The Macallan in the hands of independent bottlers
The Macallan single malt whisky as a brand is doing very well, truly being one part of the big three, together with Glenfiddich and The Glenlivet. All three brands now sell more than one million cases per year. In the meantime, we have seen a regular flow of independently bottled Macallan hit the market. Be it still under the alias, the provenance is never hard to guess. This is a good development for people who love this single malt, but feel themselves priced out of getting a bottle. We taste one of these newer expressions today, bottled by the trusty Signatory. We also got our hands on an older bottle by them, so we can compare! We close today off with an unusual Macallan, coming from a bourbon cask. Enjoy!
Speyside (M) 2009, 16 years old, bottled at 57,1 % abv by Signatory Vintage
First things first: The 100 Proof – Exceptional Cask – Edition #15 is a Speyside (M) that we have gotten to know as an undercover name for Macallan single malt. Bottled in November 2025, it matured on oloroso sherry butts.
Upon Sipping: We have by now tasted all the variants in the recent popular lines released by Signatory, among them the affordable 100 proof and the small batch expressions. Read about those in this blog. Now we taste the expression in the Exceptional Cask range, for which, admittedly, there is no background on how all these casks are divided. But we do not complain, we get to drink middle-aged Macallan for a good price! This is another classic, with a leathery nose that carries hints of red fruit. Some sherry drenched burlap. Chocolate from a high-class Parisian chocolaterie. Sauce made of berry poured over a nice steak. Yes, this carries a lot of impressions and we like them all! On the tongue, soft praline and purple cherry flavour, with hints of dry leather, and an incredibly punchy, spiced up finish. Truth be told, I am relieved. When I opened this bottle, it had some rough edges, but after a week this has become tranquil and quite frankly brilliant. With water, it all becomes a bit more mellow even, with chocolate covered oranges to the front. The taste loses some charm, with too much leather and tobacco, but it remains high quality liquid.
Word to the Wise: A wonderful vatting again by Signatory Vintage, this time more chocolate and leather forward, perhaps missing just a few more fruit elements. But it is nostalgic, old style Macallan, which we love. Especially for under 100 euro for a 16 years old. Recommended!
Score: 89 points.
Macallan 1990, 12 years old, bottled at 57,3 % abv by Signatory Vintage
First things first: Distilled on 19 June 1990 and bottled on 5 May 2003, making this a month short of being a 13 years old. Sherry butt # 11971 produced 652 bottles.
Upon Sipping: Nice to compare, since this is a few years short of the Speyside (M), Of course, this is a single cask compared to a batch, but still. The texture is indeed the same, even though this Macallan feels a bit lighter on its feet. Lots of spices though, oriental stuff, leaning towards the slightest hint of gunpowder. With some swirling in the glass also ozone. On the palate, this Macallan tells a different story. Rough leather takes the microphone, but there is a lot more fruit here, apricot and peaches, some sour berries and some brown sugar. It is the same as the (M), but the parameters are set up differently. Hints of tea leaves at the bottom of your morning Earl Grey. When you add water, the difference with the 2009 vintage becomes very clear. There is a burst of red fruit on the nose. Strawberries! But what is this? Also some smouldering cigars and ashes. Then back to the fruit bowl, with oranges. On the finish, there is a distinct nuttiness to experience. Quite a complex animal here!
Word to the Wise: An almost schizophrenic Macallan, split between fruits and the more leathery elements of a sherried whisky. We love both sides equally!
Score: 89 points.
Macallan 1979, 22 years old, bottled at 55,5 % abv by James MacArthur
First things first: Distilled in 1979 and bottled in 2001 from cask # 5690 in the Old Master’s – Cask Strength Selection. Judging by the colour, this was not a sherry cask, or at least not an active one.
Upon Sipping: Quite a waxy, honeyed opening on first sniffing. Then more lemon, like the stuff you spray in the bathroom after a toilet visit. It is better than it sounds, promise. Creamy texture, it appears. More vanilla with the passing of time. Totally unrecognisable as Macallan, by the way, but that is what you get when you take the sherry cask out of the equation. On the tongue, the mouthfeel is hot, with lots of lemon and vanilla again. A touch of water for the dishes, no soap but the piece of cloth you just dipped in. IYKYK. With water we pick up more floral notes, fresh cut grass, sunflowers under a bright blue sky. Light hints of copper later on. Not super complex for a 22 year old Macallan, even a bit underwhelming. At the same time you can feel the embryonic state of the Macallan Fine Oak in this sample. Do we remember the day the earth stood still, when that series was announced? What intrigues me is how much this is a typical Speyside whisky, where Macallan on sherry can have an otherworldly aura when done right. Still, with the firm, oaky, vanilla driven finish, this is a fine dram.
Word to the Wise: A tad underwhelming perhaps, but a joy to experience a very naked example of the Macallan single malt whisky.
Score: 85 points.