Ruach

Founded in 2016 in Pardes Hanna, Israel, by New York native Neil Wasserman, Ruach, meaning “wind” or “spirit” in Hebrew, is a testament to Wasserman’s passion for crafting an exceptional whisky that embodies Israel’s diverse terroir and spirituality.

Ruach began its journey in the early 1990s when Wasserman was bitten by the whisky bug and began collecting bottles. His avocation quickly gained momentum, and Wasserman progressed from attending industry conventions and seeking professional insight to taking classes and becoming formally certified in distillation. Along the way, he met and carefully absorbed the lessons of some legendary names in the world of spirits: Bill Owens, founder and president of the American Distilling Institute, Scotch Master Distiller Jim McEwan, and whiskey and rum Master Blender Nancy Fraley (who would teach Wasserman about the slow-proofing method that he incorporates into Ruach’s production). Taking inspiration from many American Distilling Institute alumni, Wasserman decided to master brewing on his path to making great whisky and opened a “brewstillery” in Pardes Hanna that combined a mid-sized beer brewery and mid-sized distillery (Israel’s first such facility at the time). The beer brand, Shevet (meaning “tribe,” and playfully nodding to beer’s convivial culture of consumption), initially allowed Wasserman to produce and sell beer while perfecting his craft and waiting for Ruach whisky to mature. While Ruach and Shevet currently operate as separate brands under the Promised Land Spirits Ltd. umbrella, their collaboration and shared education continue, and today, Wasserman handles production at the “brewstillery” with the help of his son-in-law, Zviki Saffer, who manages the warehouse and barrel inventory, and Brewer and Head Distiller Racquelle Ramirez.

Following the traditional method for single malt whisky, Ruach double-distills from malted barley in copper pot stills. But with the goal of producing a soft, elegant style of whisky, the finishing still is topped with a reflux condenser that removes harsher elements from the distillate, and the distilling heads are discarded completely. Maturation keenly reflects the ideology of the late Jim Swan (renowned single malt whisky expert and mentor) that advocates changing your distillate to match your maturation environment when negotiating warm climates. In the relatively harsh Mediterranean environment, which notably accelerates aging, Ruach employs slow proofing, a method that involves incrementally proofing down a spirit (common in French brandy production), allowing for better integration of water, alcohol, and oak, and enhanced mouthfeel. Finally, barrels are aged in multiple locations that reflect Israel’s diverse microclimates, experiencing varying degrees of dryness and humidity before being blended to achieve the distillery’s desired flavor profile.

Process-focused, blending traditional and innovative techniques, Ruach both embodies the transformative themes in whisky making and exemplifies the creativity needed to produce hot-climate single malt whisky of outstanding character.