Macallan Distillery

Craigellachie
Aberlour
Moray
AB38 9RX
Scotland

Telephone: 01340 871 471
Fax: 01340 871 212
Web: http://www.themacallan.com

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Whiskies from 'Macallan Distillery'

Read the Whisky Magazine tastings notes for whiskies from Macallan Distillery.

• Montgomerie’s The Macallan 1989 Single Cask

Macallan in disguise. Impossible to recognise blind. So unusual but really attractive.

• The Macallan 10 Years Old

Very satisfying.

• The Macallan 10 Years Old

Modern-day Macallan. Full of flavour but neither cloying nor overwhelming.

• The Macallan 10 Years Old, Cask Strength

With its distinctly reddish chestnut colour, this is clearly well sherried. An uncomplicated, robust, Macallan. Simply delicious.

• The Macallan 10 Years Old, Fine Oak

The extra two years have made this a little drier, and it still lacks complexity. Improvement to come here.

• The Macallan 12 Years Old

Can a malt be both popular and good? Of course, but not if your taste is determined by elitism. (The same applies to musicians, writers, etc).

• The Macallan 12 Years Old, Fine Oak

Starting to get there now. The qualitative jump from 10 to 12 is exactly parallel to that in sherried expressions. I'd buy this one!

• The Macallan 15 Years Old, Fine Oak

This is getting difficult, but the 12 Years Old still just edges it for me.

• The Macallan 18 Years Old

A lovely whisky in its own right, but not quite as layered as the best vintages.

• The Macallan 18 Years Old, Fine Oak

A lovely, elegant yet large whisky. Why would you ever use sherry wood?

• The Macallan 1926, 60 Years Old

A privilege to taste such an old whisky but I just cannot handle such woody astringency

• The Macallan 1937, 36 Years Old

Blindfold, I am not sure I would not recognise this as a Macallan until that familiar finish.

• The Macallan 1937, 37 Years Old, Vintage

With a colour close to that of today’s product and a bright clarity, this visually recalled some of the yet-older Macallans that have inspired replica editions.

• The Macallan 1940, 35 Years Old

Not quite the complexity of the 1946 and 1948. Oaky woodiness begins to intrude.

• The Macallan 1945, 56 Years Old, Vintage

Very lively, but ill-tempered. I kept expecting it to propose the return of military service, or demand that I had my hair cut.

• The Macallan 1946, 52 Years Old

A whisky of seductive charm.

• The Macallan 1948 Select Reserve

Paler in colour and lighter in body, but what a palate...great Speyside whiskies once tasted like this.

• The Macallan 1948, 51 Years Old

Drink it and travel back in time. It is one of the finest malts I have ever tasted.

• The Macallan 1949, 50 Years Old, Millennium

A beautifully composed, luxurious whisky.

• The Macallan 1949, 52 Years Old, Vintage

Not much evidence of alcohol. Elegant but frail. Doesn’t approach the 1948 I tasted a few years ago.

• The Macallan 1951 Vintage

I am a great devotee of the older Macallans, but this one is too woody for me.

• The Macallan 1961 Vintage

This one I loved. The flavours have melded beautifully, in what must have been an excellent cask.

• The Macallan 1964, 37 Years Old, Vintage

Interesting in its own right. Hard to envisage as a Macallan, especially with its pale, greeny-gold colour.

• The Macallan 1967, 35 Years Old, Vintage

The dark mahogany colour speaks of wood. The cask itself had more to give than the 1970.

• The Macallan 1970, 32 Years Old, Vintage

Still recognisably Macallan, but the dark claret colour sounded a wood warning. I am forgiving of woodiness, but this approached my limits. Other malt-lovers may be more tolerant.

• The Macallan 1977, 25 Years Old, Christopher's Queen's Jubilee Magnum

Lighter-bodied and drier than the others. I found it a little thin in the middle.

• The Macallan 1979 18 Years Old, Gran Reserva

Strictly for lovers of powerfully oaked whiskies.

• The Macallan 1981, Unfiltered Cask Strength

When I tasted this bottling, I was shocked by its spiciness. When I had recovered my composure, I gradually began to find it very more-ish.

• The Macallan 1989, Exceptional Cask V

Lovely pinkish mahogany colour. Big esters, together with alcohol, balance a surprising degree of woodiness. Drinks older than it is. Another fogeyish bottling.

• The Macallan 21 Years Old, Fine Oak

Fine if you're a bourbon fan, but this is perhaps a little too far for me.

• The Macallan 25 Years Old, Fine Oak

No further, I think.

• The Macallan 25 Years Old, Sherry Oak

• The Macallan 30 Years Old

The finish does have the same effortless charm as the ‘46 or the 25 Years Old. Sensational nose.

