3 Macallan's

[SongSmith]

I managed to get 3 Macallans together

The 12 year - the 18 year and the 25 year ( now I have no wallet -- wifey took it off me )

I tried each now and having experimented drinking neat or with a little spring water, I have drawn to a conclusion.

The 12 is crisp and tart light on oak - long on a kind of grassy raspyness.

The 18 is fresh - rounded - lightly oaky smooth as hell. Gorgeous.

The 25 huge on oak -- nearly all oak in huge lumberyard style - slightly syrupy.

Only personal choice I know, but the Macallan feels like it peaked at 18 -- then at 25 the barrel took over and nearly ruined it. The 12 is showing its youthful angst.

I wonder if anyone else has tried this and got differing results or similar?

[Deactivated Member]

I haven't yet tried the 25 year old, but I totally agree with your verdict on the 12 and 18.

Personally I think the 18 is a wonderful malt and well worthy of the acclaim it gets.
Of course I speak of the 'original' Sherry version with the classic label, not the Fine Oak which in my opinion is not as good.

[Jdiddy]

I pretty much agree except for the 25. I think it is quite exceptional and just amazing. While it is full of oak and sherry, it is very warming and smooth. Great stuff. However, I think the 18 is near perfect as well. The 12 I can take it or leave it.

[PuckJunkie]

I actually prefer the 25 to the 18, just not nearly enough to spring for the difference. While the 25 is smoother, I didn't get a huge oak taste like you did, nor did I find it syrupy. Not that I hate syrupy scotches. If the price were remotely comparable, I'd be buying the 25. But with the Mac 18 sitting at $140 here and the 25 at $425, I'm not buying either one anyway - once I run out of my bottles of each one now, I doubt I buy another Macallan unless it's the CS.

Puck

[SongSmith]

Hey

Thanks for your comments folks -- It's funny how we all get something different from our scotches. excellent

...and Puck - we had holiday in Dallas -- it was excellent, loved it.

[PuckJunkie]

Hey

Thanks for your comments folks -- It's funny how we all get something different from our scotches. excellent

...and Puck - we had holiday in Dallas -- it was excellent, loved it.

Glad you enjoyed Dallas. Clearly that wasn't this week... it's 100 F here already. I went to my mailbox in my bare feet earlier and I may have lost three layers of skin. Dallas has its upsides, but sometimes I can't remember them for the life of me.

Puck

[Nock]

Songsmith

Do you mind sharing which versions of each you tried?
The Fine Oak range or the older Sherry versions? Particually, I am curious about which 18yo and which 25yo you had.

Nock

[Admiral]

I presume you're speaking of the sherry-wood Macallans?

If that's the case, I agree with your diagnosis. I also found that the peak was at 18....at 25, a degree of balance was lost as the oak overpowered the malt.

(Interestingly, I've tried much older Macallans ( +30yo), and in some of these bottlings, the balance is restored.)

Cheers,
Admiral

[bond]

(Interestingly, I've tried much older Macallans ( +30yo), and in some of these bottlings, the balance is restored.)

Cheers,
Admiral

Must have had something to do with the year of distillation. I fail to see how balance, once lost can be restored. But then, since its the venerable Admiral that I am disagreeing with, I wait to stand corrected by the morrow.

[Sherried Malt]

But then, since its the venerable Admiral that I am disagreeing with, I wait to stand corrected by the morrow.

Yep, that Admiral pretty much know what he's talking about, doesn't he?

[Admiral]

Aw..shucks you guys!

Hi Bond...I guess I chose my words a little clumsily. I wasn't suggesting that those older whiskies were once out of balance but then somehow mysteriously regained balance.

I merely meant that some of those older Macallans were beautifully balanced, thereby implying that some Macallans don't necessarily peak at 18 years. (or 25....or 30!!!)

It's obviously very much a function of the quality of the cask(s), and I suspect the year of distillation too. (Given that the proportion of golden promise used seems to vary year to year).

