Tasting Notes: Macallan 1997 (Duncan Taylor, Octave Cask #721315, 13 Years Old, 53.4% ABV)

    I've made it back to the interweb again with another interesting bottle!  This post's dram review comes from a trip to Las Vegas with some good friends of mine; hopefully you'll find it as interesting as I did! We had a great time in Sin City and I had plenty of chances to peruse bars on the strip, finding a few bottles that really peaked my interest; some of which I actually got to sit and write about.

     In one such bar, my friend and I stumbled upon an intriguing bottle of Macallan (not literally!). I'm a sucker for a Macallan (thanks impart to my dad), but I've been burned in the last couple of years with the introduction of the new Macallan NAS lineup (that's a different post).  I thought it was worth the gamble as it was an independent bottling by Duncan Taylor.

     Duncan Taylor bottles a range of single malts under a varied group of labels in addition to The Octave, and one of the more prominent is the Dimensions line (especially for Ontarians, as we don't see many other Duncan Taylor's in our stores).  One of the best Dimensions bottles we've had in the LCBO was the cask strength Balblair that came in a few years ago (and boy, was it a good one!).  We also saw a line up of 46% ABV Dimensions bottles featuring Glen Moray, Glen Elgin, Glenlossie, Macduff and Royal Brackla; I might still have my notes somewhere about some of these so watch out for further reflective posts.

     Distractions aside, The Octave selections are matured in the typical hogshead/butt oak barrels for the majority of their life, then selected and finished by placing them into the much smaller octave barrels (so small that they typically yield only 60-90 bottles per octave).  This imparts a more wood onto less whisky; in a sense, sort of speeding the aging process up.  Of course, as a Duncan Taylor bottling, there is no additional colour or chill-filtration.  This allows us whisky nerds to lift the skirts of said distillery and really see what's behind their product line.

  The Macallan Octave bottle I tried derives from Cask #721315 and hails in at a whacking 53.4% ABV.  Finished in a sherry octave, the dram almost called to me from the other side of the bar (with such a striking label, who wouldn't be interested!?).  This particular bottling yielded only 71 bottles and was destined for the USA.  At only 13 years old, and ever leery, I took my chances and rolled the dice.

Colour: Light gold with a subtle reddy-brown hint to the spirit.

Body: Rich and oily, surprisingly thick.  The roll shows a thick cling, and tiny drops  The legs, though, take forever to get back to the glass.  This is really looking up!

Nose:  Wow!  First thing you'll note are nuts!  Tonnes of roasted nuts backed up by wonderfully sweet vanilla notes.  This is a very Macallan dram!  The wonderfully light floral notes from the bourbon cask poke through and cut the sweet nutty goodness.  As it settles in, more hints of wood appear, adding another layer of depth to the already swimming nose.  Cinnamon and cloves intersperse with white wildflowers and drops of vanilla cream.  In the far background white pepper sharpness and a starchy note that piques my interest.

Palate:  We're in for a ride: the bar is down, there are no stops, the train is leaving the station (at only 13 years I'm expecting this could be a bumpy ride, especially with my recent luck with Macallan).  There is a galloping chariot of heat at the front, searing white pepper and sun burnt oak spices.  It's a little brash, but instantly it relaxes with more roasted almond and sweet pecans coming through the dram.  As it rolls about in the mouth, I'm getting more sweet roasted corn (even corn nuts), and hints of dried cherry.  The oily palate really suits the dram well, coating the mouth like syrup.  Interspersed in the background are slight notes of acidic char and rich soft wood spice (cardamom and mace, like a spice cake).

Finish:  In the finish, the heat has subsided and reveals a thick layer of butter cream and pound cake.  Loads of vanilla pods rolled in pepper with hints of dry oak spices.  It's surprisingly long, and draws out so nicely with vanilla creme supporting the whole cast.

Empty Glass:  Wood abounds, but is broken up by spiced pecans (a warm memory of sothern tradition).  There is a definite oak spice harshness but the sweet nuttiness of the dram counters it nicely.

     I bet large and Vegas paid out with a wonderful Macallan that I've been longing for!  The NAS line did very little to bolster the Macallan name, and running out of well aged stock has pushed their limits of both production and quality.  The quality is still there in the base spirit, but they will need to do as Duncan Taylor did: relax and hold onto some of these casks until they are actually ready to be bottled.  This dram is proof that quality whisky is out there still, but finding them is now even more of a challenge with so many 'investors' snapping up anything with a recognizable name on it.  Keep your stick on the ice and the ice out of your glass and next time I'll see what else I can drum up.

                                                                                 Roscoe (ScotchGuyTO)

A Tale of Two Macallans - Part II (A tale of more Macallans)

  Another bottle to add to the Macallan debate reviewed by our very own Tom Alexander.  This time another travel retail bottle, but is it a good one?

