Macallan in memory of Michael Jackson, the continuation


March 28, 2025

Macallan in memory of Michael Jackson, the continuation (and conclusion)

With a series that left us rather unmoved when it was first released, as at the time expensive NAS bottles were deeply shocking, and the attempts to replicate the past even more so. Like the improbable ‘replicas’ or… this little series. Of course, we’ve already drunk and even tasted these, but indeed we’ve never actually written tasting notes. Now’s the time, before these oddities vanish completely…

The complete series makes quite an impression
on your shelves, provided you keep it in order.
tWorld Wine Whisky)

Macallan ‘Travellers Edition - Fifties' (40%, OB, sherry cask, 50cl, +/-2001)

This quirky little bottle was intended to replicate the style of 1950s Macallan. The issue, of course, was that back then, the 1950s Macallans – like the 1957 we tasted yesterday – were still relatively easy to find and taste, so direct comparison was perfectly possible. Let’s do it again then… Colour: amber. Nose: well, this has come along nicely, certainly light, but showing charming notes of sweet wine, almond croissants, floral nectar, acacia blossom, pistachio syrup… Oh yes, not bad at all, whereas we found it a bit feeble back in the day. Mouth: this has aged well, though sadly the low strength has rendered it quite diaphanous and rather a little frustrating. Mint and barley syrup, herbal teas, walnuts, a touch of light honey… The profile itself has become awesome. Finish: short, fading, but still on lovely dried fruits such as figs. Comments: for the record, the Fifties was my favourite of the four (twenties, thirties, forties, fifties) back then. In any case, this has aged very gracefully and it’s always a joy to revisit the old-school Macallan style.
SGP:551 - 88 points.

Well done, that '50s bottling was by no means out of place after the 1957 we tried yesterday. Now, shall we move on to the '40s?

Macallan ‘Travellers Edition - Forties' (40%, OB, sherry cask, 50cl, +/-2001)

The 1940s were said to be smokier, notably because fuel was in high demand for other purposes, which supposedly led to a return to peat in distilleries. Or so whisky mythology has it. Colour: amber. Nose: definitely drier, much less on dried fruits, more herbal, with notes of hay and cut grass, some nuts, though we’re not really finding any of that ‘peat’ character you sometimes get in immediate post-war Macallans. Still, there’s a lovely beeswax note. Mouth: I’m 100% certain there’s been some positive OBE. It’s certainly dry and fragile, even slightly cardboardy, but we’re far from the near disaster we noted back in the day. Chamomile tea, cake crumbs, and some rather pretty wax. Finish: short, dry. Banana skin, then a touch of ash. Comments: it whispers, it’s fragile, but it’s unquestionably very good.
SGP:341 - 86 points.

Note that the very first bottles in this series came with twist caps (we had a set), which were quickly replaced with cork stoppers.

Macallan ‘Travellers Edition - Thirties' (40%, OB, sherry cask, 50cl, +/-2001)

We’ve little direct experience with 1930s Macallans, though the 1938 ‘red ribbon’ remains etched in our memory – we consumed quite a few glasses back when it was still sold at prices that now seem laughable. Colour: amber. Nose: more austere, with wax and ashes, manzanilla, amaretti, then earth and mushrooms. Honestly, this one too feels vastly better than it did 25 years ago. Good grief, 25 years! Mouth: a true ode to bottle ageing, perhaps even more pronounced in a 50cl bottle. Saline touches, parsley, marrow, walnuts, raisins, tobacco, honey… Finish: short but elegant, on walnuts and dried fruits. Comments: so much better than at the time of its release, I swear!
SGP:551 - 87 points.

All this points to the need for a dynamic approach to managing our stock of spirits, perhaps newcomers should really be buying today for the future, starting by building up their working stock with old bottles bought at auction. Who knows, maybe yesterday’s rather a little lacklustre Macallan ‘Terra’ will have become superb in 25 years’ time!?

