Macallan SMWS 24.119

This is a review of a 26yo (1985/2012) Macallan by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society dubbed as "subtle, scented and scintillating". I never had a high opinion of anything that Macallan produced: both overpriced and overpraised whisky packaged with a charade of BS marketing. But life's too short to stick with first impressions, therefore I selected a Macallan from the older days, bottled by a valued whisky club and reputed as a good whisky by various of my colleagues.

Let's see if old Macallan can change my opinion on contemporary Macallan.

Description: golden ruby in colour, matured in a refill bourbon hogshead and bottled at 57.1% ABV.

Nose: Bouquet of honey and stewed apple, some faint rusty metal scents with a whiff of peat smoke and heather and notes of wood polish lurking underneath.

Mouth: smooth dry body with elements of lemon and orange (maybe a tad sour) on the palate. Delve deeper to find rich layers of chocolate, wood and toffee, sprinkled with chili spice.

Finish: long and lingering with tones of chocolate, with a touch of vanilla in the tail.

Verdict: I’m baffled is this a Macallan? This tastes like a Dalmore, with a strange and sherry influence in the nose, though it’s a refill bourbon hogshead. This dram raises a lot of questions to me, it all seems so very wrong. But how does it hold up? It is a good dram, no question there, better than other Macallan’s that I had before, but not yet up there in the highest spheres of my scoreboard. I’m going to give this a pass, I believe the score reflects that perfectly.

Find where to buy Macallan whisky