
December 18, 2023

The New Time Warp Sessions, Today A Fair Flight of Macallan for the holidays

With some newish NAS, some proper age-stated youngsters, some older indies and one or two ancient official bottlings from their heyday. Engine rather than bodywork, if you like – I know what I'm trying to say.

An approach that proved to be very effective. One is never served so well as by oneself. Print ad, around 1995.

Macallan 12 yo 'Sherry Oak Cask' (40%, OB, +/-2023)

We're trying to follow this baby every three or four years, as you would follow a château in Bordeaux or a musician's new records. Now we won't have the 'Double Oak' but last time, this little 'sherry', despite the low strength, was frankly superior to it in my book (WF 82 vs. 77). Colour: full gold. Nose: full sherry maturation but it's rather a leafy and sightly herbal sherry, with walnuts, marmalade and a slight gamey side. High grouse. I'm also finding some leafier honey, such as green oak honeydew, which is excellent by the way. Touches of burnt raisins and a hint of rubber. Nutshell, it is a nice nose, pretty complex, but the truth hides on the palate, as usual. Mouth: raisins, orange marmalade, hint of liquorice, fruitcake and bitter teas. Green walnuts, nocino… Just like last time, I'm finding a little too much spicy rubber, was this new European oak prior to the seasoning with sherry? Finish: long, grassier. Comments: much more grassy and rubbery than the 12s of old, or even than the recent Fine Oak versions. Still a very good whisky (but 100-110€ a bottle). Good, perhaps one more point this year.
SGP:461 - 83 points.

Macallan 12 yo 'Triple Cask Matured' (40%, OB, +/-2023)

Well, the mere name 'triple cask' makes me want to run in the opposite direction. We've had enough of hearing only about wood, are they distillers or are they joiners? (tsk-tsk, S!) That said, it's true, we're still far from the famous Isle of Jura 'Seven Wood' (LOL). Plus, last time we tried this triple, we rather loved it despite the minimal strength (WF 87). Colour: light gold. Nose: cold black and green teas, earl grey, then honeysuckle and mullein flowers, heather honey, custard, citron liqueur, nougat… Let's say it is pretty floral, which is perfect, let's just hope it won't collapse on the palate because of the low strength. Mouth: more towards the leafiness of the Sherry than I remembered, with more oak spices beyond some custard and nougat. Then we find the expected roasted nuts, honey and this slight molassy side. Raisins and vanilla, some caraway, cinnamon… Finish: medium, a little teaish and with a little burnt caramel. A little earth in the aftertaste. Comments: a little less convinced after five years, but It's true that these 40% are becoming increasingly difficult to stomach, a bit like a quartz Rolex, if you see what I mean. Now, these quartz Rolex are sought after by collectors because they ever made so few of them. But that's another story…
SGP:461 - 84 points.

Macallan 'Amber Meadow' (44,2%, OB, Harmony Collection, 2023)

Ex-bourbon and sherry-seasoned oak. By rule, when there's no age statement, and yet a hefty price (220€), there is a story, in this case a collaboration with sisters Stella and Mary McCartney. Colour: gold. Nose: yet again this slightly rubbery leafiness, we're actually extremely close to the Triple Cask, just with a little more oomph. Fruit peel, orange zests, some flowers again (honeysuckle), then ripe bananas and a little light rum. Mouth: indeed you would almost believe they used the same juice as that of the Triple Oak. Some oak spices, green teas, bitter almonds, a few raisins, allspice, indeed a little rubber, cinnamon rolls… Finish: medium long, on teas and little demerara sugar, while the aftertaste remains rather leafy. More green tea and a little clove, typical active oak seasoned with young sherry. Comments: long live all the McCartneys – isn't Sir Paul NAS too?
SGP:461 - 85 points.

