🥃 Whisky Auctioneer

Boredom, boredom, I bite wood. Boredom, boredom, I drink something like an extract of sherry. Boredom, boredom, gray. I'm sucking a cherry stone. Wait, am I really drinking whisky?!? I'll try a few drops of water. Oh, no. I have a slightly woody sherry lemonade from it now. What...? Macallan? Travel Retail Exclusive? A bottle for more than 5 thousand? I see. Thank you very much, I don't want to. I'm not a jerk. I don't eat marketing. And an overgrown, designer whisky box really doesn't add to the taste ...

Massively oaky and spicy piece, but well aligned with the beautiful sherry. 86/87.

Oak Driven This Enigma – which means as much as ‘mystery’ – is part of the Quest Collection, exclusive to world travelers. The series consists of the Quest, Lumina, Terra and this Enigma. It matured on European first fill sherry casks. It does not happen often that one gets to taste Macallan that matured on casks that came from once source. In this case: Toneleria Tevasa, a cooperage in Jerez, Spain, specialized in ‘seasoned’ (prepared) casks for the Scottish whisky industry. This is my 40th encounter with this Speysider. Sturdy nose on yellow and red fruit (think apricots, mango, raspberry) with almond paste, hazelnuts and candied sugar. The wood – first fill, remember? – does put its foot down with wood shavings and spices and a drying element. Think ginger, nutmeg, menthol. A drop of rancio and some roast beef. I have to admit: I like it a lot. On the palate, I first get dark fruit (dates, raisins, candied apricots) before the oak kicks in. Once that happens, though, it’s big: drying, spicy on cloves, nutmeg, chili pepper and a truckload of cinnamon. Having said that: good balance and a nice mouth feel. The finish is medium long on more wood, but not disturbingly so. This one is what they call oak driven. But it works. I like it a lot. The price – around 250 EUR – not so much. But it does come in a nice box (sarcasm, anyone?).

Exactly the type of oak forward, sherry matured whisky that I'm not particularly fond of.

It reminded me of his old releases from the 80s. Soft, with notes of sage and tea leaves, spices and the sweetness of dark dried fruits, prunes, figs, dates, with astringency on the palate, with those familiar velvety tones. With a rather long finish.

The Macallan Enigma comes from first fill European sherry oak barrels from Jerez de la Frontera in Spain. This gives a rich, slightly sweetish soft taste. With a hint of vanilla, dried fruits and wood. The barrels are from Tevasa.

Modern sherry, pronounced oak influence, distillery character is hidden for me... Not something to write home about.. Needs time in the glass, but event after it get's air not my stile of whisky

... sherry, chocolate, caramel ...