Ah, Macallan. I just want to ask…why?

Oh, yeah. The money.

How ’bout we just move on to some notes. This feels lazy, but it’s just really unremarkable (though, not, to be clear, flawed) whisky.

Sherry-seasoned European and American Oak. 44% abv.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Very clean, actually. Some typical (and kinda boring, I realize) fruitcake. The kind with the marzipan toupee. Gramma’s raisin butter tarts. Some sort of reduced cherry, stripped of the zip, and a bit muddled. A touch of potting soil. A little orange and vanilla too. Cacao? Hmmm…you sure? Palate: Like sucking on a dead cinnamon stick. Somewhat vinous. A pronounced lack of texture (can something be pronounced and lacking?). Very spice forward. Rum raisin. maybe a bit of marmalade. Brown butter and spiced honey. Kinda boozy. Finish: A fairly dead, innocuous finish. 79/100

Oh, man. I really don’t relish talking about Macallan much these days. It kinda feels like picking on a very weak bully, if that makes any sense. Macallan is more of a monolith than ever before, but at the same time it’s but a shadow of its former self. I find it increasingly difficult to reconcile the contemporary profile of the brand with those massively sherried, brooding old beauties from past decades. The lack of decent sherry butts plays its part, of course, but let’s also shoot the elephant in the room while we’re taking aim: the prices being levied against any Macallan that breaches that 18 year mark are bloody offensive. Marry that concern to the amorphous flavour profile that neither adequately reflects what Macallan has always been about, nor does it any favours, and…well…it’s hard to love this great old icon with the same zeal I did in earlier times.

So, as I said…I don’t really like discussing Macallan. Mama always said ‘if you can’t say anything nice…’ And you know where it goes from there.

Triple Cask. Three wood types. Okay. Nothing really innovative here, but I can’t lie: seeing the word ‘sherry’ on the label makes me grit my teeth. Because with Macallan, it rarely seems to stand in isolation. Inevitably these days, ‘sherry’ is being chased by the word ‘seasoned’. You know what that means, aye? Sherry Lite; just a suggestion of what we hope for in our Macallan, due to little real wood penetration (minds out of the gutter, kids!). And the resultant whisky here, even at 18 years, is about as exciting as a lukewarm bowl of Cream of Wheat porridge. Is it bad? Nah. But neither is it really good. Certainly not good enough to justify that nearly $350 price tag anyway. At $150 or $180? Maybe. Maybe.

43% abv

Tasting Notes

Nose: A fairly pronounced spiciness, right out of the gates. But almost like cinnamon, nutmeg and cocoa powder stirred into cream or custard. Still sorta floral and perfumed. Caramel cake with candied nuts. Lemon and honey. Spanakopita. Soft toasty notes.

Palate: Quite sweet and almost syrupy, despite its anemic body. Terry’s Chocolate Oranges. Cinnamon sticks. Hints of chomping on an unlit cigar. Just suggestions of mince pies. Slightly wine-y actually. And a bit flinty. Nose was more interesting than the palate, if I’m being honest.

Finish: Slightly tannic. More oak and vanilla than I hoped for at the back end. Shortish.

Thoughts: Credit where credit is due, though: there’s a decent balance struck here. And while 43% is better than 40%…46% would have been much more to my liking.

86.5/100

Macallan Fine Oak 17 y.o.

43% abv

Score:  87/100

Hmmm…tough one.  While much of the world mourns the loss of age stated expressions in the Macallan range, it’s somewhat tougher to get too weepy over the current scarcity of most of the Fine Oak releases.

For those who are maybe not so up to speed, the FO line-up is built around the idea of vatting together bourbon and sherry-matured barrels.  If I’ve heard correctly over the years, this is something Macallan has always engaged in, but for this series the ratios are skewed heavily in favour of using drastically more affordable bourbon casks in the mix than sherry butts.  Financially sound, of course, but not so sound in terms of preservation of reputation.  Let’s face it…Macallan built it’s monolithic name throughout the years by way of the deep and rich complexities of their heavily-sherried malts,  Unfortunately, with few exceptions, the Fine Oak range which hit the shelves in the mid-2000s never quite delivered to the standards set by its ‘redder’ brethren.

This isn’t to say we judge our whiskies based on colour, name or any other such triviality, but the reality is that those sherry bruisers from olden days were magical in a way that Macallan simply hasn’t been able to replicate with their current stocks and contemporary expressions.

While this may seem like merely a bias against the FO series, it should be noted that there are tasting notes here on ATW for more than 25 different Macallan expressions (as of now).  Additionally I have tried many, many more which I’ve not written up.  At this point I can unequivocally state that Macallan’s forte was never the FO expressions.  Mind you, neither is it the current 1824 series.  Sad to see the decline of an empire.