I'm finding most 'new' sherry casks of theirs a tad leafy, leathery, peppery and rubbery, if not gingery. Not long-polished, in any case. Perhaps check the indies…

Speyside (M) 18 yo 2005/2023 (58.8%, Signatory Vintage for 40 Jahre Bernasconi, Waldhaus am See St. Moritz, 1st fill oloroso butt, cask #DRU17 A106 #33, 666 bottles)

A dark Macallan and a pretty devilish outturn! Signatory are/were having many of these high-sherry casks of 'M' from the 2005 vintage. Colour: dark amber. Nose: roasted nuts, fruitcakes, raisins, molasses, chocolate and coffee, dried figs, small flinty side, no sulphur, orange marmalade, dried figs, dried mushrooms, cigars… I believe it is all extremely classic. With water: the expected meaty touches, bouillons, bits of ham, marrow quenelles, biltong… Mouth (neat): rich prunes, armagnac, dates, more fruitcake, coffee, candied cherries, pipe tobacco, touch of eggplant, bags of raisins. Arch-classic. With water: it remains heavy but clear and clean, with just more oranges and a smidgen of cinchona. Finish: long, on chocolate filled with bits orange zests, plus a little cracked pepper. Honey, pipe tobacco and more dark chocolate in the aftertaste. Comments: now we're talking. Happy anniversary Waldhaus! BTW Claudio B. looks even younger than 40!
SGP:662 - 90 points.

Macallan 19 yo 2003/2023 (58.50%, Gordon & MacPhail, Speymalt, for LMDW New Vibrations, cask # 13603611, 149 bottles)

Remember these are filled and fully matured by the house G&M, they don't buy aged whisky from distilleries or brokers. Rather the way 'round, in fact… Colour: bright amber. Nose: typical, complex, I suppose it was a second-fill sherry hogshead. Exceptional herbal teas and honeys, dried fruits and roasted nuts, coffees and chocolates, subtle spices and herbs… Well this one simply has what it takes, exactly where it's needed. The balance is sublime at the moment; sorry for not listing everything, we might risk blowing up a super-server somewhere in the world. With water: rather on top-notch coffee, pumpernickel, earth and beef jerky. Mouth (neat): exceptional fruitcakes and just a touch of gunpowder. I find it a tad leafier on the palate, so a little closer to the usual current officials. Rather a lot of cracked pepper, juniper, clove and cumin. With water: some prune wine, a little armagnac, bitter oranges, blood oranges, coriander seeds… Finish: long, a little mentholy, with a lot of juniper and pepper. Bitter chocolate in the aftertaste. Comments: the perfect counterpoint to the Signatory, so far yet so close. Impossible to choose between them.
SGP:561 - 90 points.

Macallan 35 yo 1988/2023 (44.4%, Douglas Laing, Xtra Old Particular, 75th Anniversary, refill butt, cask # 17972, 334 bottles)

Douglas Laing have launched six old malt whiskies to celebrate their 75th Anniversary (Fred Laing is looking so much younger!) including a Port Ellen, which we'll try soon, and this very Macallan from a vintage that was also great in Sauternes. Just saying. Colour: deep amber. Nose: absolutely not a monster or an aroma bomb, and in that respect it's quite different from the 2005 and 2003. We're rather wandering throughout some woods, with old firs, cones, needles, mushrooms, moss, fern… Well you see. Then some old left-bank Bordeaux (Pauillac?) and an old humidor full of Cuban puros, some very old and well-taken care of. Let's not forget to mention these whiffs of Spanish bellota ham, if you please. Mouth: deluxe chocolates, once again a feeling of really old armagnac, umeshu, cherry wine, peach liqueur, old raisins that went dry, pipe tobacco, then these piney touches once more (pine needles) and simply more chocolate. Give it a little time, do not rush it even if, or rather because at 44.4%, it goes down with the speed of an Austrian skier. With bells and whistles. Finish: medium, really on chocolate and liqueurs, which makes it extremely moreish, which is dangerous. Comments: seriously, we're reminded of the very old officials distilled around WWII, except that this 1988 is virtually smokeless. Awesome old cogna… I mean Speysider, happy Anniversary, Douglas Laing.
SGP:661 - 92 points.

