Milk & Honey Apex Dead Sea Whiskey Batch #2 750ML

Milk & Honey Apex Dead Sea Whiskey Batch #2 750ML is a cask strength Israeli single malt whisky bottled at 55.5% ABV (111 proof) and aged at the lowest point on Earth. A Double Gold winner at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Batch #2 stands as one of the most geographically extreme whiskies ever produced — matured 423 meters below sea level along the Dead Sea shore.

Quick Facts: ABV: 55.5%  |  Origin: Tel Aviv & Dead Sea, Israel  |  Cask Strength, NAS  |  Distillery: Milk & Honey (est. 2014)

Production & Heritage

Milk & Honey, founded in 2014 in Tel Aviv, holds the distinction of being Israel's first single malt whisky distillery. The late Dr. Jim Swan — the legendary whisky consultant also credited with shaping Taiwan's Kavalan — helped design the production philosophy around Scottish-style copper pot stills. The Apex Dead Sea expression is double-distilled from 100% malted barley, a small portion of which is lightly peated, then matured in a complex cask blend of approximately 75% ex-bourbon barrels alongside STR (shaved, toasted, re-charred) wine barrels, ex-red wine, ex-rye, and ex-Pedro Ximénez casks. What sets this bottling apart is its terroir-driven aging: barrels spend their first year in the En Gedi nature reserve along the Dead Sea, where temperatures reach 50°C (122°F) and extraordinary evaporation accelerates maturation. The whisky is non-chill filtered and naturally coloured, then bottled at cask strength.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: French vanilla and mocha arrive first, followed by cigar box and a surprising thread of spearmint. Pleasant oakiness settles in the background alongside bold aromas of sea salt flakes, preserved lemon, and toasted barley cake.

Taste: The entry is a powerful wave of warm spices — cinnamon, coriander seeds, dark cocoa powder, and a pinch of crushed white pepper. The mid-palate shifts to concentrated dried fruit, dark chocolate, and baking spice, all undergirded by a distinctive mineral and saline undercurrent. As the whisky opens further, it oscillates between maritime salinity and rich barrel flavors of wildflower honey and milk chocolate.

Finish: Surprisingly short and ephemeral for a cask strength expression, drying gently on green apple skin and cucumber. The brevity adds an almost meditative quality, inviting the next sip rather than lingering heavily.

How to Drink Apex Dead Sea Batch #2

At 55.5% ABV, this whisky rewards patience — try it neat first, then add a few drops of water to unlock the saline and mineral layers that define the Dead Sea terroir. A single large ice cube also works well, gradually softening the spice without drowning the complexity.

• Penicillin: The saline minerality and light peat play beautifully against the cocktail's honey-ginger-lemon framework, amplifying the smoky float.
• Blood and Sand: The dried fruit and dark chocolate notes harmonize with cherry liqueur and sweet vermouth, adding depth beyond what a standard Scotch provides.
• Highball: The whisky's bold spice and sea salt character cut through carbonation cleanly, making an unexpectedly refreshing long drink.

Best For

• Whisky collectors seeking terroir-driven expressions from emerging regions
• Gifting a spirits enthusiast who already has the classics covered
• Blind tasting events where hot-climate single malts challenge assumptions
• After-dinner sipping alongside dark chocolate or dried fruit

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Apex Dead Sea Batch #2 taste like? It leads with warm baking spices — cinnamon, coriander, dark cocoa — layered over concentrated dried fruit and dark chocolate, with a distinctive saline minerality running throughout that reflects its Dead Sea maturation.

How does Apex Dead Sea compare to Kavalan Solist? Both are hot-climate single malts shaped by the consulting work of the late Dr. Jim Swan, but they diverge in profile: Kavalan Solist tends toward lush tropical fruit sweetness from subtropical Taiwanese humidity, while Apex Dead Sea leans drier and more mineral-forward, a product of extreme arid heat and sub-sea-level atmospheric pressure.

Is Apex Dead Sea Batch #2 good for sipping neat? Absolutely — at cask strength (55.5% ABV) and non-chill filtered, it was designed to be explored neat with optional water, which gradually reveals its layered saline and spice character.

Where is Apex Dead Sea Batch #2 made? It is distilled at the Milk & Honey Distillery in Tel Aviv, Israel, then transported to the En Gedi nature reserve along the Dead Sea — 423 meters below sea level — for the first year of cask maturation before returning to the coast for further aging.

What foods pair well with Apex Dead Sea Batch #2? Dark chocolate (70%+ cacao) mirrors the cocoa and dried fruit notes; aged hard cheeses like Manchego complement the saline minerality; smoked meats echo the light peat; dried figs and dates amplify the concentrated fruit character; and cinnamon-spiced desserts like baklava align naturally with the warm spice profile.

What sizes does Apex Dead Sea Batch #2 come in? Batch #2 is available in the standard 750ml bottle size.

Is Apex Dead Sea Batch #2 worth the price? It positions as a premium, limited-batch expression within the single malt category, and its Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition alongside its Chairman's Trophy from the Ultimate Beverage Challenge reinforce its standing among critically acclaimed world whiskies at this tier.

Why Apex Dead Sea Batch #2?

No other whisky on the market can claim maturation at the lowest point on Earth. That is not a marketing gimmick — the extreme heat, arid conditions, and sub-sea-level atmospheric pressure at the Dead Sea tangibly shape the spirit, producing a saline minerality and accelerated barrel interaction unlike anything from Scotland, Japan, or the American South. The cask program is remarkably complex for a young distillery, blending ex-bourbon, STR wine casks, ex-rye, ex-red wine, and ex-Pedro Ximénez into a layered, spice-driven profile that has earned a Double Gold at SFWSC and a Chairman's Trophy at the Ultimate Beverage Challenge. For drinkers drawn to single malts that reflect a genuine sense of place, Batch #2 delivers something no other bottle in the category can.