But let’s not veer too far from the point.  Fine Oak 17.  This one is actually one of the better FO releases I’ve tried.  The price point was higher than most were comfortable with, but that’s the reality of both single malt and Macallan.  So be it.  Either way, a decent dram, if not quite exceptional.

Nose:  Green apples and grape skins.  A bit of citrus and maybe orange.  Ginger and vanilla.  Caramelized sugars and a faint whiff of smoke.  Hay, and herbal notes.  Soft spices spice.  Slightly overly woody.

Palate:  A little thin, as we’d expect at 43%, but not a bad arrival.  Fruit-led and slightly tannic as it folds over the tongue.  Poached apple or pear with cinnamon.  More citrus and notes of sugar cookies.  Vanilla fudge.  Still a touch of smoke here (surprisingly).  The finish is a little disappointing; leaving not much more than a slightly eucalyptus note and the wood.

Thoughts:  This lighter style Macallan doesn’t sit quite right with me.  Not as a whisky, I mean, but as a Macallan.  I’m reminded of hearing George Grant speak of Glenfarclas; remarking that they would never release bourbon-matured Glenfarclas, as that is not what the name Glenfarclas is all about.  Macallan should lean a little more heavily on the big sherries, I think.

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

A nifty, but now sadly obsolete, run of Macallan that came out some time around the turn of the millenium, I think.  The Travel Series was launched as an attempt to replicate the style of vintage Macallan from several decades in the first half of the twentieth century.

The whisky is a novelty, to be sure, but it’s also a neat little insight into the blender’s art.  Man…what skill to be able to recreate these whiskies from age old samples, right?  Ahhhh…but there’s the rub.  Are they accurate recreations?  Well…not having access to those glorious old Macallans from the ’20s, ’30s, ’40s or ’50s, who am I to say whether or not this is a true representation of the style?

At the end of the day though, it doesn’t really matter, because suspension of disbelief is made easier by the fact that these releases retailed for less than $35 a bottle locally.  For that sort of financial investment the free range of imagination will be all I use in the sating of curiosity.  And I’ll consider that well and truly paid for at less than $150 all in for the full suite of releases.  In short…just have fun with it.

While equally lauded (Michael Jackson) and lambasted (Serge Valentin), I’ll happily take the middle road when it comes to throwing marks against these malts.  These are good whiskies.  No, they’re not great by any means, but they are unique…they are well-made…and they are fun as hell.  Think of it like a trip down memory lane…one which you’ve never traveled before.  These malts really do set the imagination to run.  I Love ’em for that if nothing more.

A good mate of mine, J Wheelock, introduced me to these Macallans a few years back when he worked for the brand (Edrington, that is).  For that…and for much, much more…this dram’s for you, J.  Slainte!

Macallan Travel Series – ‘Twenties’

40% abv     500 ml bottle

Score:  86.5/100

Nose:  Somewhat fruitier than expected.  A little bit of apple and peach.  Shortbread.  Tobacco.  Peach is a theme throughout.  Reminds a little of a ’77 Glenisla I’ve tried.  Cherry syrup.  Cadbury milk chocolate.  Nice depth of spice.  Some tart red berry now.  A touch of maple.

Palate:  Immediate disappointment at the thinness of mouthfeel.  Fruity and sweet at first, but dries rather quickly.  Some crabapple.  Slightly weedy floral notes.  Spiced dough.  A bit of very mild peat and smoke at about the three quarter point.

Thoughts:  Good noser.  Not so pleasing on the palate unfortunately.  The flavours are ok, but it’s a featherweight.  Especially as I believe the old style malts to have a bit more heft than this.

Macallan Travel Series – ‘Thirties’

40% abv     500 ml bottle

Score:  86/100

Nose:  Still fruity, much like the ‘Twenties’, but a bit more dry spice now.  A hint of Old Dutch Barbecue Potato Chips (crisps, if you’re UK-centric).  More peat arriving now by this decade.  Spicy figgy notes.  Tobacco, leather and oil.

Palate:  Tobacco.  Chocolate with a dollop of caramel.  Coffee.  Dried fruits.  Chocolate fudge now.  Quite spicy.  Threads of deep dark fruits courtesy of the sherry influence.  Smoked apple skins.  Now a little oakiness.

Thoughts:  Again…better nose than palate.  Sadly, as thin as the average head of hair in a nursing home.

Macallan Travel Series – ‘Forties’

40% abv     500 ml bottle

Score:  88.5/100

Nose:  Peppery peat.  A bit more earthy and smoky now that we’ve hit the ‘Forties’.  Cookie dough.  Quite dry, and almost ashy.  Mincemeat and tobacco.  Slightly barn-ish (maybe horse blanket).  Maybe…maybe…smoked meat of some sort.  Toffee or caramel fudge.  Now there’s more smoke building.

