Macallan Sienna 1824 Series

The new Macallan 1824 Series consists of four NAS-bottlings, which was a very contested matter in the blogosphere. The famous distillery concentrated on color rather than age and named them Gold, Amber, Sienna and Ruby. The Gold and Amber are entry level malts at 40% ABV and priced between 35 and 50 EUR, while the Sienna commands 75 EUR. The Ruby is the most expensive with a price tag of around 150 EUR. The last two are bottled at 43% ABV. I tried the Ruby at the whisky festival in Ghent and found the nose lacking, but the palate and finish very enjoyable. I wonder what this Sienna will do for me.

On the nose I get some subtle toffee and vanilla, with juicy oranges, white chocolate and some toasted oak. Granny Smith apples. Something milky that I actually enjoy. It reminds me a bit of warm vanilla custard. A tiny bit of mint.

It appears somewhat watery on the palate. Some sherry and citrus and again that hint of white chocolate. The apples return as well, this time with skin. Then some more typical sherry cask influence such as dades and figs, among others. Not bad, but misses quite a bit of punch.

The finish is mildly spicy and very soft, but very short as well.

I am not really impressed. The Ruby is in a whole other league. All four whiskies were matured on sherry casks, by the way, so Macallan went back to its roots a little, I suppose.

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