Origin: Speyside (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Gradation: 48.5%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Bourbon
Chillfiltered: No
Added coloring: No
Owner: Edrington Group
Average price: € 100.00
Official website: www.themacallan.com
Vote: 81/100
Macallan loves colours.
After the series of a few years ago in which they played with amber, gold and ruby, to celebrate the birth of the new and very modern distillery, Macallan has decided to produce a new limited series (called Editions) in which each bottling is dedicated to a different aspect of their work, with particular emphasis on the casks used (pitted with almost pedantic precision), distinguished by… colour! It has to be said that their marketing people are gifted with a rare imagination.
Annual limited editions, all obviously NAS:
2015 – The Macallan Edition N°1 aged in 8 different American and European oak casks, bottled at 48.1%ABV and dedicated to the casks (brown label).
2016 – The Macallan Edition N°2 aged in 7 different casks of American and European oak, bottled at 48.2%ABV and dedicated to flavours (orange label).
2017 – The Macallan Edition N°3 aged in American and European oak casks, bottled at 48.3%ABV and dedicated to fragrance (yellow label).
2018 – The Macallan Edition N°4 aged in American and European oak refill casks, bottled at 48.4%ABV and dedicated to the tradition of Macallan (green label).
And finally, the one featured in this article, from 2019, aged in American barrels, bottled at 48.5%ABV and dedicated to colour (purple label, created in collaboration with Pantone). There is also talk of a N°6, although details are currently very sketchy.
It’s nice how the alcohol percentage grows from one edition to the next, reflecting the number in the decimals (a nerdy touch, it has to be said).
But will it all be marketing or substance?
Tasting notes
Bright gold in the glass.
An explosion of vanilla on the nose, like a dessert soaked in alcohol (like a cream baba or a malaga), a drop of honey, sultanas, cinnamon, candied orange. The alcohol doesn’t give way even after some time, although it always remains linked to the pastry vocation of the whisky.
On the palate it is practically a cake distillate, even more so than on the nose, oriented towards trifle with a massive presence of orange and vanilla cream, with the alcohol giving it a slight liveliness but without overdoing it. The aromas are linear, without any significant variation, even if you let it breathe.
The finish is of medium length, with sultanas, vanilla and hazelnut.
This whisky conjures up images of English drawing rooms at teatime, with strutting ladies disgorging creamy sweets with silver forks, mulling over the latest news from the Royal Household.
Rather simple and clean, it doesn’t show much evolution or complexity, it delivers what it promises, it’s a pleasure to drink, nothing more.
Reviews of Macallan whisky in the blog
Other perspectives:
Malt Review