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 – Preview for April 02/2011

Well another Vintages email leads to another Vintages Release date:  April 02/2011.  Not a whole lot to report this month, the offerings are a bit sparse.

Just in time for Easter, a new Isle of Arran Single Malt.  A new comer to the single malt world (well relatively new as its only been around since '95-ish).  Isle of Arran distillery is the first legal distillery on the island in over 150 years.  The LCBO does have a few bottles of Arran already on their shelves including the Robbie Burns single malt [Sku #981084] (only a few bottles left of this from Mr. Burns' January birthday), Isle of Arran Sherry single cask [Sku #191783] (A single sherry cask, distillery bottled at cask strength of 54.5% - Absolutely fantastic whisky.  Incredible depth and flavor.), and the Distiller's Pomerol Bordeaux [Sku #202069] cask finished @ 50% (cask finished Scotch, this one showing great selection with heavy red fruit notes and excellent balance of flavors).

Isle of Arran 14 Year Old Single Malt is presented just in time for the egg lay-ing rabbit's arrival. Tasting notes show a well developed 14 year old (to replace the 12 year old), coming from a combined sherry and bourbon casking.  The sherry provides a rich depth, and the bourbon provides the smoothness and the floral notes.  Smooth and creamy on the palate, the nose provides a very perfumed experience.  Floral notes, peaches, brandy and ginger snaps, with vanilla and mild oak.  LCBO tasting notes are provided by Whisky-Pages.com. Sounds like an excellent Easter present for the Whisky connoisseur in your family.

LCBO product ID: 210229


From ArranWhisky.com

Color: Sunset Copper

Nose: Dried fruits, vanilla and toffee up front.  With a little water a salty tang appears, with caramelized fruits indicating a depth of flavor.

Palate: An initial burst of brine leads onto warming toffee apples and hazelnuts.  This is followed by dates, chocolate orange and spiced tea cake.  The mouth feel is overwhelmingly rich and weighty.

Finish: A trademark Arran finish with cinnamon spices leading back to where the experience began, with a classic island-style salty wave balancing the sweet-fruit of the palate.

The Old English Pub of Gananoque

Apologies for the late update, there seems to be more work than hours in a day lately.

During our trip back home we, of course, stopped into the Old English Pub.  It was the big game day, and Green Bay was up over the Steelers, when we decided to head into town for a drink and some dinner.  The most obvious stop in town was the pub.  I was gearing my tastebuds up for a pint of Hobgoblin, and a dram of Scotch.  We arrived to find a quiet evening at the pub, no rowdy NFL watchers in town that night.  Warmed by the fireplace, there is a pleasant glow about the pub in the evening light.  The entrance gives you the impression that you've somehow stepped into Georgian England and are awaiting a pint at a porterhouse along the canal.

We weren't that hungry, but decided to split some appetizers (the Baby Yorkies [Mini Yorkshire Puddings with shaved roast beef and gravy], some Pub Skins and a burger to split amongst us), and a few pints.  I was gutted to find the Hobgoblin had run dry, and that they wouldn't have more until Monday.  I quickly changed my mind and ordered a Flying Monkeys Netherworld Cascadian Ale (Cascade Hops like crazy, with fantastic coffee under tones from the roast), while my better half ordered a Bass.  Dad followed suit and ordered a Netherworld too.  Excellent conversation starters and an introduction to Theo the bartender soon followed.  I inspected the Scotch selection, and made some early choices.  While being slightly more nosy than normal at the bar I was questioned by Theo about Scotch.  I bored him half to death with a smattering of knowledge and promised him that I would write an article on how to select a Scotch for the layman and what all those bottles mean.  I had decided on the Glen Garioch I saw on the top shelf and maybe a second dram depending on the evening.  I've got quite the selection (see The Collection for further details), and have sampled or own many of the bottles that appear in most bars/restaurants.  Not too boast, but I do enjoy perusing the bar (much to the dismay of my better half).  So after dinner and a couple of pints, I ordered a couple of drams for dessert.

So without further adieu  my review on the go for both the Glen Garioch 15 and the Isle of Scapa 14.

Lets start with the Garioch (as did I):

Glen Garioch 15 Year Old (Highland Single Malt) (1 Litre @ 43% ABV Distillery Bottling)

• Colour - Rich mahogany amber colour with slight highlights in the amber-red range.  Does not appear to have colour added.


• Body - Small tears (proof of proof as it were), legs form slowly and run slowly down the glass (much flavor to be had here)


• Nose  - Nose has rich sherry, pralines or butter almonds.  Figs and honey, dried fruit and old grains. Heather and rich grassy-ness. Very rich nose, faint sulphur in the very background from the sherry casking, not unpleasant as it serves to sweeten the nose.


• Palate - Sweet, sweet caramel and soft sherry notes dominate the palate.  Sweet and sour notes permeate. Gentle smoke in the very background, so subtle it could be missed. Balance is key, incredibly soft in the mouth. Grassy herbal-ness comes through at the end to round out the palate.


• Finish - Mouth feel is like velvet. Rich and heavy, but dissipates quickly. Plate blooms quickly, develops fast and fades slightly, finish continues for quite some time, balanced with the gentle background smokiness. Sweet sherry and wildflowers in finish.


• Empty Glass - Empty glass shows notes of cinnamon and citrus (sweet lemons). Wood notes come forward, mild oakiness with gentle char is apparent.

Isle of Scapa 14 Year Old (Orkney Isles) (750 Ml @ 40%ABV Distillery Bottling)

• Colour - Medium gold to light amber in colour


• Body - Tears are average size for an 80 proof bottling, legs form slowly and run down the glass (not looking too bad as Scapa is one of the lightest tasting Island whiskeys I've had from Scotland)


• Nose  - Nose has floral vanilla (inclined to believe this is bourbon casked), and coffee notes mixed with gentle smoke and peat. Very gentle smoke. Furniture polish (still a good thing), and sweet apple blossoms. Floral notes and perfume mix with a heavy undercurrent of malty sweetness.


• Palate - Sweetness blooms quickly with barley sugar taking the lead, smoke and oak take a second seat to the bloom of flavors; there is a lot going on in the glass.  The sweetness dies down and the malt comes through being held up by subtle wood smoke/peat.


• Finish - Finish is medium and sweet; sweet notes permeate with nuts and cereals notes present. Smoke (very gentle) carries the finish with a gentle end. Gentle wood smoke notes almost amplify the finish to a higher level.


• Empty Glass - Empty glass shows the vanilla notes (most likely bourbon casked) and oak smoke. Almost a butter note (like sweet cream) and slight hint of caramel.

Click here for a the picture to the left for a peek behind the bar, and to the right for a view of the what was missed in the first picture.

So two fantastic malts in a fantastic location.  I chose these two simply because they are not readily available at the LCBO and I myself have never tried either.  I would love a bottle of Glen Garioch myself now, but the Scapa I can take or leave.  There is a Scapa 16 year old from the LCBO that is available if you're interested (but trust me; it's not nearly as good as the 14...).  I would also like to apologize for the semi-lousy pictures; seems this is pretty good for a BlackBerry.