Macallan Replacement

by **monkeybrain** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 11:56 pm

What's a good replacement for Macallan? That smoky, sherry and rather sweet taste.

by **andrewfenton** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 12:06 am

What price range are you looking at? Also, cask or regular strength?

by **monkeybrain** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 12:36 am

no price preference. but, something reasonable (under 100). Also regular strength.

by **Oliver** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 1:58 am

Off the top of my head, I'd say older or vintage single cask Glenfarclas come closest. I find the vintage bottlings much better than the standards bottlings. Where do you live? In france you can get some pretty good prices on vintage port cask Glenfarclas.
I had a Cask Strength Christmas bottling of Glengarclas that was great in its own right... Surely in the nineties...

Aberlour is down a weight class in my mind; but the Abunadh (sp.) is not bad, too a little thin compared to the Sherry macallan of the past.

I found the Glendronach a disapointment despite all the Sherry. Balvenie is great (esp. port wood 21 --but its just not the same thing as the Macallan).

I'd love to hear what others have in mind...since we are all soon going to have to find a replacement...

Oliver
http://www.maltresistance.blogspot.com

by **rthomson** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 3:06 am

I'd recommend a Glenfarclas as well, particularly the 21 yo. It won't have the same pronounced sherry profile of Macallan but the sherry does come through and I found it to be a beautifully balanced dram. The price I remember seeing for it was around US$90. I also enjoy the 12 yo and that's usually around US$50.

Ron

by **Deactivated Member** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 3:36 am

The usual suspects--Balvenie Port Wood 21; Glendronach 15, if you can find one. I haven't tried the new 12. If you can get any independent bottlings, look for anything particularly from a sherry cask. I just picked up a Gordon & MacPhail Cask Bruichladdich 15--I haven't tried it yet, but I'm betting that it will be very similar to the Valinch I had from the distillery this past year, being of virtually identical vintage. Both were from refill sherry casks, which you wouldn't think would have as much influence as a first-fill, but both were/are extraordinarily dark, and the Valinch was quite the satisfactorily complex little sherry beast.

by **Admiral** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 3:46 am

Glenfarclas 15 is about the richest & sweetest of the regular age statement Glenfarcli.

I concur with others' statements that Glendronach 15 doesn't quite fit the bill.

The other alternative is Jon Mark & Robbos Easy Drinking Whisky, "The Rich Spicy One". This is a vatted malt, but it was created as an attempt to emulate the Macallan ESC bottlings. Given that it was created by David Robertson (former head distiller at Macallan), the pedigree is certainly there! :wink:

Cheers,
Admiral

by **Old Bollard** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 3:51 am

I can't think of a whisky that replicates Macallan excactly, thus if it's the only dram that satisfies you - well, let's hope their stock will soon be of sufficent size to cover all markets!

Here are a few wonderful whiskies to comfort you while you wait:

Aberlour a'bunadh
Balvenie
Edradour (mmmmmmmmmmm

)
Glendronach (recent bottlings are well worth the money)
Glenfarclas
Glenmorangie Sherry/port/madeira wood finish

Actually, the probably short absence of Macallan from any market could be seen as an opportunity to widen one's palate.... :wink:

Old Bollard

by **Deactivated Member** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 4:19 am

Admiral wrote:The other alternative is Jon Mark & Robbos Easy Drinking Whisky, "The Rich Spicy One".

Just got done slagging that marketing concept on another thread...ah, well, at least it's real whisky, and if the concept gets some folks in the door, without really dumbing down, then I guess I oughtn't complain.

by **andrewfenton** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 4:41 am

A few suggestions, in no particular order:

Glengoynes: Edrington get a good slagging here and elsewhere, but it's pretty hard to fault what they've done at Glengoyne recently. The 19yr cask strength might be worth looking out for - that should be under $100. This is dry rather than sweet sherry, but if you can find the 12yr cask strength you can get a cheapish idea.

Some of the older Glendronachs from IBs might also fit the bill. The 20yr-25yr sherried Signatory bottlings get terrific reviews, and they are usually about 50 pounds or so.

Last but not least: Mortlach 16 Flora and Fauna is fairly cheap (33 pounds = $60), and fits the bill for sweet sherry.

by **Tom** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 6:13 pm

i'll second Andrew here.
So far the most typical macallan taste has been found in some IBs from mortlach. especially from Murray mcDavid and Signatory.
The glenfarclas range doesnt quite do it IMHO because of the bourbon influence and second fill sherry. The vintage range is exceptionally good, but again not quite the same as macallan because the vintage range has much more profound sherry flavors then the balanced mac.
Oliver, you refer to a christmas edition from Glenfarclas. Wich one was it? i tasted two of them, both from 1971 The one that is bottled in jan 2000 cask 5959/5960 is the best Glenfarclas i had so far. but those are very very rare now and i doubt you can find them again outside an auction. Are you a Glenfarclas fan in general?

by **Oliver** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 6:54 pm

Tom,

Though I really wanted to become an ardent amateur of Glenfarclas malts considering they are truly independant -as in free from marketing geniuses -- I have a few minor misgivings, alas.

I mentionned the Christmas bottling; the one I got was disilled around the 1980's and bottled in 2003 give a take a year or two. It was about 23 years old, single cask, first fill, cask strength and just out of this world. And the same price as a Mac 18 today.

Someone said that first fill sherry (or port) casks can overwhelm the Gelnfarclas and I would tend to agree. That being said, I prefer a first fill Sherry matured Glenfarclas over any second fill of Bourbon aged one!
For example the 21, was a slight disapointment, but a ten or 11 year old single cask or first fill bottle is always great and in my mind a better deal.

I guess the larger point is that unfortunately for us lovers of big mats, the glenfarclas is a supermiddleweight, or at best a lightheavyweight. While the Macallan is a heavyweight (and for example the Glenmorangie a lightweight). And no amount of trainning (re:Sherry casks!) will make up for it. Its really too bad. (I mena the Glenfarclas has brand integrity in spades and could teach the lads at the Edrington a thing or two in that department...)

I would venture the lighter nature of the Glenfarclas compared to Macallan comes from the stills at Glenfarclas which are the some of the largest in Speyside. While Macallan's are the smallest and create a heavier, more visquous, and I would say better, richer spirit.

Having said all this, I really enjoy the '105' truly a pioneer (or avant guarde) malt! And as mentioned they have great single cask and/or special bottlings. Yes they are expensive, and hard to get. But come to think of it, they are cheaper than the Sherry Mac 18 which is also mpossible to find in certain markets, and getting pricier where it remains available. (I am thinkin of doing a chart on my blog...)

Another idea is to classify Malt distilleries by 'weight' categories, like boxers....

Cheers!

Oliver
http://www.maltresistance.blogspot.com
Today's entry: the Marketing Geniuses!