Speaking of old officials…

Macallan 18 yo 1967/1986 (43%, OB, Corade Import France)

The release of a new vintage of Macallan, initially the fifteen-year-old followed by the eighteen-year-old, has always been an event quite similar to the primeurs in Bordeaux. The few connoisseurs of the time, as I've been told, would discuss the styles as they emerged, noting differences that now seem somewhat less pronounced, at least regarding all the vintages up to the 1980s, which are generally considered less remarkable. As for myself, I've only tasted the 25-year-old from the 1967 vintage, which isn't necessarily regarded as the best of them. Colour: deep gold. Nose: an explosion of exotic fruits, fresh, canned and in jam form. It's quite surprising because here's a profile that can be found in many other distilleries of that era, such as Balblair, Bowmore, Laphroaig, Lochside, Glenlochy, and many others. Is there really such a thing as a vintage effect in Scottish whisky? That's an eternal debate. In any case, this sumptuous Macallan also bears a striking resemblance to an old cognac of very high lineage, but we shall say no more. Mouth: what incredible vigour, what a body, it's a true athlete at only 43% ABV. I find it livelier than other Macallans from those years, more marked by herbs, infusions, pipe tobacco, all sorts of nuts, with a more moderate toffee side, touches of coffee, a bit of rancio from Banyuls or elsewhere, and an upfront old pu-ehr. Finish: not extremely long but wonderfully dry, with a slight saltiness accompanying candied oranges and bitter chocolate. A few drops of fatty broth with coriander in the aftertaste. Comment: far ahead of the 25-year Anniversary, in my humble opinion. And if we had a time machine, we would ask the manager of the time (or the owners) to add a version of this marvel at 50% ABV.
SGP :652 - 93 points

Macallan 18 yo 1965/1984 (43%, OB, Corade Import France)

We have every reason to believe that this vintage will be quite magnificent as well. Moreover, generally speaking, even after forty years in the bottle, these Macallans display an incredible freshness. It's worth noting that this 1965 was still sealed with a screw cap, while the 1967 had already moved to a cork. But let's not open that debate here, as each option has its staunch supporters, even after all this time. Colour: dark gold. Nose: without wanting to be overly crude, I find this nose greasy, which for me is a tremendous quality. It's the strength of these heavily textured Macallans to display, from the very first sniff, notes of old tools, a damp wine cellar, even coal, paraffin, overripe apples, then soot, fat, old figs, Iberian ham, and, of course, old sherry. One can indeed feel the impact of those majestic sherries that had built the distillery's reputation. It's rare for a malt at 43% ABV to display such body right from the nose. Mouth: quite sublime, not tired in the slightest, perhaps a bit more marked by pine sap than originally but stringing dried fruits together like pearls. Figs, dates, currants, jujubes, pears... Added to these are the 'little meats', ham, bone marrow, truffle as well, Chinese sauces, malt extract, and, of course, nuts... Finish: not very long in the end, but deliciously camphorated now. Chestnut and pine honeys, a light smoke in the background. Comment: quite simply a premier grand cru, or perhaps a great Pomerol of malt whisky. Naturally, we won't name any particular château. Let's just say that this 1965 was a great vintage, if one wants to play that controversial game. As everyone knows, however, 1965 was a very bad vintage in Bordeaux (*). Let's move on, if you will.
SGP: 652 - 92 points

(*) update thanks to Mr. Mark R., however the barley would have been grown in Scotland in 1964. Indeed 1964 was a very good vintage in Graves, St Emilion and Pomerol, less good in Médoc, rather bad in Sauternes (no Yquem).

We've also got quite a few old blends or blended malts 'ex-Edrington stock' that we could have tried as well, but this is enough.

(Thank you Whisky Magazine & Fine Spirits and The Golden Promise bar in Paris)

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