The Macallan 1824 Collection - Whisky Maker’s Edition - 42.8% ABV   

About a month ago I did a comparison between Lombard’s 14 year old Macallan, and the distillery’s own bottling, “Select Oak”, from their 1824 collection. Well, this morning it is Christmas Eve and have a few minutes to do yet another Macallan, also from the 1824 Collection, called “Whisky Maker’s Edition” (thanks to Ross Allen for providing this!)

This particular expression, according to the distillery, has been individually crafted by Whisky Maker Bob Dalgarno, using a mix of sherry and bourbon casks, and bottled at the higher 42.8% ABV (which is “how Bob likes to savour his Macallan”).

The colour is dark gold with amber highlights. On the nose, you get an immediate hit of barley sugar, caramel and vanilla, ginger and cinnamon. It’s very fruity. A lovely nose, not as sherried as you might expect. A drop of water opens it up nicely.

The palate, however, disappoints. There is more sherry here but it is sulphurous. Darker dried fruits, cinnamon and cloves. Water tames the sulphurous elements but unfortunately not enough.
Finish: a bit chalky, and much more spice on the finish than on the nose or palate. But on the death, there is a lot of astringency due to those sulphurs.

There is not as much to this as I had been hoping, and I think this is a flawed Macallan; somehow they got stuck with poor casks. Which is surprising: to take this and call it the “Whisky Maker’s Edition”, immediately calls into question Mr. Dalgarno’s skills (which we know are considerable given the exacting standards of Macallan). If they felt the need to do something with this, why market it as being indicative of “how Bob likes to savour his Macallan”?

If I compare this to the Select Oak (of which I have a final dram left in the bottle!), it pales in comparison (and would certainly pale next to the Lombard’s mentioned above - that was outstanding). The Select Oak has richer dried fruits, and a deeply beautiful sherry element (though still very slightly sulphurous). If this were a family Christmas dinner, the WME would be the drunk eccentric uncle with a lampshade on his head and a whiff of BO, next to the SO’s down-to-earth, hearty and gracious second-cousin.

Regardless, a great start to Christmas Eve - sampling two single malts that are as indicative of Christmas as you can get (minus the screaming kids, family dysfunction and mouth-drying turkey). Happy Holidays!

A Tale of Two Macallans

   Another post from Tom, this time on a pair of Macallans.  Some very interesting comparisons on the bottles, and a couple of rare finds as one bottle is travel only retail.  There will be a follow up to this article to be published shortly featuring a review from Tom from my other bottle of Whisky Maker's Edition Macallan.  We'll see if that stacks up to either of these given the moniker.

The Macallan 1824 Collection - Select Oak - Travel Retail Exclusive - 40% ABV

The Macallan 1989 14 Year Old - Lombard’s Jewels of Scotland - 58% ABV

  One of the true highlights of my trip to Scotland, for the May Speyside Whisky Festival, was visiting the Macallan distillery. Besides being nestled within a gorgeous setting, the distillery and its visitor’s centre give an excellent overview of their philosophy in whisky making, with an interactive “museum”-like experience that is fun and informative for both novice whisky drinkers and connoisseurs. Even greater, of course, was the tasting, which went through a range of many expressions, including the new make. Our tour guide encouraged us to sample the new make between each tasting so that we could better differentiate between the spirit and the wood - brilliant idea. In my experience, Macallans don’t tend to excite whisky connoisseurs (or maybe I’m wrong and it’s just my circle) and on one hand, I can see why - they tend to be heavily sherried expressions that could sometimes use more complexity. On the other hand, however, I love both the spirit (very fruity and floral, and that silky mouthfeel is unique to Macallan) and their use of wood (they pay very close attention to the quality of their casks, both sherry (which is their trademark) and bourbon).

  So here we are comparing two very different styles of Macallan. Our first is from their 1824 Collection, available only through travel retail. I picked this one up at the duty free store at Newark airport, having caught one of the last flights out of NYC before Hurricane Sandy hit. It is the Select Oak, wherein the the spirit is matured in five different cask types (what those cask types are, they do not say). Other expressions in the 1824 Collection are known as Whisky Maker’s Edition, Estate Reserve, Oscuro and 1824 Limited Release. The Select Oak is 40% ABV, and is presumably both coloured and chill-filtered.

The colour is a burnt gold with straw highlights. On the nose, quite complex and fruity. Definite sherry and oak, with dates, plums, dark cherry, almond brittle, nutmeg. Water brings out more sweet maltiness. The palate immediately shows sherry, with a very sweet and silky mouth feel. Cherry compote, also vanilla, cinnamon and a little bit of pepper. A little water brings out the spices. I detect the faintest hint of sulphur but it’s not terribly unwelcome here. Smooth and rich.

The finish is long and deep, filling the upper chest - but ends up a little dry and tannic. This is a very smooth, rich, lovely dram, though a bit more of a blunt instrument than most Macallans. I’ve been working it for the last hour and I do find it a little much after a while, despite some complexity,

Our second Macallan comes not from the distillery but from Lombard’s, an independent bottler, from their “Jewels of Scotland” range. This spirit was distilled in 1989 and aged for 14 years, and bottled at 58%, non-coloured and non-chill-filtered. I am reviewing this off of a sample so I do not have any other information from the label at hand. However, this particular bottle was available through the LCBO at $134.95, and is well worth getting (sadly out of stock now). Never fear as you can order a dram at Habits Gastropub on College (west of Ossington).