• The Macallan 30 Years Old, Fine Oak

I was wrong! This is infinitely better.

• The Macallan 30 Years Old, Sherry Oak

• The Macallan 50 Years Old, Millennium Decanter

This is on the woody side. A little to woody for me in its late astringency, but it is always a privilege to taste such old whiskies.

• The Macallan 8 Years Old, Fine Oak

I'm not a fan of younger Macallans, but this is a drinkable, if somewhat undemanding, 8 Years Old.

• The Macallan Easter Elchies Seasonal Cask Selection Summer 2007

This is all about power, show and bravado and misses out on elegance depth and nuance. Some will love it.

• The Macallan Elegancia

Macallan Lite? Because I dislike the idea, I don't want to like the whisky, but it is a pleasant, easily drinkable dram.

• The Macallan Exceptional Cask IV

Not so much a winter whisky as a bear-hug. Or do the Grampians have a Mac Yeti?

• The Macallan Exceptional Single Cask

I like oak, but this was a bit too much for me.

• The Macallan Fifties

Closest to The Macallan of today, appropriately enough.

• The Macallan Fine Oak 'Whisky Maker's Selection'

Fine, not a lot of oak.

• The Macallan Forties

A similar style to 30s but less delicate and more robust.

• The Macallan Replica 1874

A deft re-creation. This version is notable estery.

• The Macallan Replica 1876

Similar to the 1841, but not quite as sophisticated.

• The Macallan Replica, 1841

Delicious whisky, of true sophistication and style. Tasted blindfold, it seems a perfect whisky for today, not an evocation of the past. I would re-package it as 2041.

• The Macallan Replica, 1861

Quite an achievement. Like the previous 'replica' edition, this is more delicate than the robustly sherried Macallans of today.

• The Macallan Special Reserve

This is true of several of the older Macallans, suggesting that the sherry casks had contained styles other than dry oloroso.

• The Macallan Thirties

With its floweriness and a hint of peat, this seems to me a classic old-style Speysider.

• The Macallan Twenties

Despite a relatively full colour, suggesting plenty of sherry, the Macallan flavours shine through. The driest of these bottlings.

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Articles about 'Macallan'

Read and preview articles from the Whisky Magazine library about 'Macallan'.

• Border store

  Joe Bates heads across the American border.
  Found in issue 73 (Travel retail)

• What's in a box

  Packaging can convey various messages about a whisky, but how we respond to a particular design also says something about us, and the way we see ourselves, write Ian Wisniewski..
  Found in issue 72 (Whisky issues)

• Under the hammer

  Now you can find both of John Rose’s superb articles about collecting whisky in one place. In collections,he looks at some of the latest bottles to come up at auction. In questions,he fields your enquiries.
  Found in issue 72 (Collector's corner)

• Stalking the stag

  The Dalmore is a sleeping giant but it's starting to stir. Dominic Roskriw visited one of Scotland's strangest distilleries..
  Found in issue 72 (Distillery Focus)

• What’s in a bottle?

  Faked single malt whisky has once again been making headlines in recent months,we look at what has been going on.
  Found in issue 70 (news analysis)

• War on whisky fakers

  .
  Found in issue 70 (News Analysis)

• Under the hammer

  Now you can find both of John Rose’s superb articles about collecting whisky in one place. In collections,he looks at some of the latest bottles to come up at auction. In questions,he fields your enquiries.
  Found in issue 70 (Collector's corner)

• Technical perfection

  The Glenrothes is one of Scotland’s biggest distilleries but is an enigmatic one too,its doors generally closed to visitors and its malts relatively unknown.Dominic Roskrow visited it..
  Found in issue 70 (distillery focus)

• In the heartland (Speyside)

  Speyside falls in to two halves:that reached by flying in to Inverness,and that reached from Aberdeen.In this issue we take the Aberdeen route..
  Found in issue 69 (Visitors guide)

• Osaka bound

  Dave Broom gives us his tips on places to go when in Japan..
  Found in issue 68 (Visitors’ Guide Japan)

• Melbourne finds room for Scotch

  Joe Bates travels down under to check out what’s on offer..
  Found in issue 68 (Travel retail)

• Under the Hammer

  .
  Found in issue 67 (spy)

• Energy efficient

  Dave Broom concludes his two part investigation into the impact of climate change on whisky production by examining how the industry is meeting the challenge..
  Found in issue 67 (Whisky Focus)

• An industry mourns

  The whisky world has paid tribute to one of its biggest supporters – Michael Jackson–long time Whisky Magazinecontributor,author,journalist and towering authority on whisky and beer. Here is a selection from the forum and received directly by the Editor.
  Found in issue 66 (Michael Jackson)

• Expanding Copenhagen

  Joes Bates looks at the new Scandinavian store.
  Found in issue 66 (Travel retail)

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