No age stated Macallan


September 1, 2017

No age stated Macallan

We said we’d have some Macallan, so we will have some Macallan. It was time we tried some newer batches of their latest NASses, wasn’t it? Some are saying that only confident brands would issue young whiskies with proper age statements… Not too sure about that…

Macallan ‘Select Oak’ (40%, OB, 1824 collection, Il, +/-2017)

We had an earlier version seven years ago, it had been okayish (WF 78). It’s supposed to be ‘a lighter style of Macallan’, and it had reminded me of the first 8 yo ‘Fine Oak’. Oh and it’s one of those ‘travel-retail-only’ bottles that one can find almost anywhere. Colour: pale gold. Nose: very muesli-y for Macallan, sweet-beerish, and totally not in the ‘old style’. Porridge, sweet bread, malt, then a lot of vanilla. I almost wrote vanillin. Then touches of green tea, and perhaps just a hint of eucalyptus. Mouth: really easy, and rather in the style of Glenmorangie, I’d say, but it’s got more beer, more raw malt, and more sour fruits. Oak spices coming out, ginger, cinnamon… Finish: medium, on fresh oak. It really feels. Comments: I don’t think I’ll change my mind, this is modest, and I find the oak treatment a little too obvious. SGP:441 - 78 points.

Macallan ‘Amber’ (40%, OB, 1824 series, +/-2017)

Sienna was the clear winner last time I tried the whole series, around four years ago, but Amber did rather well (WF 81). Colour: gold. Nose: we aren’t far from Select Oak (sounds like a department at Home Depot, doesn’t it), with some clear oak, but this time I’m rather finding pineapple and coconut, then hay, lemongrass and barley. Some raisins, some cinnamon rolls, some croissants. Mouth: you feel it’s rather young, but I’m not against fruity bread. Some obvious oak again (feels flavoured rather than well-mingled), orange zests, wholegrain bread, and, perhaps, pumpernickel. Notes of tangerines, which is nice. Finish: medium, a tad fruitier. Grapefruits, ginger, raisins, oranges. Sawdust in the aftertaste. Comments: really not bad at all, but too bad the oak’s a little too ‘noticeable’. SGP:551 - 82 points.

Macallan ‘Sienna’ (43%, OB, 1824 series, +/-2017)

So my favourite when it was launched. Brilliant Macallan. Colour: gold. Nose: ah? It’s lost a bit of lustre, apparently, I find it much simpler, with sour fruits and some rather ‘obvious’ praline and toasted oak. A feeling of burnt chocolate cake and corn syrup. The pecan pie and the tarte tatin are nicer, though, really curious about the palate now… Mouth: yes this is good, it’s probably the closest you can get to the older Macallan spirit, even if it’s relatively simple, and not as ‘whirling around’ as its earlier inception. Cakes, roasted nuts, malt, praline, spicy cake, bitter marmalade. Good body, the lower strength doesn’t quite feel. Finish: medium, slightly plankish and rather nutty. Some sweet sherry. Comments: isn’t this vatting younger on average than earlier batches? I was having Sienna at no less than WF 90, but that just can’t be this time. SGP:551 - 85 points.

Macallan ‘Edition No.2’ (48.2%, OB, 2016)

When you have no age, you ought to come up with a name, and a number’s just easy to find, isn’t it. It’s strange though that they wouldn’t have called it ‘The Spanish Edition’ or something, as this NAS vatting was done in collaboration with some Spanish chefs. And why not? Now I’ve been to some of those restaurants (such as the Rocas’s), and I can assure you that they’re totally great. Colour: gold. Nose: malt and sherry, obviously. Ovaltine, raisins, oak, vanilla, barley, toffee, chocolate, and a little mocha, then rather tangerine jam and fruity cornflakes. Fruity Loops, that’s their name if I remember well. Well done so far. Mouth: okay, this is very good. Big malty arrival, totally in sync with the nose, then many full-flavoured pastries, cakes, and certainly some ginger cake. A spoonful of thick ale, or perhaps Guinness (I know that’s a little un-diplomatic). Finish: long, firm, rather thick. Ginger cake and raisin rolls and some welcome lemon in the aftertaste. Comments: I like it that Macallan would collaborate with chefs and starred restaurants. That’s good, worthy content (as long as the chefs have something to say and enjoy their whisky). More about all that on Monday, stay tuned! SGP:551 - 87 points.

August 2017

Favourite recent bottling:
Bunnahabhain 30 yo 1986/2017 (52.6%, North Star Spirits, bourbon hogshead) - WF 92

Favourite older bottling:
Caperdonich 38 yo 1972/2011 (46%, Mo Or Collection, bourbon hogshead, cask #7437, 162 bottles) - WF 93

Favourite bang for your buck bottling:
Speyside 43 yo 1973/2017 (46.5%, Archives, butt, cask #9, 120 bottles) - WF 93

Favourite malternative:
Caroni 18 yo 1998/2017 (63.2%, Hunter Laing, Kill Devil, Trinidad, 233 bottles) - WF 91