Macallan 12

[DakotaDan23]

For those of you just tuning in, I had a previous post below (New Drinker - Laphroaig 10) in which I expressed my dislike of such an astringent drink.

Last night, I picked up a bottle of Macallan 12. To use the parlance of today's pop teens: OMG. RTFLWISDKHESKEHS. AOSOEL. This roughly translates to "This is probably one of the best (Scotch) whiskeys I have ever tasted. It is so good, I would trade in one of my own children, if I had any."

This is so smooth and so flavorful, I was actually having to hold myself back from guzzling the entire glass. Over the course of a 2-hour movie, I generally used to nurse a couple of fingers of whiskey, and in the case of the Laphroaig, I couldn't even finish the glass. With the Macallan, I got up twice to get refills.

The aroma lures you in, then the creamy texture covers your tongue, and then the initial scent hits you again when you swallow, but tinged with spice.

If I had to give a recommendation, this would be at the top. I CANNOT wait to try the other Macallans, or anything else along this line.

Dan

[TheTross]

Glad you like it so much!

And I trust you'll be taking part in the Macallan tasting in a couple of weeks' times then? Be good to hear what you think of other Macallan bottlings

[Ryguy]

DakotaDan23,

Glad you enjoyed the Macallan 12. Now be sure to try the Macallan Cask Strength, which is very similar to the price of the 12yr.

And thennnnnn...Aberlour A'bunadh, just do it!!

[Ganga]

Ok, we now know that DD likes the heavily sherried whiskies. I see your future: Glenfarclas, Aberlour, Mortlach.

You will probably really like the Macallan 18. Also, you likely would like the Aberlour a'bunadh.

[Gov]

I bet after awhile if you go back to Laphroaig you will take a liking to it. After you season your pallet a bit, you will find you will start liking all different kinds of scotch. At least I did. The first couple of times I tried The Macallan 12 it reminded me of RUBBER Now, I really enjoy the stuff. Funny thing for me though is I took right away to Islay whisky and absolutely love the stuff!!

[dcb]

I personally can't get into the sherry bombs like Mac 12, but I've not tried the aberlour. I've found that if it's going to have a lot of sherry flavor, I need something else like strong peat or something. Like Lagavulin.

But it's great that you're discovering your tastes, come back to the Laphroaig after a few months and see how your palate might have changed. cheers.

[Bob O.]

Start sampling the Whisky from Distillers Ganga has posted. You are in for a treat.

[I_SPEY]

For those of you just tuning in, I had a previous post below (New Drinker - Laphroaig 10) in which I expressed my dislike of such an astringent drink.

Last night, I picked up a bottle of Macallan 12. To use the parlance of today's pop teens: OMG. RTFLWISDKHESKEHS. AOSOEL. This roughly translates to "This is probably one of the best (Scotch) whiskeys I have ever tasted. It is so good, I would trade in one of my own children, if I had any."

This is so smooth and so flavorful, I was actually having to hold myself back from guzzling the entire glass. Over the course of a 2-hour movie, I generally used to nurse a couple of fingers of whiskey, and in the case of the Laphroaig, I couldn't even finish the glass. With the Macallan, I got up twice to get refills.

The aroma lures you in, then the creamy texture covers your tongue, and then the initial scent hits you again when you swallow, but tinged with spice.

If I had to give a recommendation, this would be at the top. I CANNOT wait to try the other Macallans, or anything else along this line.

Dan

It's nice,DD, you enjoyed this dram. I'm sure you will be once a real Mac + Laph. enthusiast.



I_SPEY

[Ganga]

Glad you like it so much!

And I trust you'll be taking part in the Macallan tasting in a couple of weeks' times then? Be good to hear what you think of other Macallan bottlings

Well done Tross. Invite him into our den. Yep, Macallan tasting is coming up Friday May 16. Starting time will be 7 PM BST and lasting until I fall out of my chair. DD, please do join us even if you only have questions to ask.

[DakotaDan23]

Thanks guys. Ryguy PM'd me with the tasting invite, and I responded with what exactly is an online tasting, with other questions. That sounds like something I may attend.

1) Is there a recommended "straight" sherry that's decent so I can familiarize myself with that particular flavor, and start working to separate out the others? I ask because apparently the Mac 12 is a "sherry bomb", and I'd like to know the difference in sherry vs the actual whiskey.

2) I probably will go back to the Laphroaig 10. However, it will be some time, I'll have to have a craving, and one glass will probably be enough for some time after that.

