Tastes

You can damn near smell fresh fruit like peach and mango just on the nose alone. Not shocking when it’s aged in a sweet dessert wine cask like Sauternes really. Loads of honey, apricot and marmalade on the palette, orange, pineapple, even faint hints of ginger make appearances to try and add a little savory to this overly sweet dram. An excellent way to finish a night in a good restaurant, but I can’t see myself spending money on a bottle when I could just get a bottle of the Quinta Ruban, or the Original and bottle of actual Sauternes. Feels a tad gimmicky methinks.

Hotter proof than true Original and the Lasanta, but even smoother than both. Faint hints of crime brûlée and toffee on the nose, while that smooth , velvety port finish slides down the throat so easily while nibbles of nutmeg, mint and maple syrup poke through every so often. A very smooth and sweet dram, and damn near worth it considering by me it’s only $5 more than the Lasanta. Like it’s aging namesake, however, this is definitely an after dinner dram.

Nose is much smokier compared to the Glenmorangie Lasanta, which I’m tasting side by side to compare. Initial intro is much softer overall, but still rich with sherry aging. Easier drinker and much smoother than the Lasanta, but personally I think the latter is simple more interesting. If I had to order a glass, I’d pick this. If I had to buy a bottle, I’m taking the Lasanta. Both are very nice, soft, sherry aged whiskys, and the smoothness of the MacAllan explains why it’s such a staple of the Scotch world. Update: Bumped to a 4, despite not being as smooth as other 12 years such as the Balvenie, the richer and more flavorful profile of the Macallan has made it my current sherried 12 year of choice at the moment.

Sweeter than the original, but richer and more enjoyable. Not terribly complex, but the PX aging gives the sweet undertones while the oloroso sherry adds a pop of bright fruits and flavors with a slight tingle on the palette. A nice, predictable and enjoyable dram.

A nice go to bottle for the price (around $48 for me). Light on the peat, but enough to add some extra character to the fruity, nutty textures. Hints of vanilla, thanks to the bourbon aging, but not as dull or drab as, say, Glenmorangie Original. A nice, easy drinking scotch for a novice looking to branch out to the peaty side.

A nice, simple dram, not really complex at all, but the slight peat makes it an interesting beginner scotch, lighter and a bit harsher than, say, johnny black, but not a terrible whisky overall.

Simple, basic vanilla scotch, but with a fair burn on the palette too. Usually seen as a good intro to scotch, but I see it as a poor attempt at an intro to scotch, and just as a base spirit to improve upon with different aging techniques like their lineup shows. Honestly wouldn’t even bother with a glass if offered to me. Too basic and too harsh with no real upside.