Origin: Speyside (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Gradation: 40%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Sherry American and European first fill and refill
Chillfiltered: Yes
Added coloring: Yes
Owner: Edrington Group
Average price: € 60.00
Official website: www.themacallan.com
Vote: 75/100
Part of the 2018 relaunch of Macallan’s core range, this Gold also carries the Double Cask label and ideally replaces the 10 year old Sherry Oak and Fine Oak.
It’s not to be confused, then, with the similarly-named edition of a few years earlier, which alongsided with the other colour-themed bottlings (a rather recurring thing now) in the 1824 series.
Matured entirely in Sherry, as it’s the distillery’s long-standing tradition, bottled at the minimum alcohol content and with added colouring, so it’s gold, but of the trinkets kind.
Tasting notes
The nose is very vinous, with acid peaks in a fruity (plums, apples, black grapes) and floral (lime) profile that rests on a rather light and herbaceous body, with whiffs of cinnamon and nutmeg. Citric notes in the base. Smooth wood in length.
Light on the palate too, with a few pinches of white pepper on red fruits, sultanas, apricot, malt, lemon cream, sugar paste, hazelnuts. Rather simple and single-minded.
Medium-long, astringent finish of wood, hazelnuts, salty bits and lemon.
A harmless, ethereal whisky, without edge or personality, it flows away unnoticed, on tiptoe, bringing home a well done little task like those students who are good but don’t try too hard.
Reviews of Macallan whisky in the blog
Other perspectives:
The Amateur Drammer