The Macallan Classic Cut: another disappointment
The Macallan was at one time an untouchable whisky distillery and brand, with an almost sole claim on what a sherry matured whisky should be. These days are long gone, and what emerged from the ruins of that once mighty reputation, is something else entirely. A new distillery that is in nothing recognisable as Scottish, price management that brings tears to your eyes, and most importantly: subpar whisky. But this is all the whining of a whisky enthusiast that is here for taste sensations, nosing, and heritage. There is a big, big consumer market out there that just does not care about all that. The Macallan manages to sell themselves as luxury brand, and that this is more about the boxes and the glassware than the contents of the bottle, that is just secondary. People still buy it, literally and figuratively. I recently watched this fantastic series featuring Jon Hamm called “Your Friends & Neighbors”, in which Macallan prominently features as the drink of a successful and – most of all – rich man.
To be fair, it is not possible to compare mass produced single malt whisky like Glenfiddich, Glenlivet and Macallan to small scale producers like Benromach or Glenallachie. We are going to taste yet again a “no age stated” Macallan that is priced north of 160 euro / pound. About that, we can form an opinion, can we?
Macallan Classic Cut, 2022 edition, bottled at 52,5 % abv
First things first: An at least 3 years and 1 day old Macallan, matured in a combination of ex-bourbon and sherry seasoned casks.
Upon Sipping: Whiffs of milk chocolate, wood spices and vanilla. Changing into caramel and some light hints of orange zest. Taking a sip, the higher abv is pleasurable and gives some more spiciness next to the classic vanilla notes. But the landscape is surprisingly empty. With water we can bring out some fruitier notes than just vanilla, maybe some white and red grapes and such. It is very much a clean and simple drinking experience.
Word to the Wise: Decent, entry level single malt. I can for the life of me give no reason why you would shelf out so much money for such a simple product. You would be fully justified to expect something more for that. We cannot taste price of course, but even then, it is far from challenging. If you are just stepping up from your favourite blend, I have a tip for you: do not buy this Macallan.
Score: 79 points.