The Macallan Archives - Whisky a Day

Whisky #322 – The Macallan Fine Oak 18 Year Old Single Malt

December 14, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

The Macallan Fine Oak 18 Year Old Single Malt. ABV: 43%. Tasted as part of the distillery tour at The Macallan, £15.

Colour: Pinkish copper.

Nose: Toasted floury aromas, chocolate too. Sherry notes too, but not too rich.

Palate: Creamy, sweet buttery toffee. Strawberries & cream on fresh scones.

Finish: Quite a quick drying sensation, creamy salty caramel gradually dissipate.

Comments: A very decent drop, but for the price point (£121 a bottle) I think there’s much better value and flavour to be had with the Macallan 12 year old sherry cask single malt.

Whisky #281 – The Macallan 12 Year Old Sherry Oak Cask Single Malt

November 7, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

The Macallan 12 Year Old Sherry Oak Cask Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 40.0%. Tasted at home, $30 (350mL bottle).

Colour: Deep mahogany.

Nose: Sultanas, vanilla and golden syrup.

Palate: Rich velvety dried fruits. Super smooth. Buttery sweetness.

Finish: Builds, with gentle warmth.

Comments: A fantastic whisky, 100% matured in ex sherry casks. A shame I could only get my hands on a small bottle.

Whisky #280: The McGibbon’s Provenance – Macallan 1997 Autumn Distillation 15 Year Old Single Malt

November 6, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

The McGibbon’s Provenance: Macallan 1997 Autumn Distillation 15 Year Old Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 46%. Tasted at home, $70 (bottle).

Colour: Pale straw.

Nose: Alcohol feints, yet smooth. Hay-like, honey and lemon notes.

Palate: Straw on the mid-palate. Smooth, sweet somewhat citrusy flavours.

Finish: Medium length yet somewhat soft; quite dry.

Comments: Not as intense as I was expecting, yet eminently drinkable.

Whisky #272 – The Macallan 12 Year Old Gran Reserva Single Malt

November 2, 2014 by Whisky a Day 1 Comment

The Macallan 12 Year Old Gran Reserva Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 45.6%. Tasted at home, $0 – Dram Full sample.

Colour: Deep burnt toffee.

Nose: Sticky syrupy sherry. Lots of it. Soft varnish notes too.

Palate: Luscious intense spice and dried fruits, not overly sweet though – which is a good thing.

Finish: Buttery oak and caramel, lots of spice. Medium to long finish.

Comments: Perfectly balanced; sweetness and spice, rich full flavours. Absolutely fantastic.

Whisky #190 – The Macallan Amber Single Malt

August 1, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

The Macallan Amber Single Malt. Speyside / Highlands (there is some conjecture on this one), Scotland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at The Royal, $12.

Colour: It certainly is amber. No escaping that. But a slightly lighter shade than amber amber.

Nose: Reminds me of the smell of a dish I once had, warm Greek cheese with hot honey drizzled on top and sprinkled with fennel pollen. I know this sounds incredibly specific, but when I sniffed the Macallan Amber it immediately triggered my memory of that dish. Weird, but good.

Palate: Hot buttered toast with honey. Looks like this review is going to be food based! Quite fruity, a bit syrupy.

Finish: Sweet buttery notes, oily mouthfeel. Medium length, slight heat lingering at the fade.

Comments: Macallan have gone for a No Age Statement (NAS) with their “1824” range of whiskies (1824 was the year Macallan Distillery was founded), differentiating them by colour: Amber, Gold, Sienna and Ruby. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with this one, having not really enjoyed the Macallan Ruby too much when I tasted it recently. Pleasantly surprised though; it’s no world-beater, but if you’re looking for an easy drinking malt with some decent flavour complexity, residual sweetness, not much heat and all at a reasonable price, the Macallan Amber is worth a shot. Steer clear of the Ruby though.

Whisky #168 – The Macallan Fine Oak 12 Year Old Single Malt

July 22, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

The Macallan Fine Oak 12 Year Old Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at My Place Bar, $15.

Colour: Bright yellow gold.

Nose: It’s not a strong nose, a little hard to discern the qualities. Minimal alcohol feints. The nose reminded me a little of a decent white tequila, but then again maybe the My Place glassie just needs a bit more attention to detail when cleaning the glassware.

Palate: Quite thin on the palate, oily mouthfeel. Almonds, slight bitterness.

Finish: Some really delicate oak flavours develop in the fade. Short-medium length, mild warmth.

Comments: I definitely wouldn’t agree that this whisky’s “quality has hit the stratosphere” as Jim Murray describes it in his 2014 Whisky Bible, especially as it’s such a marked change since he last tasted it “earlier in the year” apparently. Hmmm, either this Macallan is inconsistently produced or old Jim has had a very dramatic change of heart…interesting.

Overall…meh. I’ve had blends with much more character and depth. It’s not a bad whisky, it’s just that for me there’s not terribly much to write home about here.

Whisky #151 – The Macallan Ruby Single Malt

July 11, 2014 by Whisky a Day 2 Comments

The Macallan Ruby Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 43.00%. Tasted at Helvetica, $32.

Colour: Yes it is ruby-ish

Nose: Dusty sherry notes.

Palate: Tart raspberries. Tastes better than my mate Brett’s stomach, which is how how he got the nickname “Raspberry”. I still can’t believe he revealed this to us.

Finish: After consuming our fifth whisky for the evening, the novelty we are getting out of calling Brett “Raspberry” and seeing him get progressively more agitated has certainly distracted us from the important business of whisky tasting.

Comments: In the cold morning light, I actually can’t remember exactly how Brett got his nickname “Raspberry”. But it sure seemed to push his buttons, so I’ll be sure to use it again next time we catch up! I think I’ll have to subtly use it when I’m trying to describe the whisky’s colour…”What do you think Brett, is this dram a dark raspberry colour or a light raspberry?”