Palate:  Very nice.  Better palate than the first couple, but still anemic.  Like caramel apples for adults.  Slightly peppery and bearing more woody notes now.  A touch of peat and smoke.  Ok…more than a touch.  Kinda tarry.  Arrives with fruits but turns to black coal smoke.

Thoughts:  Not necessarily the most balanced of the quartet, but maybe the most fun.  Some really neat nuances here.  Much more ‘old school’ in character.

Macallan Travel Series – ‘Fifties’

40% abv     500 ml bottle

Score:  88/100

Nose:  A touch of peat and moist tobacco.  Cinnamon, cocoa and vanilla.  A touch of floral notes.  Chewy sweet sherry notes.  A little bit of dust and dunnage warehouse.  Smoked hay.  Yep…still some peat here.  Creamier, fruitier, more depth and more developed than the others.

Palate:  Nice bold delivery.  Feels thicker and more substantial than the others.  A more traditionally gooey sherried Macallan with a heft of very dry cinnamon and clove.  Good long finish with all the right notes lingering.

Thoughts:  Neck and neck with the ‘Forties’ as best of the bunch.  More palatable for the masses too, I’d argue, and closer to the Macallan most folk would now know.

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photos:  Curt

The Macallan 1824 Series

A couple months back I received an invite to an Edrington event for the Macallan.  Unfortunately, however, scheduling conflicts kept me from attending this gala.  By this point, rumour had been rampant for some time that Macallan was about to strip away the numbers from the bottles of their core range and introduce a new series free of the shackles of age statements.  An industry mate and I shared some interesting discussion on this revamp, and when I asked if he’d be attending, his response was something along the lines of ‘yes…I can’t miss the chance to see Macallan put a gun to their head and pull the trigger’.  My paraphrasing, not his exact words.

This malt whisky equivalent of the Budd Dwyer effect was inexplicable as far as both he and I were concerned.  We both understood the effect those numbers (or lack thereof) could have on an entity such as Macallan.

Several months later I can finally brush aside speculation in favor of honest observation.  Forget the bias.  Let’s use our senses to weigh in.

A few thoughts first, though…

Apparently the new 1824 series is built from malts matured in both Spanish and American oak.  This would mean that Macallan have effectively combined the Fine Oak and Sherry Oak ranges, I think.  This last statement is purely subjecture however, as I’ve also heard there is no influence from ex-bourbon casks.  Either way…they now not only have more flexibility in terms of which casks they can bury in their whisky vattings, but also in terms of cask quality management and/or costs.  All, of course, without bowing to the inflexibility of an age statement.  Call it what you like, but ultimately…it’s a form of blank cheque for the Edrington Group to bottle whatever they like, so long as the color stays consistent.

Color.  Yep.  The new range is built primarily on aesthetics.  Hue.  Tint.  Shade.  Call it what you like.  Macallan is building malts to adhere to the colors they label the bottle as (Gold, Amber, Sienna and Ruby).  Of course the inherent age of the whisky in the casks does, to a degree, help determine the final color (ergo equation, right or wrong, is darker = older = better), but really?  Really?  This is utterly absurd.  And for that reason…we’re gonna dig in and suss out some truth.

Honestly.  I am 100% behind this enterprise as it stands.  Conditionally.  As long as the whisky in the jar stays uniform in terms of quality…give ‘er hell, Macallan.  I’ll climb on board.  In fact, I’m already singing the praises of a couple of these new endeavours.

A bit of editorializing though:  I’ll go on record here as saying I do expect quality slippage.  It’s just the nature of a the beast.  Huge demand in a booming whisky market…no regulation in terms of age requirements or cask quality…and, let’s be honest, desire for profit margin.  All of these are factors that could lead to an eventual decline in what is, out of the gates, a great dram.  I hope I’m wrong.  Please, Macallan…prove me wrong.

As a final note…apparently the blending team sampled an absolutely mindboggling 30,000 casks to ultimately reach the final components that would comprise this new quartet of whiskies.  Wow.  Think I need a career change.

Alright.  Is it just me, or is it getting awful thirsty in here?  Let’s have a drink.

Macallan Gold

40% abv

Score:  82.5/100

Nose:  Malty, creamy and just slightly feinty (smells familiar to anyone who has stood close to a spirit safe in a distillery).  Not a lot of sherry influence showing yet, but it is there in a distant dry fruitcake manner.  Citrus and vanilla. A little bit of mint.  Salty uncooked pastry dough.  A touch of over-toasted oak and pepper.