3) How much do you guys pour; what exactly is a "dram"? I usually do 2 to 2-1/2 "fingers" in a tumbler/rocks glass since I don't have any of the tulip glasses.

I think that's it. More noob questions to follow, I'm sure!

Dan

[Ryguy]

1) Is there a recommended "straight" sherry that's decent so I can familiarize myself with that particular flavor, and start working to separate out the others? I ask because apparently the Mac 12 is a "sherry bomb", and I'd like to know the difference in sherry vs the actual whiskey.

2) I probably will go back to the Laphroaig 10. However, it will be some time, I'll have to have a craving, and one glass will probably be enough for some time after that.

3) How much do you guys pour; what exactly is a "dram"? I usually do 2 to 2-1/2 "fingers" in a tumbler/rocks glass since I don't have any of the tulip glasses.

Dan

To answer your questions the best I can. Macallan and some other heavily sherried whiskies are described as "sherry bombs" or "sherry monsters" because the whisky is aged in ex-sherry casks, thus giving them a very strong sherry influence. Aberlour is another.

Give the Laphroaig some time, and yes do go back to it, but don't feel rushed.

Everyone pours a different size dram, in whatever glass they prefer. You'll find that everyone has a preference, and depending on their mood or what they are drinking, they'll use a different glass. I sometimes only pour 1/2 oz - 1 oz per drink, but that really depends on how many drinks I plan on having in an evening, and how many different SM's I'll be trying.

[Ganga]

1) Is there a recommended "straight" sherry that's decent so I can familiarize myself with that particular flavor, and start working to separate out the others? I ask because apparently the Mac 12 is a "sherry bomb", and I'd like to know the difference in sherry vs the actual whiskey.

3) How much do you guys pour; what exactly is a "dram"? I usually do 2 to 2-1/2 "fingers" in a tumbler/rocks glass since I don't have any of the tulip glasses.

I think that's it. More noob questions to follow, I'm sure!

Dan

Sherry monsters/bombs are generally whiskies matured (entire time in the cask) in first-fill ex-sherry casks. That is to say, sherry is not added to the whisky. Other whiskies can be matured in second- or third-fill ex sherry casks or be finished (last few months to years) in ex-sherry casks. A good example is Glenmorangie La Santa.

There are also several standard bottlings in which bourbon and sherry matured whiskies are vatted to produce the product. An example of this is Dalmore 12.

How much do I pour? Well, that depends upon what I'm doing? If I want to try several whiskies in an evening the pours will be rather light, 15-20 ml. If I'm kicking back just enjoying the whisky with friends than I'd likely pour more along the lines of 50 ml. There is a rather heavy-handed bartender where I go and some of those were like getting tripple shots.

Hope this helps a little bit.

[TheTross]

1) I'm not a sherry drinker so can't recommend any particular bottle, but there are several types of sherry (Amontillado, Fino, Manzanilla, Oloroso to name a few) that all have their own characteristics. I have a bottle of Pedro Ximenez Manzanilla at home, bought for exactly the same reason you stated, but I have a really hard time associating 'straight' sherry with sherry-finished, or even sherry-matured whiskies - 'straight' sherry is obviously much more concentrated, whereas the sherry-finished/-matured whiskies largely just take on a limited sherry-ish character (though some more than others!).

3) I believe 'Dram' is actually a proper unit of measurement, but regards whisky it's simply synonymous with 'drink' i.e. "I could just do with a dram (of whisky)".

Hope that helps

[Lawrence]

For those of you just tuning in, I had a previous post below (New Drinker - Laphroaig 10) in which I expressed my dislike of such an astringent drink.

Last night, I picked up a bottle of Macallan 12. To use the parlance of today's pop teens: OMG. RTFLWISDKHESKEHS. AOSOEL. This roughly translates to "This is probably one of the best (Scotch) whiskeys I have ever tasted. It is so good, I would trade in one of my own children, if I had any."

This is so smooth and so flavorful, I was actually having to hold myself back from guzzling the entire glass. Over the course of a 2-hour movie, I generally used to nurse a couple of fingers of whiskey, and in the case of the Laphroaig, I couldn't even finish the glass. With the Macallan, I got up twice to get refills.

The aroma lures you in, then the creamy texture covers your tongue, and then the initial scent hits you again when you swallow, but tinged with spice.

