Two indie Macallan and an aperitif


June 15, 2023

Two indie Macallan and an apéritif

It's about time we rejuvenated our old tasting note for the official 18-1978/96, which we've last tried in 2004. Since we have another bottle… And then, as we said, we'll have two interesting indies…

Magazine advert for Macallan 18 year old, early 2000s. Copy: 'Rule of thumb. Only share with someone you've known for longer than the years on the bottle.' That was before they started to do NAS, naturally.

Macallan 18 yo 1978/1996 (43%, OB, Paul Ulrich Import Switzerland)

WF 87 back in 2004 – for another market, can't remember which one -, with this conclusion: 'don't forget it's still a mass-market malt'. Some update to be done, perhaps, let's see… Colour: dark gold. Nose: it got a little mushroomy. Watch the corks and always make sure, if possible, that these bottles have been kept standing; indeed, even when the level is good. Having said that, it remained rather awesome, on many dried figs (a main marker) and with a complex nuttiness. Sultanas, a little parsley, dates, sage, coffee liqueur, melon liqueur, roasted malt… Mouth: similarly raisiny, slightly meaty, with a little pipe tobacco, roasted nuts, toasted bread, a PX-ness (indeed) and the usual walnuts and oranges. These 43% vol. do feel a little out of fashion, but the core is all right, even if OBE has been striking for sure. OBE can be good or bad, naturally, in this case it was okay. Finish: medium, with even more mushrooms and tobacco. Comments: this bottle is almost 30. This is where whiskies bottled at low strengths can start to nosedive a little bit and get cardboardy and/or mushroomy, while the '100 proof' and above are still skyrocketing. Even the ones at 46%/80 proof! But it's still a lovely whisky and I'm sure another bottle of the same will be fantastic. Now, perhaps not £3,000 - fantastic.
SGP:451 - 85 points.

The indies please…

Speyside 17 (M) 17 yo 2005/2023 (57.6%, Signatory Vintage, 1st fill oloroso sherry butt, cask #DRU17 A106 #3, 671 bottles)

This strange cask number surely to deceive the enemy. This little 'M' next to 'Speyside' could suggest this is Mortlach, or Mannochmore, or Macduff, or Miltonduff, or Macallan indeed. We think we know, but we'll remain silent as an old mouse from South-West Craigellachie. Colour: bright rich Baltic amber (right). Nose: many similarities with the 1978, especially all these dried fruits and this chocolaty meatiness that should be stemming from the oloroso. Drop of Maggi, Bovril, some pipe tobacco, beef jerky, gravy… With water: toasted bread all over the place, burnt pinewood too, old-style embrocations and liqueurs, marmalade, genever, roasted pine nuts, garden peat (no smoke), compost… I say only high-class distilleries can do the splits rather gracefully like this. Mouth (neat): very, very potent, almost extreme. Huge spices, dried fruits, Stolle, fruitcake, old dried figs… With water: and voilà, civilisation. And coffee, triple-sec, pepper liqueur, more genever, cocoa, pipe tobacco, salty bouillon, and perhaps asparagus soup. That's my favourite soup, mind you. Finish: long, spicier, with pepper and cloves, plus the usual marmalade-y signature. Bits of dark tobacco too. Comments: it's still a tad rustic, as it's still a little young, but it's very classy. Anyone owning a bottle may experiment with a pipette and try to find the ideal drinking strength. Not the easiest task.
SGP:561 - 89 points.

That was a king, let's try to find an ace…

Macallan-Glenlivet 20 yo 1974/1994 (53.9%, Cadenhead, Authentic Collection, sherrywood matured)

Cadenhead's always had these filed under 'Highland'. That cannot be wrong, as in many old books, Speyside was part of the Highlands indeed. Colour: amber. Nose: even after thirty years in glass, it'll need to breathe a little bit. And then, it'll become just sublime, meatier than all of them, with soups, gravies, marrow, chicken masala, Spanish ham, a 50-box of Cuban puros, all kinds of rains and just 'whatnot'. With water: gets fractal, with metallic touches, minerals, herbs, tars, flowers, fruits, and resinous molecules, good terpenes, rubbers, tars… All that. Mouth (neat): wow. Macallan at its peak, ticking all boxes, from meats to dried fruits. There's even this touch of menthol in the background that's keeping it kind of refreshing. We said, 'kind of'. With water: nah, it would kind of disintegrate once you've added water, getting a wee tad too resinous and drying. We say we shan't care. Finish: long, on rubber, tar, raisins, marmalade, dried figs… Comments: a style of Macallan that's disappeared both at the indies and at the owners. Was it the end of the peak? It does not need water on the palate. We say let's take action in our lives to change the way we use and consume and water.
SGP:651 - 92 points.

(Cheers KC!)

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