Cheers,
Admiral

P.S. I'm going to a special tasting in two months that will feature the following line up:

The Macallan 8yo 43% bottled 1983
The Macallan 12yo 43% bottled 1983
The Macallan ESC I cask strength
The Macallan ESC II cask strength
The Macallan ESC III cask strength
The Macallan ESC IV cask strength
The Macallan ESC V cask strength
The Macallan ESC VI cask strength
The Macallan 1874 Replica 45%
The Earls of Zetland The Macallan 1975 25yo – (the malt that Jim Murray describes as "faultless".)
The Macallan Mystery Malt!

If I don't die and go to heaven that night, I'll post back shortly afterwards and let you know my thoughts!

[Deactivated Member]

Admiral,
that 8 year old from 1983, is it the "Plastic Cap" version?

I have this in my collection and it is a very collectible bottle, constantly increasing in price, but I have not seen tasting notes for this one so I will await your own notes with anticipation.

Also, I have all 6 ESC bottlings, but never tasted them although I am sure they are all excellent.

1874 Replica - the notes I once read on this described it as being quite citrus with lots of orange.


Enjoy!
MT

[SongSmith]

OMG -- more posties in my thread.

Hi all ( me raises glass )

Yeah Admiral and Nock - in answer to yer questions -- it was the Sherry Oak 12 , 18 and 25

I couldnt aford the 30 as well - my bank manager would have taken it off me I got my wallet back off "her who SHALL be obeyed" and it had only a £5 in it.

Expensive little hobby, this.

If you see a long haired smelly guy dressed like Jethro Tull drinking whisky from a bottle in a brown paper bag and living under the motorway in a box.... that'll be me as the wife will have kicked me out.

....now where shall I hide this Highland Park 18

[Muskrat Portage]

....now where shall I hide this Highland Park 18

Songsmith...
For a modest fee, I'll hide it with mine!
Muskrat Portage

[Lawrence]

I bought a bottle of the Macallan ESC I years a go and drank it, it was very, very good but expensive since it was a .500 bottle. I had a similar experience as Nick at Ben Novis, the bottle of ESC I was there at the beginnign of the tour and not at the end, happily they found one hidden away and I bought the last one at the distillery.

Do you think Macallan will do a run of ESC bottling based on the Fine Oak range???

[Admiral]

If we are to believe that the Fine Oak range is a delicate vatting of sherry AND bourbon casks, then there can be no ESC Fine Oak unless they are simply bottling a single bourbon cask!

(Which, incidentally, the independents have been doing for a long time. I have at least four bourbon-cask Macallans in my collection, all purchased long before the Fine Oak range was launched).

Cheers,
Admiral

[Lawrence]

I said 'based' on the Fine Oak Range, perhaps I should have said 'themed' or some such word. In any case I've tasted SMWS Macallan's that were matured in ex-bourbon casks and they have been good too.

[PuckJunkie]

If we are to believe that the Fine Oak range is a delicate vatting of sherry AND bourbon casks [...]

Is there some debate to this? All I've seen on it is the distillery's material, but I tend to take them at their word when they say things like "Matured in a unique, complex combination of bourbon and sherry oak casks...". Naive?

Puck

P.S. I suppose I don't completely take them at their word: "combination of bourbon and sherry oak casks" I believe; but I'm a little skeptical of "unique, complex".

[irishwhiskeychaser]

If we are to believe that the Fine Oak range is a delicate vatting of sherry AND bourbon casks [...]

Is there some debate to this? All I've seen on it is the distillery's material, but I tend to take them at their word when they say things like "Matured in a unique, complex combination of bourbon and sherry oak casks...". Naive?

Puck

P.S. I suppose I don't completely take them at their word: "combination of bourbon and sherry oak casks" I believe; but I'm a little skeptical of "unique, complex".

Basically if you read between the lines what they are saying is...

'We at Macallan know you have loved our sherried versions for a very long time... but because sherry casks are so much more expensive these days we are buying more and more bourbon casks but we have decided to concoct some marvelous PR trying to make it look like you are still getting great sherried whiskys that you all so dearly love. '

[Admiral]

'We at Macallan know you have loved our sherried versions for a very long time... but because sherry casks are so much more expensive these days we are buying more and more bourbon casks but we have decided to concoct some marvelous PR trying to make it look like you are still getting great sherried whiskys that you all so dearly love.

In the words of Homer Simpson...

"It's funny because it's true!"

Cheers,
Admiral