Macallan Edition 5

Macallan Edition 5

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside 
Amber gold
48.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Marshmallows, vanilla, sultanas, fresh cut grass, peanuts, malted grains. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, static, warm, slightly tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Vanilla, honey, raisins, sultanas, fresh baked bread, fresh cut grass, hints of chocolate.  
Finish: Short. Raisins, fresh baked bread, vanilla, hints of black tea. 

Comments: 

This is more like it! At 48% plus, Macallan is more interesting, this one is warm and inviting, lots of cereally notes and vanilla, quite lush. I enjoyed this. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Macallan Rare Cask 2018 Batch 3

Macallan Rare Cask 2018 Batch 3

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside 
Amber

43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, chocolate, leather, oranges, vanilla sponge, hazelnuts. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, cool, static. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Chocolate, raisins, black tea, vanilla, dried apricots. 
Finish: Medium. Oranges, dried apricots, vanilla sponge, honey. 

Comments: 

This is Terry’s chocolate orange whisky. It’s pleasant and straightforward, with the obligatory chocolate and dried fruit, and a decent nose. Again, while it’s well-constructed, it’s not that rare as sherried whiskies go. I liked this, but not at the price. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Macallan Double Cask 15yo

Macallan Double Cask 15yo

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside 
Dark gold
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Sea salt, leather, dust, barley sugar, shredded wheat, raisins. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, airy, loosens, cool. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Leather, raisins, red grapes, barley sugar, rhubarb and custard sweets, shredded wheat. 
Finish: Short. Raisins, chocolate, honey, vanilla. 

Comments: 

Well now, this is better than the 18yo. An interesting, leathery, dusty nose leads into a cereally, fruity nose. But it’s a short finish, and the low ABV makes it taste rather thin. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Macallan Triple Cask 18yo (2019 release)

Macallan Triple Cask 18yo (2019 release)

Official bottling

Single malt - Speyside 
Sunshine gold
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: White grapes, sea salt, malted grains, honey, dried apricots, treacle.  
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, cool, airy. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Chocolate, fresh baked bread, vanilla sponge, salt caramel. 
Finish: Short. Dried apricots, lemon zest, vanilla sponge, honey. 

Comments: 

18 years is normally the sweet spot for whisky, at least for me, so I was looking forward to tasting this sherry monster. Unfortunately it didn’t live up to expectations. There’s honey and chocolate of course, allied to a malty nose, but it seemed a bit thin. Bottling this at 46% or even north of 50%, may have helped, although I understand the lack of interest in a very woody, high strength whisky. 

Verdict:

Not bad. 

Macallan Whisky Maker’s Edition

Macallan Whisky Maker’s Edition 

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside 
Dark gold
42.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Chocolate, raisins, dried apricots, burning matches, fresh baked bread, vanilla.  
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens, sticky, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Fresh baked bread, chocolate, hazelnuts, vanilla, orange peel, raisins. 
Finish: Medium. Chocolate, coffee, hazelnuts, dried apricots, hints of wet stones. 

Comments: 

My first official Macallan in a while. I started my whisky journey with Macallan, and at the time, it was clearly good enough to launch me into a hobby that is now well into its second decade. This one gave me hints of that experience, with some nutty chocolate alongside dried fruit. But the low ABV made it a little disappointing. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Cambus 26yo 1993/2019

Cambus 26yo 1993/2019

Single Cask, James Eadie
Single grain - Lowlands
Chinese tea
55.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, honey, raisins, marzipan, salt caramel, cloves. With water, candied orange peel, desiccated coconut, hints of sandalwood. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, tingly, expands slightly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Black tea, raisins, cloves, candied orange peel, dark chocolate, sea salt. With water, salt caramel, desiccated coconut, raisins, vanilla.  
Finish: Long. Black tea, candied orange peel, dark chocolate, leather, raisins. 

Comments: 

Cask 48094. Old grain whisky, always quietly impressive. At cask strength the grain notes aren’t very noticeable, plenty of chocolate and salt and fruit. With water the cask influence fades a little, and the vanilla and coconut notes from the grain spirit start to appear. This is delicious. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Tullibardine 20yo

Tullibardine 20yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Central Highlands
Amber gold
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Oats, malted grains, barley sugar, honey, orange peel, hints of white grapes.  
Mouthfeel: Medium body, static, slippery, cool. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Honey, orange peel, white grapes, barley sugar, oats, hints of chocolate. 
Finish: Long. Walnut skins, dark chocolate, orange peel, honey.  

Comments: 

I think this has been discontinued. It’s well constructed, malty and spirity, honeyed fruit with chocolate. It wears its age lightly, I would have pegged this at nearer 12 years old rather than 20. For all that, I enjoyed it very much. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Kura The Whisky Rum Cask Finish

Kura the Whisky Rum Cask Finish

Kura the Whisky
Blended malt
Pale gold
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, smoke, peanuts, sour cream, orange peel, malted grains. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, astringent, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Peanuts, orange peel, cherries, vanilla, smoke, peat, malted grains. 
Finish: Short. Cherries, orange peel, raisins, walnuts. 

Comments: 

I was under the impression that this whisky (and its sibling which I tasted some months ago) was single malt / single blend by the awamori distillery Helios. However, a little bit more investigation revealed that it’s actually Scotch, perhaps blended with a little Japanese malt, and aged and finished in Japan. It’s quite pleasant - sweet and smoky, with cereal overtones - but I can’t help wondering what an awamori maker could bring to the world of whisky. It should be more interesting than this. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Inchgower 10yo 2009/2020

Inchgower 10yo 2009/2020

The Hidden Spirits Whisky Company
Single malt - Speyside 
Pale straw
52.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, cola nuts, malted grains, blueberries, cotton sheets, hints of smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens, syrupy, sticky. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Malted grains, blueberries, sea salt, candied orange peel, preserved lemons, cola nuts. 
Finish: Long. Sea salt, preserved lemons, malted grains, vanilla, hints of candied orange peel.

Comments: 

I like Hidden Spirits, nearly every one of their bottlings that I’ve been lucky enough to try has been excellent. This one is too, lots of malty, spirity notes, with salty citrus and vanilla. Well aged, released at what might be the perfect time. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Port Charlotte 10yo

Port Charlotte 10yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Islay 
Straw
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Smoke, peat, pomegranate molasses, sea salt, orange peel, hints of lemon zest, hints of seaweed. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, astringent, slippery. 
Tasting:  Sour salty. Lemon zest, salt caramel, smoke, peat, seaweed, walnuts. 
Finish: Short. Pomegranate molasses, lemon zest, salt caramel, walnuts, hints of sour cream. 

Comments: 

The first regular age statement Port Charlotte bottling. I’m a little late to tasting this, but I was pleasantly surprised at the ABV of 50%. It’s very generous and it made the drinking of this whisky very pleasurable. Heaps of savoury smoke over sweet things. Not too much of the kippery note that I sometimes find in Port Charlottes and Octomores. They’ve chosen to make this gentle rather than interesting. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot.