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| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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October 17, 2022 |
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Little Duos, today Macallan IB vs OB
The IB does carry a vintage statement, the OB does not, but the latter's said to shelter quite some old vintages of Macallan. I've also heard good things about this very expression, so with a willing heart and no preconceptions whatsoever…
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Macallan 2001/2022 'Speymalt' (55.4%, Gordon & MacPhail, LMDW Antipodes) 
It is to remember that Gordon & MacPhail are filling and maturing their own woods, I don't think they buy ready-made whiskies. The French would call them 'négociants-éleveurs' (not to mention their own Distilleries of course). It is also to be noted that this is an unusual 'Speymalt' at C/S. Colour: amber. Nose: plain and pure butterscotch and chocolate, plus some mocha and moka. My favourite these days would stem from Ethiopia. That's all, but watch what will happen once we've added water… With water: amontillado! More walnuts, roasted peanuts, black nougat, then espresso, raw chocolate, flints, notes of sour cherries. A nose that's displaying touches of Chambertin. Oh and I cannot not think of Benromach here and there, but that's probably my mind playing tricks on me. Mouth (neat): really punchy and extremely cakey. Slightly burnt brownies, pecan pie, some meat (say well-aged grouse meat, minimum two weeks!) and rather a lot of malt. Pretty gamey this far. With water: even more on game, rocks, peppers and cloves, caraway, earth, eggplants, mint sauce, more sour cherries, pipe tobacco… Finish: long and meatier/flintier yet. Venison plus retsina, liquorice and marmalade. Comments: some rusticity in this one. I like it a lot, not just because of that (we're very rustic at Château WF).
SGP:562 - 89 points. |
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Macallan 'M - 2022' (45%, OB) 
Fully ex- sherry-seasoned Spanish oak casks, the old way would we add. The decanter is made by Lalique. The high price, around £5K, would suggest some very old Macallans have been used, as some do in Cognac with their poshest decanters, although 'we have no proof'. There's also a Macallan M 'Black' and a Macallan M 'Copper', so colours seem to count here. Lastly, we've tried what I believe was the first M, released around 2013, and just loved it (WF 91). So, all in all, hopes are high here… Colour: brown amber. Nose: time-warp effect, we're in 1990. The sherry's pretty sublime, these notes of metal polish, old coins, old copper kettle and all that are fantastic, these tobaccos are lovable (old plain Dunhill's, shall we say) and so are these bouillons full of marrow, mushrooms, lardo di Colonnata, leek, and perhaps even garlic. A tiny touch. Beyond that, we'll find the usual raisins, figs, dates, plum pudding and fruitcake. Brilliant. Mouth: I don't know why, this reminds me of the old 30 'blue label and blue box', but this M is a little better. Tobacco and liquorice, earl grey, Jaffa cake, orange blossom water, oriental pastries, a thin slice of kougelhopf, while we cannot not mention also panettone this time again. Certainly also fortified mustos, pineau and such, and old rancio, Rivesaltes, old sweet grenache, Maury… Anyway, you see what I mean. Finish: medium, on ultra-classic 'sweet' sherry, a little 'cream' perhaps. Cappuccino and marmalade in the aftertaste. Comments: only the strength could have been a tad higher, say around 47-48%, but we're splitting hairs (no, we don't change). Fantastic Macallan.
SGP:661 - 92 points. |
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