Four Macallan, maybe not


November 22, 2024

Four Macallan, maybe not
(to Mariah Carey)

Colmar

Colmar (Alsace) Christmas market.

The signs don’t lie—Christmas is already on its way. Our American friends are dusting off Mariah Carey, while their British allies are doing the same with the late, great Shane MacGowan and Kirsty MacColl. Meanwhile, the inimitable French railway workers are announcing their traditional strikes, as they do every year at this time. Over in Alsace, towns—most notably our neighbour Colmar, which has essentially turned into the region’s Disneyland in recent years—are decking themselves out with millions of fairy lights in the most improbable colours, which will drain the power output of a medium-sized nuclear power station. Enough to leave you with sore eyes for five days straight. Be sure to pack your sunglasses if you’re coming this way.
As for us, we’re sampling another two or three Macallans.

An Iconic Speyside 13 yo 2011/2024 (53.9%, Duncan Taylor for Wine4you, octave, cask #2945209, 43 bottles)

9 months in an octave. Now then, calling something ‘iconic’ is always a bit provocative, isn’t it? If we’re honest, the word suggests Macallan – though somehow, I doubt that’s the case here. And if it isn’t Macallan, can it really be iconic? But let’s not get too caught up in semantics. After all, the word ‘iconic’ doesn’t necessarily imply quality, does it? In French, it might just mean ‘A Particularly Representative Speyside.’ Either way, we digress. Shall we? Colour: amber. Nose: a tricky one to pin down, this. We’re constantly swinging between Macallan and Glenfarclas thanks to a rather bold sherry influence. Could it be another distillery? Possibly, but then, would it still qualify as ‘iconic’? Notes of raisins, pipe tobacco, a faint whiff of flintstone, and then almonds and stewed cherries. There are also bright puffs of orange jam being made. With water: leans slightly towards young balsamic and Pinot Noir, but doesn’t quite reach the untidy vicar territory (you know what I mean). Mouth (neat): cherries again, kirsch, a good dose of pepper, plenty of bitter almonds, leather, and tobacco, before it turns towards heavily steeped black tea and those inevitable pencil shavings – almost certainly the octave at work. With water: cherry kirsch chocolate. Finish: long, drier, and very peppery. Comments: it’s very good but a touch rough around the edges, with the sherry feeling a tad disjointed. Still, there’s a lot to enjoy here, but these octaves are as tricky to handle as Formula 1 cars, aren’t they?
SGP:361 - 84 points.

Macallan 19 yo 2005/2024 ‘Speymalt’ (56.5%, Gordon & MacPhail for Wine4you, cask #22606309)

A sister cask to the excellent recent Speymalt 2005 for La Maison du Whisky (#22606305, WF 89), so likely very similar… Colour: rich gold. Nose: softer, rounder, and more immediately inviting than the ‘iconic’ Speyside, perhaps more suited to the lounge than the countryside. Roasted chestnuts, gentle pipe tobacco, a hint of floral liqueur (mullein), followed by delicate notes of beeswax and propolis. Then come the orangettes – candied orange zest dipped in dark chocolate – a proper indulgence. With water: touches of mint, camphor, and eucalyptus add a refreshing lift. Mouth (neat): black pepper takes charge straight away, soon joined by caramelised pecans and roasted hazelnuts. Another sinful treat. With water: back to candied oranges, alongside fir honey and a few drops of peppermint liqueur. Finish: long, with intensely steeped black tea asserting itself once again, accompanied by its trusty partner, pepper. Cocoa and mint linger in the aftertaste. Comments: just like its sister cask, there’s a distinct Amontillado-like quality here. Unsurprisingly, it’s a big hit. Not much separates this one from the recent LMDW release.
SGP:561 – 89 points.

Since we’ve mentioned La Maison du Whisky…

Secret Speyside 18 yo 2005/2024 (57.6%, Signatory Vintage, LMDW Foundations, 1st fill sherry butt, cask #DRU 17/A106#45, 575 bottles)

One wonders who was tasked with concocting the rather labyrinthine cask number here. Thankfully, the LMDW website offers plenty of breadcrumbs pointing to this baby’s origins (Craigellachie, 1824, first official 18-year-old in 1984, etc.), sparing us the guessing game. Colour: mahogany. Nose: utterly classic, brimming with toasted bread, prunes, sultanas, milk chocolate, and its much darker sibling, plus very old cream sherry (VORS), molasses, and a touch of broth. Quintessential sherried Speyside, really. Right, iconic. With water: an old aviator’s leather jacket, wafts of pipe tobacco, and a delightful return of the prunes. Mouth (neat): the Christmas cake strikes again! A cascade of dates, figs, dried bananas, and pears, alongside hints of kirsch and mid-aged Armagnac. You get the drift. With water: here comes the leather again, joined by beef jerky, black pepper, dark tobacco (Gauloise, no less), and the most intense dark chocolate. That brooding richness is just splendid. Finish: long, dry, still peppery, with a faint foxiness akin to that of a venerable old Burgundy. The oak also makes a stronger showing now. Comments: right up there with the very best Speymalts. Same vintage, you say? No surprise, really.
SGP: 561 – 89 points.

Let's dig through our archives for a fourth and final one…

Speyside 28 yo 1988 (58.4%, Lotus Lord, Taiwan, pre-used sherry casks, 5,000 bottles, +/-2017)

There’s a rumour floating about that this single malt may well be M., though nothing’s certain, and deciphering Chinese text can be a challenge – Google’s attempts are particularly woeful. By the way, this 'Lotus Lord' has nothing whatsoever to do with Colin Chapman. Make of that what you will. Colour: red mahogany. Nose: let’s admit it, this is a cracking nose – compact, balanced, and laden with dried dates and marzipan (always a favourite). It also carries a fine old Cognac vibe, with immense elegance in the measured cascade of subtler notes that follows: English cigarettes, figs, heather honey, broom, jasmine… Tremendously refined, and more than plausible as M. With water: chestnut cream and maquis honey – Corsican honey, if you prefer. Mouth (neat): starts off with a prickle of pepper, sulphur, and clove, then segues into rare black teas, rich dark chocolate, and brown tobacco mingled with floral and fruity jellies – rose, quince... With water: softens beautifully, despite fears it might have turned dry or tannic. There’s an interplay of old sweet wines and more dark chocolate – a timelessly splendid pairing. Finish: long, perfectly peppery, with fig jam, orange marmalade, liquorice, dark chocolate, and a whisper of chilli. Comments: loves a drop of water, which reins it in splendidly whenever it veers off track. A dramatic illustration of why adding water to whisky is essential (I never skip it with anything over 50% ABV), though each to their own. A very marvellous malt, but really not sure it’s M...
SGP: 562 - 91 points.