offerings, Brand Ambassador Shilton Almeida will share the story behind M&H’s rise to best-in-class status as you sample a flight of lovingly curated whiskies.
Book your tickets to the M&H Distillery whisky masterclass here.