Macallan ‘Travellers Edition - Twenties' (40%, OB, sherry cask, 50cl, +/-2001)

Now this one, sorry, I’ve zero experience with the 20s, aside from the 1928 and the vatted version with the 1926 (50 yo Anniversary). But I wouldn’t know how to extract or describe a specific style, and I freely admit I’m a little ashamed of that now… Just kidding. Colour: amber. Nose: not very different from the Thirties, just rounder and more on dried fruits, leaning slightly towards the Fifties. Still, you see, it’s very charming, especially as hints of mint and camphor start to emerge. Mouth: this has become really good, on liquorice and dried fruits. I’ll keep it brief. It’s just those darn low strengths that hold it back a little – a shame, they really should have gone for 45/46% vol. Finish: short but lovely. Marrons glacés, heather honey, raisins, and even a clear saline touch in the aftertaste. Not so short after all. Comments: it seems increasingly clear to me that the whole series has benefited hugely from 25 years in bottle. For my part, I won’t swear my tastes haven’t changed since Y2K – but not that much, honestly.
SGP:551 - 88 points.

I’m sorry, I can’t quite remember who the Master Blender at Macallan was around the year 2000, but in any case, hats off to them. Belatedly…
Right then, we’ve still got two or three recent indie bottlings to taste…

Macallan 32 yo 1991/2023 (46.8%, William’s Choice, DH Global Wine, 1st fill PX sherry, cask #8184)

An old Macallan for Asia, where, incidentally, all these aged Macallans seem to end up nowadays. Our friends have good taste, that much is clear… Colour: dark reddish amber. Nose: we’re stepping into another dimension, loaded with prunes but also rosewood, patchouli, blackberry jam, vintage wax polish, then resins and old herbal liqueurs, with a faint tarry touch. Quite beautiful. Mouth: truly singular, on sour cherry liqueur, hints of Swiss cheese, caraway, and old red Burgundy… The palate is frankly unusual, with some molecular transmogrification either underway or already complete. One might almost say it has some splendid flaws, if you see what I mean. Finish: medium in length, ‘in mutation’, with waxed cardboard and a return of the sour cherries. Big bitterness in the aftertaste. Comments: let’s say this is for the Macallan lover who’s already had it all. The palate is genuinely loco, but of course we like that – since the only thing that truly frightens us is boredom. Right.
SGP:362 - 87 points.

Macallan 31 yo 1991/2023 (54.1%, William’s Choice, DH Global Wine, sherry hogshead, cask #2593)

Colour: amber. Nose: we’re back to something a bit ‘loco’, even on the nose, though this time it’s all mosses and resins, wild mushrooms, humus, ferns, pine needles – a glorious stroll through the forest, with woodpeckers and cuckoos overhead. With water: green Chartreuse and Velay verbena, proper old collector’s bottles if you please. Mouth (neat): beautiful, earthy and resinous, with lemon and essential oils, then pine sap, propolis, salty liquorice… Massive tannins, but that’s part of its charm. With water: some tiny tarry and even petroly notes emerge. Finish: long and deeply resinous and tannic. Comments: frankly, this is a bit bonkers, but for long walks in the woods, it’s the ideal dram for your hipflask. Personally, I love anything resinous, even when it’s as unorthodox as this.
SGP:371 - 89 points.

The very last one…

Macallan 26 yo 1993/2020 (56.4%, Douglas Laing, Xtra Old Particular, The Black Series, Exclusive for DH Global Wine, refill sherry butt, cask #DL13661, 244 bottles)

Colour: deep gold. Nose: it opens with blasts of leeks and truffle, moves on to Jamaican rum (indeed), lands briefly on orange-flavoured yoghurt, continues through furniture polish and shoe cream, and finishes on a lit Cuban cigar in an ashtray. This one’s clearly ‘special’ too. With water: charred woods and a few Brussels sprout notes before bitter oranges come in to restore order. Mouth (neat): slightly burnt pecan pie, gunpowder, roasted artichokes and aubergines, and bitter oranges dusted with pepper and ash. With water: caramelised citrus zest, a touch of yeast, various peppers. Finish: fairly long, with a few notes of both game birds and furred game. Comments: yet again, very unusual and, shall we say, ‘creative’. All these early 1990s indie Macallans really are… loco. The vast majority veer a little ‘off-piste’, but the attentive taster will greatly appreciate these highly ‘different’ and even rather stimulating offerings. Right.
SGP:561 - 89 points.

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