Origin: Speyside (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 40%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Sherry
Chillfiltered: Yes
Added coloring: Yes
Owner: Edrington Group
Average price: € 560.00
Official website: www.themacallan.com
Today I have the opportunity to try a Macallan of yesteryear: a 7yo from the early 1990s selected by Armando Giovinetti (who was Macallan’s importer in Italy at the time). An extraordinary full sherried, according to those who have already enjoyed the privilege of tasting it, the kind that helped define the legendary status of this distillery.
A whisky a thousand miles away from the quality of today’s offerings and which at the time was a consumable OB. Released from 1985 to the end of the 1990s, it is now only to be found on the secondary market at very significant prices.
Let’s cut to the chase and see what it’s like.
Tasting Notes
The colour is bright amber.
The nose is undoubtedly sherried and very seductive, with notes of salted caramel, rum baba, eggnog and candied orange peel. A balsamic twist of thyme and aniseed flank a floral touch of peony, while vanilla and dried apricot travel compactly. Polished wood and pastry guarantee a variety and balance that never fail in the course of analysis and make this “little boy” seem much more mature. Over time, the sensation is that the overall sweetness is slightly accentuated, without ever overdoing it, however.
On the palate, many of the scents detected on the nose return: shortcrust pastry, polished wood, candied orange peel, rum baba and vanilla, to which are pleasantly added milk chocolate, nuts (walnuts and almonds) and a subtle hint of sugared almonds. The consistency with the nose is, in short, almost absolute and never before has the assonance appeared virtuous. Just as virtuous as the minimal alcohol content that does not extinguish the intensity of the aromatic palette, but rather seems to enhance it.
A dusting of pepper opens the door to a very long finish, in which notes of nuts, dehydrated apricot and peach in syrup accord, with a slight astringency that tickles the tongue until the next sip.
Review: Two things make an impression: the harmony and structure with only 7 years of ageing and the fact that whiskies like this were the bread and butter of drinkers at the time. Both, evidently, show how reality has changed. I’m not usually one of those who say: ah, how much better and tastier everything used to be…. But faced with a Macallan like this, it is inevitable to regret the past. Other times, other single malts.
Vote: 90/100