Three new whiskies from The Macallan
November 7th, 2007Macallan has some new whiskies coming out. Some will be coming to the United States. Some won’t. So, I reached out to my friend Bob Dalgarno, the whiskymaker for The Macallan, to get the inside scoop on these new whiskies.
The first one is Malt Advocate magazine’s Scotch Malt Whisky of the Year for 2007, the single cask 1976 vintage Macallan, which is part of their Fine and Rare range. It will be available here in the U.S. This was from a sherry cask, and will set you back a good $1,500. (Ouch!)
Bob: “In order to keep the range with a variety of colour and character, this cask was chosen. Initially when nosed, the peated notes gave some difference, in no way dominating, but it was always there in different guises. The front end has a lot of fruity characteristics opening up. It is soft and subtle on the nose, at times elegant, then again at times full on. And the palate is very different. All told, it’s a whisky which tells a story enabling us to return to a moment in time when everything was not the same.”
The second whisky is a new Gran Reserva 12 year old, 45.6%. As you may recall, the Gran Reserva line whiskies are from first fill sherry casks.
Bob: “All are from sherry casks, first fill butts, puncheons, and hogsheads. It’s richer in flavor because of this. We’re looking for the European oak influences to come to the fore. It has notes of dried fruits, chocolate orange and burnished oak. Quantity: 5,000 bottles this year, going to Asia. Taiwan mostly, with a small amount going to Japan.”
The last whisky I want to tell you about is a 55 year old, 40.1% abv Macallan bottled in a Lalique decanter. Only 100 are coming to the U.S., beginning in January. This one will set you back $12,000. (Double ouch!) This is the second in a series of what will be six different Lalique decanter Macallan whiskies.
Bob: This was driven by the idea that I would like to see a 55 year old whisky from the distillery. We had done a 50 year old and a 60 year old, but never a 55 year old non-vintage that I knew about. This was put together mid 2004, then put in glass later that year. Its make-up is two refill hogsheads from 1945 and a sherry butt from 1949. Only 420 decanters will be available worldwide.”
I’m hoping to get a sample of this rare nectar. If I do, I’ll pass on my thoughts. It’s nice to see Macallan coming out with new whiskies. It would be even nicer if more of them came to the U.S.