Palate:  Almost immediately drying.  Apple skins.  Grains and toothpicks.  Deep threads of thick pure honey.  Orange.

Thoughts:  Pleasantly sippable.  Though something of a lightweight.  Not bad for the entry-level consumer.  Should note…no off notes, just youth holding this one back.

Macallan Amber

40% abv

Score:  84.5/100

Nose:  Creamy.  Still slightly malty.  Much more sherry to speak of now, as we’d expect from Macallan.  Some orange rind, or good marmalade.  Coffee and chocolate…maybe a creamy mocha.  Cinnamon.  A little caramel, pepper and ginger…each in dribs and drabs.  Malteasers.

Palate:  Matches (just a far off touch though).  Sweetness develops nicely over the first few seconds.  Raisins.  Citrus furniture polish.  Pleasant, but mild, spiciness.

Thoughts:  Not too far removed from the Gold, but a little sweeter and more ’rounded’.  All in all…quite good.  Not to sound like that one sulphur-obsessed whisky writer we all know, but there is an off butt or two in here.  It’s effect is minimal, and unless you’re sensitive, you likely won’t even notice.

Macallan Sienna

43% abv

Score:  90.5/100

Nose:  Now we’re getting sweeter and some of those more sassy mature sherry tones.  Nice jammy Oloroso high notes here.  Chocolate and a slight smokiness.  Raspberry and orange (yum!).  Marzipan.  Some mint or eucalyptus now too.

Palate:  Here is that jam-like sweetness again.  Love it.  Spicy.  Eucalyptus here too.  Very nice full arrival with a smooth development from scotch/sherry immediacy into a refined chocolate ganache and red fruit crescendo.  Very drinkable.  Ahem…very.

Thoughts:  With the Sienna, we’ve now moved into the high end.  This is classic and exceptional Macallan.  Hopefully they can maintain this level of quality.

Macallan Ruby

43% abv

Score:  92/100

Nose:  Awwww…hell, yes!  Cinnamon, orange and dark cherry (my favorite fruit!).  Great jam/jelly sweetness.  Candle wax notes, showing some maturity and nice old casks buried in here.  Nice smells of home baking and spiced stewed fruit.  Chocolate again, but much more ‘high end’ and expensive chocolate.  Heavy toffee, which is gorgeous.

Palate:  Sweet and fruity.  Orange lifesavers.  Cinnamon and slightly over-baked pie crust.  More of those deep, dark dried fruit notes.  Mouthwatering, before slowly drying on the tannins.  An absolutely great oral experience (shhh…keep you comments to yourself).

Thoughts:  Mature and awesome.  Not quite a 93, this is definitely a 92+

I’ll take a little salt, please.  Something to help me swallow my words.  The new Macallan line-up is good.  Better than good, actually.  Particularly the latter two.

– Words, Tasting Notes, Thoughts:  Curt

– Photos:  Curt

Macallan Cask Strength

59.3% abv

Score:  89.5/100

Let’s not delve into the comparison conversations that always crop up regarding the young cask strength sherry bombs.  They’ve been tackled rather relentlessly to date, and I’m sure that at this point most drinkers and drammers have sworn their allegiance to one or the other.  Or the other.  Whatever.

There’s simply no two ways about it.  This Macallan holds its own and stands on its own two feet, needing no competition as a measuring stick to assert its value.  This is a damn good malt.  Overpowered and bursting at the seams with flavor, this is a whisky for snowy winter eves and late summer nights.  Fortunately…we have stunning examples of both in Western Canada, so there is no shortage of excuses to tip the bottle.  Not that I ever need an excuse to justify indulgence in that aural beauty of the pop of a cork from a bottle of single malt.

First things first…extra points for the absolutely sparkling clean Oloroso.  Love ’em or hate ’em, you have to concede that Macallan get some truly pristine sherry casks to work with.  The inherent perks in having direct linkages to their own bodegas in Spain, I suppose.

Snug in that nest of comforting sherry are deep dark vanilla, toffee and chewy dried fruits.  Fresh fruits, by way of black cherry and concorde grapes.  The nose alone sets my mouth to watering, with its heavy array of branch-bending juicy tree fruits.  Darker nuances like chocolate and shredded tobacco as well.

The palate is chewy and rich in spicy sherry notes of rum-soaked fruit, citrus and vanilla extract.  Some sort of caramel/toffee warmth and cocoa meet pleasant oaky charm.

One of my favorite Macallan’s, to be certain, and a good go-to when it is one of those ‘sweet tooth’ evenings.  This Macallan, I believe, was bottled for Canada (or maybe North America…can’t remember exactly what I had heard), and sadly is to become obsolete if rumours are to be believed.  Snatch up a bottle or three while you can.

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt