Summer Duets Today Macallan


September 7, 2021

	Summer Duets Today Macallan NAS
	No age statements here so we need 'the blurb'. I mean the accompanying literature, to find something to say about these two babies that we couldn't try before. Did you ever notice that whiskies without a proper age or a vintage statement tend to come with more (sometimes unlikely) stories?

Macallan 'Lumina' (41.3%, OB, Quest Collection, 2017)

I agree we should have tried this one earlier, looks like it's sold out. It seems that this expression was 'grounded in the old world but inspired by the new' because they made use of both European and American sherry-seasoned casks, all that according to the back label. Not my business of course but I doubt any of David Ogilvy's successors have been working on this idea. In any case, this shouldn't be a tribute to the Chevrolet Lumina. Colour: pale gold. Nose: noses relatively young, with whiffs of oak and sherry indeed, stewed cherries and plums, damson liqueur and chocolate, then rather more toasted oak. A touch of earth and a hint of hay too, plus yellow flowers. Not earthshattering but pleasant. Mouth: pleasant arrival, with more stewed fruits and a floral feeling, but it tends to become grapey, with sour(ish) raisins and too much oak spiciness, geared towards old tea in the old teapot. The middle is a little unpleasant. Finish: not much, on more black tea and oak spices, with a curious sweetness (Haribo's mini rainbow frogs, not that popular in France, contrary to what you could be thinking). Comments: I'm afraid that Lumina wasn't very luminous, just like this very miserable pun.
SGP:341 - 76 points.

Macallan 'Concept Number 2' (40%, OB, 2019)

'A captivating expression inspired by the similarities in the creative approaches of crafting whisky and creating music.' Right, at 40% that would be chamber music. I hope they've sold more than ten bottles to French speaking countries altogether because the way the word 'concept' is designed here just doesn't work too well. Not sure it works in English either but in French, you first read 'Idiot' (con). David Ogilvy, please resurrect! Having said that, maybe did they try to go Dadaistically arty or something like that. Colour: light gold. Nose: pretty similar, with a gentle sherriness and something slightly eau-de-vie-ish, perhaps because this is young, then with rather more dried fruits, dates, figs, raisins, prunes, then sponge cake, chocolate and marmalade. That's right, Jaffa cakes. It's all rather mezzo piano, if not piano. The 40% vol., I suppose. Mouth: rather fatter and brighter than the Lumina at first, almost mezzo forte for a few seconds, but much steam is lost then and it would go down to pianissimo. Scones and English tea with a mocha-spoonful of marmalade. Finish: short, whispering, thank God not too drying and tea-ish. Nice earthiness and sherry. Comments: I believe it all went diminuendo, but it's rather not bad in my book. I'm sure it would have deserved saxophones. I mean, 45% vol or more.
SGP:451 - 80 points.

Check the index of all Macallan we've tasted so far