Tastes

Clean, classic “scotchy” nose. Werther’s candy, yeasty bread dough, some faint white orchard fruit, banana pudding, mild barrel spices, maybe a pinch of nutmeg, and appearing late white chocolate. It’s sharper on the tongue than anticipated, given the sweet and gentle nose. The palate starts out with a bit of honey dipped golden delicious apple, then it quickly heats up with cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Moderately spaced legs develop nicely then quickly disappear. Coats the mouth well and has a slightly oily slickness to it that’s pleasant. Finishes semidry, leaving mostly oak and a hint of cocoa in its wake. Adding water wakes the nose up a bit making it more akin to the flavor, which is softened by it as well, ultimately bridging the gap. It’s an enjoyable dram either way. Nose: 9 Taste: 8 Body: 9 Finish: 8

Sweet heat on the nose. There are notes of fresh herbaceous spices like coriander seed, rye, spearmint, and a pinch of dill. I also get tobacco flower and candied tangerine citrus. There’s also a hint of white pepper and charred green wood, all beneath a pretty hefty cloud of alcohol vapor (which is no surprise it being barrel proof). Stay with it for a while and the sweetness becomes recognizable as vanilla frosting, and the addition of ice brings out baking staples such as cinnamon, cloves, and cocoa. Hot and spicy on the tongue, but not in a bad way. There’s cayenne, dried chilis, smoked paprika, sweet dill, moist rye bread, ginger, caramel corn, and a bit of grapefruit pith. Nice tight uniform legs though relatively quick. The body feels good in the mouth, not too heavy, not too thin. Finishes mildly, and dry but not too dry despite the high ABV. Muted spices, some vanilla wafers, and popsicle stick hang on for a while. This makes a great treat over an ice ball.

The nose on this dram is quite typical of the style and easily identifiable as a Macallan, with their signature sherry cask scent. I get tawny grape skins, stale almonds, wood spice akin to powdered ginger, a mix of dried apricot and prune, an undercurrent of clean sweet barley malt, and the faintest hint of woodsmoke. On the palate it’s less sweet than expected, with an initial burn of alcohol. As it mellows, it becomes sweeter with a floral note, almost like rose syrup. Fruity notes appear reminiscent of pluot and Asian pear. There’s definitely some spiciness, pink pepper, ginger and a pinch of nutmeg. A citrus note of burnt orange peel shows up as well. The mouthfeel is good not great, but the legs develop quite slowly and take their time as they travel down the glass in a fairly even curtain. The finish is drying, with plenty of tannic nuttiness, toffee sweetness, some raisins, and mild chocolatey smoke. In the end, I’m reminded of a slightly burnt fruitcake. Take your time with this one. Aroma: 8 Taste: 7 Body: 7 Finish: 8 Overall: 75 pts.