If I had to give a recommendation, this would be at the top. I CANNOT wait to try the other Macallans, or anything else along this line.

Dan

It's great to see such enthusiam about whisky!

Well done, glad you like the Macallan 12, it's a great whisky.

Lawrence

[Novice Scotch Fan]

For those of you just tuning in, I had a previous post below (New Drinker - Laphroaig 10) in which I expressed my dislike of such an astringent drink.

Last night, I picked up a bottle of Macallan 12. To use the parlance of today's pop teens: OMG. RTFLWISDKHESKEHS. AOSOEL. This roughly translates to "This is probably one of the best (Scotch) whiskeys I have ever tasted. It is so good, I would trade in one of my own children, if I had any."

This is so smooth and so flavorful, I was actually having to hold myself back from guzzling the entire glass. Over the course of a 2-hour movie, I generally used to nurse a couple of fingers of whiskey, and in the case of the Laphroaig, I couldn't even finish the glass. With the Macallan, I got up twice to get refills.

The aroma lures you in, then the creamy texture covers your tongue, and then the initial scent hits you again when you swallow, but tinged with spice.

If I had to give a recommendation, this would be at the top. I CANNOT wait to try the other Macallans, or anything else along this line.

Dan

The Macallan 12 is a fine scotch but I find it is rather simple. A lot sherry and not a lot else on the palate. its balanced and enjoyable, but rather simple, lacking in complexity. For the price, I think there are more interesting single malts and even high end blends. Now, the Macallan 18 is perfection, but at a fierce price. Anyway, anyone else think the 12 is a tad overrated?

[MacAttack80]

For those of you just tuning in, I had a previous post below (New Drinker - Laphroaig 10) in which I expressed my dislike of such an astringent drink.

Last night, I picked up a bottle of Macallan 12. To use the parlance of today's pop teens: OMG. RTFLWISDKHESKEHS. AOSOEL. This roughly translates to "This is probably one of the best (Scotch) whiskeys I have ever tasted. It is so good, I would trade in one of my own children, if I had any."

This is so smooth and so flavorful, I was actually having to hold myself back from guzzling the entire glass. Over the course of a 2-hour movie, I generally used to nurse a couple of fingers of whiskey, and in the case of the Laphroaig, I couldn't even finish the glass. With the Macallan, I got up twice to get refills.

The aroma lures you in, then the creamy texture covers your tongue, and then the initial scent hits you again when you swallow, but tinged with spice.

If I had to give a recommendation, this would be at the top. I CANNOT wait to try the other Macallans, or anything else along this line.

Dan

The Macallan 12 is a fine scotch but I find it is rather simple. A lot sherry and not a lot else on the palate. its balanced and enjoyable, but rather simple, lacking in complexity. For the price, I think there are more interesting single malts and even high end blends. Now, the Macallan 18 is perfection, but at a fierce price. Anyway, anyone else think the 12 is a tad overrated?

I purchased a bottle of the Mac 12 a week ago. I think its a great whisky but I am partial to sherried malts. I was able to have some of the Mac 18 at a restaurant and it does have more character to it. I couldn't afford a bottle of the 18 at the time. I like the 12 as it is different from others. For $55 it's worth it for me

[Ganga]

I can't think of too many whiskies under $50 that rival the Macallan 12. The only blend I would take over it is the Campbeltown Loch 25 yo. If anything, the Macallan 12 is a bit under-rated. It seems that everyone has a beef with Macallan because of the pricing of the 18, 25 and 30 but really look at the pricing for other OBs in the 10 to 15 yo range, especialy those in the sherry matured/finished whiskies.

[ResIpsa539]

As far as sherried 12 YOs are concerned, dollar for dollar, I'll take the Aberlour 12 over the Macallan. Both are excellent whiskies (albeit quite different), but the Aberlour is about $10-$12 cheaper.

[borgom]

And another sherried whisky fanatic is born!
You might also like to try a Glenfarclas, while your on the sherry boat.
I too would be very grateful for any suggestions of a good affordable sherry to try, preferably an Oloroso sherry please

[Ganga]

Aberlour 16 (18 if you are in a place that has the new stubby version)
Aberlour a'bunadh (better than getting the 16)
Glenfarclas 15 or 17 (12 is ok but it really is worth moving up in this case)
Macallan CS or 10 CS
Springbank 10 100 proof (prefer the Euro version)
Glenmorangie Lasanta

[clicker7]

If you enjoyed the Mac 12, you will also enjoy:

Highland Park 18

Balvenie 12 Doublewood


Regarding drams, I usually pour about a 1oz. taste, and sample 2-3 distillers on an average evening of tasting (3-5 evenings a week). The variety keeps it tasty, and interesting!

