Macallan travel series

[Lugarteniente]

I will try one of the macallan travel series. Help me to decide how to start.

20´s, 30´s, 40´s or 50´s

Old are?

Sherriest?

[Deactivated Member]

Funny you should ask--I just mentioned them in another thread. I have three of them, unopened. My impression is that they are not highly regarded by most people here. Jackson rates them all in the 90's, but I think he'd rate the sweat off the Macallan stillman's brow 85. Murray has them all over--'50's, 92; '30's, 91; '40's, 81; '20's, 67 (heh heh--the one I don't have). '50's, "massive but voluptuous sherry"; '30's, "cleanest, most mouth-watering sherry you could pray for". For what it's worth.

[Lawrence]

It's been a while but I seemed to recall that the '40's was the one I like best.

[Admiral]

Of all Macallan's bottlings, these expressions are likely to be the most variable. I say that for no other reason than the fact that Macallan can put anything they want into it.

One year it could be a vatting of 10yo casks, the next year it could be a vatting of 7yo casks along with 12yo casks. Given that the name in no way defines the age or style of the whisky, they can do whatever they want from year to year.

I therefore wouldn't pay much attention to any reviews or tasting notes that are older than 12-18 months.

Cheers,
Admiral

[Deactivated Member]

Admiral, I was under the impression that this was a one-off thing. Am I mistaken? (Why am I asking? Your answer is obviously yes.)

[Admiral]

Mr T,

I couldn't tell you when they were first launched, although they appear in Michael Jackson's 4th Edition, so they've been around at least since 1999.

They are still available for sale in various outlets, so that's a minimum of six years of continuous sales and marketing.

I think it's fair to assume that they've had to do more than one bottling run in that time!

Cheers,
Admiral

[bamber]

I have had only the 30's at it struck me as a slightly peatier and cleaner version of the standard 10yo OB. Very nice and worth a go IMO.

[Deactivated Member]

I think it's fair to assume that they've had to do more than one bottling run in that time!

You may well be right, but your inference does not in itself entirely convince me. My mind remains open.

[Admiral]

Well, let's move from inference to assertion!

Macallan have done more than one bottling run, because the latest releases are in different shaped bottles and with different labels on them, AND they come in different boxes.

People around these parts detect subtle differences in flavours of most standard offerings from year to year. The Macallan Travel series is not immune from such variability, and since practically every other expression from Macallan has changed in recent times, I rest my case, m'lud.

Cheers,
Admiral

[Deactivated Member]

Okay. Now I believe you!

I'd only seen one edition, and I saw it quite a bit several years ago, and only sporadically since. So I still think what I've seen is a single bottling run. But what you state here convinces me that there has been at least a second run.

[Sándor]

I did not vote. I own all four bottles and did an in depth tasting but unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed. I found all of them a bit watery. Probably it's time to re-taste them!