The colour is a light-to-medium amber. The nose is very robust and malty, with a little smoke (wonder where that comes from, since Macallans are not peated?) Also featuring vanilla and sugar, so it’s almost a little bourbon-y (as befits the cask). Dry roasted almonds and mint. Water brings out more oak, surprisingly. Beautiful.

The palate reflects that classic Macallan silky mouth feel, with more alcohol heat than you might be used to from this distillery! Features many of the notes from the nose, but more almonds and macadamia nuts, some dates. And with water, we have more oak - which works beautifully with the malt. Water tames the alcohol and brings out more malt, nuts and fruit, which is very welcome. Extremely complex, developing, changing over time.

The finish is very developing - it goes from short to long to heavy, almost mossy finish. This is an excellent whisky, more challenging than standard Macallans with the heavier alcohol and the stronger bourbon cask notes.

To compare - I feel the Lombard’s is the superior dram, though the more introductory drinker may feel differently. The Lombard’s is more complex, more challenging and changes over time. The Select Oak does not push the boundaries of what Macallan has to offer, but features classic Macallan notes that are undeniable. Both are worth trying, but the Lombard’s is your best bet, and something quite different than the usual distillery bottlings.

LCBO Vintages – Release for June 11/2011

Welly well well my faithful drogues.... (Yeah, that's a Clockwork Orange reference), have I got news for you.  A little email arrived on my shoulder a week or so back from Okanagan Spirits, notifying me that Taboo Absinthe (LCBO SKU #162099) is back in stock.  I am a huge fan of absinthe since first taste.  It's a fantastic spirit that hold a dear place in the heart of many of the great writers and painters of the modern age.  Want to try something from distilled in the traditional French method?  Lucid Absinthe is also recently available from the LCBO (SKU #225938)

Onto bigger and better things!  I missed my deadline (thank procrastination!), and am now posting this after the fact, but am pleased to present the newest spirit release from the LCBO.  Actually, I take that back. Pleased is too good, appalled at the highway robbery that the LCBO get away with for premium spirits.  Without further adieu, the lineup.

Get Dad something special this year with 2 fine showings in the world of premium Scotch.  Glenfiddich 21 Year old and The Macallan 25 Year old Sherry Cask.

The Glenfiddich 21 was my first major indulgence at the LCBO.  It's a rich and sweet single malt.  Featuring wonderful creaminess and rich malt, vanilla and caramels, with a distinct rum and banana leaf notes in the finish.  Very very good stuff!  I'm a little sad to only see a 40% label on this bottle, but I'll excuse it, and there is not statement of colour on the label. I'm willing to allow this to go as Glenfiddich is the most commonly drank single malt and one of the most awarded single malts on the face of the planet.   Someday I'd like to see no colour and 46%, but these seem to be pipe dreams in the world of big Whisky.  The LCBO has this priced at $164.95 (LCBO SKU #981381), which is a bit steep, but comparatively its a fantastic dram for that special occasion.  I'd defiantly suggest that you grab a bottle of this as it really is a special malt and a relatively well priced for a bottle of this age.  Take that overtime shift or spoil your dad and thank him for putting up with you.

The second offering is a real cracker!  The Macallan 25 Year old Sherry Oak Single malt.  Take that sentence in a moment, and let that image roll around in your head.  This is a richer than life malt with a heavy sherry influence and wonderful honey, almond and creme caramel overtones.  This is real connoisseur's territory now, especially with the criminal pricing of the LCBO.  This is where I'm freely allowed to rant about a government controlled monopoly on alcohol.  The LCBO has graciously allowed you to procure this bottle at the measly sum of $769.95 (LCBO SKU #179150).  Nope, that's no typo!  That's just shy of $800 bucks!  Now I'm not a rich billionaire or a lucky recipient of a trust fund, and I'd like to think I have good money sense; but even if I was, that's a hard pill to swallow.  I know that this bottle is a worth indulgence for the real collector or serious drinker, but pricing out of the hands of every one but the Bay St. fat-cats is unacceptable!  I know full well that this bottle routinely goes for about $200 less in the Calgary, and south of the border it goes for even less!  It boggle my mind how the bottle has now traveled 2700 Km further and is magically $200 lighter in the price tag!  Ranting aside, this is a fantastic representation of the Macallan!  This is a rich reddy-caramel colour with a heavy and heady nose of citrus, caramel, sherry and oak. The palate is divine with rich body full of dried fruits, honey and gentle smoke.  If you happen to have $800 dollars to spare, spend it on something else!  My suggestion is the Glenfarclas 21 year old $119.95 (LCBO SKU #315614)

All ranting aside, the LCBO is the only place to get  any kind of spirit in Ontario, and I'm sure that my ranting is a little hard on them.  I'd just like to see a fair pricing scheme for buyers/collectors.