Cheers,

Joseph

[UUNetBill]

I like the HP 18 and the Doublewood too, but the recent price increases on the HP are pushing it out of my price range. I bought a spare bottle not too long ago for about US$68, but this past weekend in the shops it was averaging over $100.


Guess I have to watch for specials. . .

[clicker7]

I like the HP 18 and the Doublewood too, but the recent price increases on the HP are pushing it out of my price range.

Bill: It's $99 up here in Seattle. Load up on HP 18 if you can find it for $68. If you travel to California, it's much cheaper there. We were down there fishing at Lake Shasta, and I found three bottles on sale for $58. That was his last three bottles -- I would've bought a case at that price!

Our California cohorts are fortunate for good prices!!

Joseph

[UUNetBill]

I'd say they are! That last bottle I got at $68 was a sale price; they also had one bottle of HP 30 left for $199. I think at the time (late summer?) it was averaging about $75-80 for the 18, good luck getting it under $100-110 here in Colorado now.

[Novice Scotch Fan]

I can't think of too many whiskies under $50 that rival the Macallan 12. The only blend I would take over it is the Campbeltown Loch 25 yo. If anything, the Macallan 12 is a bit under-rated. It seems that everyone has a beef with Macallan because of the pricing of the 18, 25 and 30 but really look at the pricing for other OBs in the 10 to 15 yo range, especialy those in the sherry matured/finished whiskies.

I can think of a few that do rival Macallan 12 for less money and they would be Balvenie Doublewood and Glenfiddich 15 Solera. I just find these more interesting for less money.

[mongo]

i like the macallan 12 a fair bit (though i have moved from the speyside to islay in my preferences over the years), but i agree that the balvenie doublewood is a good competitor in the same price range. in boulder (where i lived for 4 years) highland park 12 was regularly available in the low 30s ($), and while it doesn't have the same flavour profile it certainly wins on the price/value rating. however, in minneapolis, where i live now, the highland park 12 is quite a bit more (the vagaries of whiskey pricing in the u.s are beyond my understanding). but if you like the macallan 12 i would recommend the balvenie doublewood and also the cragganmore 12, and if you can get your hands on it, the macallan elegancia (which i might actually prefer to the regular 12).

[lohssanami]

I just opened a Macallan 12 (pre-Fine Oak) bottle, and I found this one for $29 several months ago. This is an extremely nice whisky, especially at the price. I much prefer the Macallan 12 to the HP 12, but the Balvenie 12 DW is a great buy in the $30-40 range.

[Mr Fjeld]

............. the macallan elegancia (which i might actually prefer to the regular 12).

I finished a bottle of this a few weeks ago and I think highly of it - which makes me sad as they don't sell the "sherry Macallans" in Tralfamadore. Thankfully, the Macallan 10 CS is fantastic stuff but I suspect I'll become equally sad when it's emptied too.

[LagaDrinker]

I must say I actually prefer the 10 YO to the Elegencia. Both are good though. And the 18, well thats a different ball game...

[Ryguy]

I must say I actually prefer the 10 YO to the Elegencia. Both are good though. And the 18, well thats a different ball game...

Ahhh the Mac 18......now you're talking!
Speaking of, I'd love another bottle of the Mac 18, but at almost $150, I'm hesitant to run out and buy one. But it is an excellent dram, and there's no question I'll buy another at some point.

[Ganga]

When's the next trip for sis? I can get you a much better deal on the Macallan 18.

[Ryguy]

When's the next trip for sis? I can get you a much better deal on the Macallan 18.

No trips in the near future to the West Coast for her.
I'll be in touch with you on that. Thanks!

[LagaDrinker]

I am going to get the 18 YO as soon as my elegencia is finished. Really looking forward to that one

[Gov]

There was a time not long ago that I disliked The Mac 12 and thought it was way overrated. Now, it is one of my favorite 12 yr old whiskies. I think it is superb. I just bought another bottle that had an 18 yr old mini included for under $40! I have had the 18 yr only a couple times and thought that was sublime!!

[Lycus]

Question: I have a bottle of this Scotch, but the abv is 43% rather than 40% (as the article mentions). Is this some odd variable, or something?