Alright everyone, enough with crazy wood
finishes, ridiculous names, and whiskies
that you need a college degree to make
sense of. This month’s journey is about
good, old-fashioned, honest-to-goodness
Scotch. And what could be more “honest”
in a Scotch glass than Macallan? As one
of the first Scotch whisky distilleries,
Macallan has a reputation for integrity
and consistency in all their drams. And
while their bottlings are too numerous
to count, they all seem to focus on the
theme of just good, unadorned whisky –
letting the whisky do the talking. So
while there is a vast array of Macallans
we could have chosen from, we decided to
stick to the basics: three of their
traditional sherry oak expressions, and
three from their relatively new fine oak
range. But whatever you do, stick a
Macallan in your liquor cabinet – it’ll
make an honest man (or woman) of ya!
Macallan 12 year old:
A youthful nose, full of simple
syrup and vanilla beans. Also some
wet walnuts and cloves to round it
out. A medium-to-light body is
followed abruptly by a finish of dry
sherry, orange zest, and musk
cologne. When I think of Macallan,
this is the whisky I think of first.
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Macallan 18 year old:
More complex than the
12-year-old, with a nose that
explodes onto the senses: mild,
sweet, with peach pits, heather
honey, wet, tanned leather, vanilla,
orange peel, and just the faintest
hint of peat(?), this nose just
sets-up the whole dram. A chewy,
full-bodied mouthfeel precedes a
taste/finish of toasted oak, more
vanilla, sherry, and light spices. A
little short, but this expression is
exceptionally well-balanced.
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Macallan Cask Strength (58.2%):
Warm and deep, this whisky
nosed wonderful burnt caramel,
vanilla, and oak that, were it not
for the omnipresent sherry, reminded
us of fine bourbon. With water,
there were light citrus notes,
marzipan, and something that
reminded me of a NY roasted nut
cart. Like the 18-year-old, this
expression was very well-balanced,
with vanilla, oak, and heavy sherry
on the palate. With water, it
revealed more citrus (tangerines) in
its medium-length finish.
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The
“fine oak” range differs
dramatically from Macallan’s
standard sherried range. Though
sherry casks from European oak are
still used, so too are bourbon casks
from American oak, and sherry casks
from American oak, resulting in a
more delicate, lighter whisky that
possibly suits a more “introductory”
palate.
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Macallan Fine Oak 10 year old:
A fresh, very young nose,
full of malt, hay, aldehyde, and
vanilla. Also light honey,
pineapple, and attic must. A thin,
light body, opening into a short,
warming, and oaky finish, with
oranges and possibly candy canes.
Some tasters swore they picked-up
creamsicles, too. While not exactly
balanced, this whisky could be the
perfect introduction to the Fine Oak
range.
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Macallan Fine Oak 15 year old:
Sweeter and deeper than the
F.O. 10-year-old, this whisky has
delicious toffee notes playing
against younger grassy notes. There
is also that Macallan sweetness and
orange aroma, as well as nutmeg, and
what I can only compare to
toast-and-butter (and what’s better
than that?). This whisky has a
clean, medium-weight body, which
suits it perfectly. And the
finish…Long and lingering, sweet and
smooth, nicely matching the nose,
which, of course, is what you want.
I picked-up caramel, more oranges,
and a hint of milk chocolate. A fine
whisky, before, during, or after a
meal.
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Macallan Fine Oak 17 year old:
Very different than its
15-year-old cousin – much more
floral, especially lavender, though
there is still that burnt caramel
sweetness and ever-present oak. The
17-year-old also has a medium body,
maybe a little lighter than you
might want, with a “shortish” finish
of dried peaches, honey, light peat,
and wet campfires.
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Upcoming reviews will include whiskies
from Duncan Taylor & Signatory
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Questions or comments are welcome, I can be reached at
brett@whiskyguild.com |
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Nov
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Dec 06
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Jan 07
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Feb 07
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Mar 07
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Apr 07 |
