🥃 Whisky Auctioneer

Somehow I think this Macallan is rather light - it's pretty drinkable but actually not that great

There are many associations when it comes to Macallan, the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of single malts. Natural color and quality sherry casks. Golf clubs and tumblers. Outrageous prices and pioneer of NAS expressions. You get it, I have mixed feelings. Creamy cherry yogurt, chocolaty raisins and mild spices (cloves) compose an elegant but fairly simple nose. On the palate, you get orange marmalade, barley sugar and dried fruits with prominent, zesty wood tannins in the aftertaste. The quality of this 12-year-old classic is still there - but it's diluted and stretched thin. RATING: 3.7/5.0 stars ≙ 85 pts → ABOVE AVERAGE [+]

Macallan OB X 7,1947 onwards 12-30 years + Crabbie 30 year Tasted in this order, scores for nose/palate/finish 12 year 40% sherry oak +/- 2018 - 83/85/83 - 6th 12 year 43% matured in sherry wood 1990’s - 84/83/82 - 7th 15 year 1947 80 proof sherry wood Rinaldi - 94/95/93 - clear winner 15 year 1955 80 proof sherry wood Rinaldi - 92/93/91 - runner up 18 year 1972 43% sherry cask - 92/92/91 - joint 3rd 25 year bottled 2011 43% sherry oak - 90/91/92 - 4th 30 year bottled 2020 43% sherry oak - 92/92/91 - joint 3rd 30 year Crabbie IB 48.6% Refil oloroso sherry butt - 88/91/89 - 5th For some unknown reason to me Macallan still are regarded as possibly the best whisky brand in the world yet in my humble opinion they have produced very little of note in the last 15-20 years. Their reputation of the older bottlings is well deserved as it tasted superb and ticked all the boxes of any whisky enthusiast but the more recent stuff is a pale, bland and at times pretty tasteless and bears no resemblance to the old stuff and then you have the premium stuff now like the 30 year that is £5000? That sort of price tag is an insult to me and should be for anyone else who knows anything about what a good whisky tastes like,the sample I got cost a bomb but I really wanted it for the h2h. Regarding the tasting the new 12 year was pretty much where i thought it would be at around 84 points but the older 12 year i was expecting it to be so much better but alas it wasn’t and bear in mind at auction you can pay over £700 for that one litre bottle. The 1947 was a work of art and the best here, the 1955 was not far behind, the 1972, was much better than the last time I had and up a few points as was the 25 year which I have always had a downer on, tasting my last sample it was up 4 points higher and more enjoyable. I have to admit the 30 year OB was good but comparing it to a £500 whisky like the Benromach 35 year OB the Benromach is better in taste and obviously value for money. Finally the Crabbie surprised me as it was better than expected and not that far behind the 30 year OB bearing in mind it was a refill cask I am not a fan of later stuff but the old stuff is excellent and often worthy of high status as this H2H proved,but not always mind I only scored the 1954 OB 80 proof 85 points and that was being generous.

I found this very pleasing would make a perfect after dinner dram