Speyside region – 43%ABV – 750ml bottle in the US, 70cl in the UK and elsewhere – £70 | $90-$120 | €84
Wow to you oh whisky peeps, for a dram was bought by me to have (because the notes, they sounded so good). Let him who hath understanding wreckon the number of the dram [that turned me on to The Macallan]. For it is a Scotch Malt Whisky Society of America number. It’s number is twenty-four point one-one-one. (sorry, my inner Iron Maiden fan could not help himself).
I am so very thankful to the Scotch Malt Whisky Society of America for helping to open my eyes once more to The Macallan – for that review, click here.
I received a sample of The Macallan 18yr early last week (special thanks to Igal!) and was not sure what to expect.
I’ve mentioned in the past that their standard 12yr didn’t do much for me (again, I’ve not had their 12yr expression in a bit more than 2 years) so I was not expecting much from their 18yr bottling.
After pouring the whisky into my Glencairn, here’s what I got:
On the nose – Plump dollops of sherry notes travel up my nose. These notes are covered in chocolate and there is more than a hint of oak and vanilla.
Dried fruits are here — think prunes, dates and fig. The more I smell it, the more I like it. Leather & suede. Big grapes appear in the final sniff.
On the mouth – The first thing I get here is sulphur but that is quickly pushed aside (thankfully) to reveal an incredibly smooth chocolate note.
Pipe tobacco and leather jackets.
Root veggies galore! I’m even getting a hint of beets here – like whisky borscht (it’s slight but, I am getting it).
The smoothness of this whisky is really remarkable and, it’s nice and chewy too.
Finish – Medium length but there are some long lasting bitter notes to it that really offset everything I just smelled and tasted. This, I think, is a good thing.
Yes, it’s a good thing.
In sum – This oozes of luxury and all things “comfort”. This is something to break out for Shabbat (non-Jews, Shabbat is the Hebrew word for the Sabbath which many Jews, myself included, treat both as a holy day and a holiday – read here for more info) for sure!