Milk & Honey Art & Craft Doppelbock Cask 750ML

Milk & Honey Art & Craft Doppelbock Cask 750ML is a cask-strength Israeli single malt whisky finished in Doppelbock beer casks, bottled at 58.3% ABV (116.6 proof) in a 750ml format. As part of M&H's limited Art & Craft series, this expression showcases how strong German-style beer barrels shape the distillery's spirit with layers of bready malt and dark fruit character.

Quick Facts: ABV: 58.3%  |  Origin: Tel Aviv, Israel  |  NAS (No Age Statement)  |  Distillery: Milk & Honey (M&H)

Production & Heritage

Milk & Honey Distillery, founded in 2014 in Tel Aviv, holds the distinction of being Israel's first single malt whisky distillery. The project was developed with guidance from the late Dr. Jim Swan, one of the whisky industry's most influential cask consultants, and production began on copper pot stills in 2015. The Doppelbock Cask expression takes M&H's new-make spirit — matured in Tel Aviv's hot, humid Mediterranean climate, which dramatically accelerates the interaction between spirit and wood — and finishes it in casks that previously held Doppelbock, a rich, malty, strong German lager. The result is a whisky carrying residual influence from the beer's deep caramel-malt and dark bread characteristics, bottled at full cask strength without chill filtration.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Dense aromas of toasted grain, dark honey, and overripe stone fruit emerge first, followed by notes of pumpernickel bread and toffee. A faint herbal undertone weaves through at higher proof.

Taste: The entry is viscous and malt-forward, with flavors of brown sugar, baked bread crust, and stewed plum arriving across the palate. At mid-palate, the Doppelbock influence becomes pronounced — think dark caramel, fig, and a yeasty, almost pretzel-like quality. The cask strength brings considerable heat, though a drop of water opens up softer notes of dried apricot and milk chocolate.

Finish: Long and warming, with lingering impressions of toasted malt, dark molasses, and a subtle bitter chocolate edge. The beer-cask signature persists as a faint bready sweetness well after the sip.

How to Drink Doppelbock Cask

Given the 58.3% ABV, a few drops of water are recommended to unlock the full spectrum of malt and fruit notes; neat sipping rewards patience as the whisky evolves significantly in the glass. This expression also brings unexpected depth to cocktails: try it in an Old Fashioned, where the bready malt character adds complexity against bitters; in a Boulevardier, where the dark fruit and caramel notes complement Campari's bitterness; or in a Whisky Sour, where the yeasty sweetness pairs naturally with fresh citrus.

Best For

• Whisky collectors exploring non-traditional cask finishes
• Beer enthusiasts curious about the intersection of brewing and distilling
• Gifting someone interested in New World whisky from emerging regions
• Tasting-group sessions comparing beer-cask-finished whiskies

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Doppelbock Cask taste like? It delivers a rich, malt-driven profile with flavors of dark bread, brown sugar, stewed plum, and toffee, shaped by the residual character of the Doppelbock beer barrels. The cask-strength bottling adds considerable warmth and concentration.

How does Doppelbock Cask compare to Glenfiddich IPA Experiment? Both are single malts finished in beer casks, but they diverge significantly: the Glenfiddich IPA Experiment uses hoppy IPA barrels at a gentler 43% ABV, yielding citrus and floral hop notes, while the M&H Doppelbock Cask leans into dark malt sweetness and bready depth at a much higher 58.3% ABV.

Is Doppelbock Cask good for sipping neat? Yes, though at cask strength it benefits from a small addition of water to temper the heat and allow the malt complexity and beer-cask influence to fully express themselves.

Where is Doppelbock Cask made? It is distilled and matured at the Milk & Honey Distillery in Tel Aviv, Israel — the country's first single malt whisky distillery, founded in 2014.

What foods pair well with Doppelbock Cask? Dark rye bread with smoked meat, as the bready whisky echoes the grain; aged Gouda, whose caramel sweetness mirrors the toffee notes; roasted pork belly, where the malt richness cuts through fat; dark chocolate truffles, which complement the finish; and fig tapenade, which amplifies the dried fruit character.

What sizes does Doppelbock Cask come in? This expression is available in a standard 750ml bottle.

Is Doppelbock Cask worth the price? It positions as a premium limited-release expression from a boutique distillery, and its cask-strength, non-chill-filtered presentation alongside a genuinely unusual cask type places it in strong company within the craft single malt category for enthusiasts seeking something beyond mainstream offerings.

Why Doppelbock Cask?

Doppelbock beer cask finishing remains rare in the whisky world, and Milk & Honey's version is one of the few commercially available expressions to explore this crossover. The Tel Aviv climate — far warmer and more humid than Scotland — creates an accelerated maturation environment that produces a distinctly rich, concentrated spirit in fewer years. Combined with cask-strength bottling and no chill filtration, this release delivers a transparent look at how a strong beer barrel transforms Israeli single malt. For drinkers who have exhausted sherry, bourbon, and wine-cask finishes, this is a genuine departure point.