Braeval 15 (Hunter Laing)

”Knock On Wood”

Whisky Review # 957

Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside

Brand: Braeval - Distilled December 2001 - 677 Bottles

Bottled By/For: Hunter Laing -  The Old Malt Cask Series in February 2017

Type: Single Malt Single Cask Scotch Whisky - Cask # HL13270
Age: 15 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 50%
Maturation: Sherry Butt
Chill Filtration: No

Price Range: US$ 85-95 (August 2022)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😐 Acceptable given its age.
Buying Advice: 😔 This is for the Woody Woodpecker's among us.

Colour:

Golden Amber (Natural Color)

Nose:

Surprisingly light for a 15 Year-old Single Cask. The Sherry influence is quite clear but it's not a Thick Sherry-Bomb. Solid Malt basis. A mix of Sweet, Bitter and Sour notes. Quite Mineral as well. It's okay but not really special. The Alcohol is there but does not interfere with the Nosing procedures.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Barley, Slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Caramel, Demerara Sugar, Raspberry, Strawberry, Green Apple, Apricot-filled Pastry, Grass, White Chocolate, Floral Soap, slightly Musty Oak, Wet Rocks, Metal, Orange Peel, Ginger-Bread and Cinnamon. 
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Honey, Vanilla, Toffee, Golden Syrup, Dried Fruit like Raisins & Sultanas, Marzipan, Nougat, Peach, Wax, Tobacco and Pepper.

Palate:

A rather plain, dry and slightly Edgy Bitter-Sweet Mix of Malt, Wood, Spices and a few Berries and Sour Apples. Okay but not impressive.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Malt, Slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Caramel, Toffee, Raspberry, Strawberry, Milk-Hazelnut Chocolate, Apple, Citrus Peel, Grass & Straw, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cloves and Ginger.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Butterscotch, Vanilla, Pear, Grapefruit, Nectarine, Wine-Cellar, Dried Fruit like Raisins and Sultanas, Marzipan, Nougat, Cinnamon and Cardamom.

Finish:

Middle-Long, a little Sharp and Bitter-Sweet. Some Sour Notes as well. The Alcohol is more noticeable now and so are Cask and Wood Spices. Quite Dry in the end. I find Toasted Barley, Buttered Toast, Butterscotch, Caramel, Toffee, Vanilla, Brown Sugar, Dried Fruit like Sultanas and Apricots, Apple, Citrus Peel, Nectarine, Milk-Hazelnut Chocolate, Grapefruit, Herbal Tea, Wet Rocks, Musty Oak, Straw, Pepper, Ginger, Cloves, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Licorice and Menthol.  

Drinking Advice:

A little Water helps to calm down the Alcohol but the Wood and Spices remain very powerful on the Palate and in the Finish. My advise would be to add some 10 drops of Water at first and gradually increase the quantity until it satisfies your taste.  

Rating: 83.5  - Stars on a 1-10 scale: 7.5  (*******1/2)

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 20,5 - Overall: 20.5

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

A few of my loyal readers have pointed out that every once in a while my final Rating note does not seem to be totally in line with the written text. I recognize that. When I started this Whisky Blog back in 2011, I was not at all experienced in tasting and scoring Single Malts & Blends. Looking back I realize that during the early years I probably scored the good Whiskies too low and the not so good Whiskies too high. Ever since the beginning I try to remain consequent in my rating, always comparing the outcome to the rating of comparable whiskies in terms of quality and taste and adjusting the final rating if necessary. This might lead to the discrepancy I mentioned before. It would have been much easier if I would have chosen a simple 1-10 rating since the beginning but after having reviewed 950 whiskies it would not be wise to change the system now. I will however from now on add stars on the 1-10 scale so you will have a better idea of what I thought of the whisky reviewed. Please feel free to comment!

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good but quite Woody and Spicy.

Conclusion:

The Braeval distillery is located in the Braes of Glenlivet and was founded by The Chivas and Glenlivet Group in 1973. Originally the Distillery was named Braes of Glenlivet but it changed to Braeval in 1994. Pernod Ricard bought Chivas Brothers in 2001 and mothballed Braeval from 2002 to July 2008 when it started producing again. Most of the production is destined for the Chivas Regal Blends. However, since 2017 the distillery is launching Single Malts such as the 16, 18, 25, 27 and 30 years old. Enough casks remain available for Independent Bottlers though such as the one I'm reviewing today.

I expected more of this Braeval. It's loaded with Malt, Wood and Spices and misses sufficient Fruity notes that would create more Balance. It's not really bad but it's sort of narrow-minded and plain. Okay but not really my thing. 

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                        August 4, 2022

Balvenie Peated Triple Cask

”Rock and a Hard Place”

Whisky Review # 956

Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside

Brand: Balvenie Peated Triple Cask

Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 14 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 48.3%
Maturation: Mix of First and Re-Fill Ex-Bourbon - and Oloroso Sherried casks
Chill Filtration: No

Sample provided by Mauricio from Brazil. Many Thanks!

Price Average: US$ 100 (July 2022)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👎 Not really bad but too expensive for what it offers
Buying Advice: 😏 Not really Peated and not really Balvenie. Not quite my thing.

Colour:

Golden (Artificially Coloured)

Nose:

The Nose is welcomed by a pleasant mix of Sweet, Bitter and Sour notes with gentle Peat and light Smoke in the background. It's a little bit on the light side while at the same time the Alcohol is noticeable. The Sherry influence is limited. Not bad but lacking Power.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Barley, Slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Vanilla, Salted Caramel, Green Apple, Pear, Nectarine, Lemon, Banana, slightly Sour Berries, Melon, Earthy Peat and light Smoke, Dried Herbs, Ginger, Cinnamon and Mint.
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Toffee, Butterscotch, Heather-Honey, Wax, Orange, Grapefruit, Mandarin, Grass and Hay, Dried Fruit Chocolate Bars, Leather, Pepper and Iodine. Distant hints of Bacon and Plastic.

Palate:

Few people would recognize this as Balvenie in a Blind Tasting. It's quite different when compared to the regular expressions of this distillery. The Palate does not have the same pleasantness as the Nose. It's a little Sharp actually and Thin as well. The Peat and Smoke are more noticeable now but not in an overpowering way. I miss the usual Balvenie Malty Strength. A bit Un-Balanced when compared to the Nose.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Toasted Barley, Slightly Burnt Buttered Toast/Bread, Salted Caramel, Dried Fruit Hazelnut-Chocolate Bars, Lemon, Grapefruit, Nectarine, Wet Clay and Smoke, Charred Oak, Pepper, Cinnamon and Ginger.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Heather Honey, Toffee, Butterscotch, Golden Syrup, Vanilla, Wax, Orange, Green Apple, Pear, Toasted Pineapple, Ashes, Herbal Tea, Leather, Cloves, Nutmeg & Wet Rocks. Distant hints of Plastic, Metal, Bacon and Espresso.   

Finish:

Middle-Long and slightly Thin. Sweet & Sour at first but with developing Bitterness towards the Dry end. The Alcohol is more noticeable at this point. I find Toasted and Malted Barley, Slightly Burnt Toast/Bread, Salted Caramel, Toffee, Heather-Honey, Vanilla, Wet Clay, Campfire Smoke, Apricot Pastry, Green Apple, Lemon, Grapefruit, Wax, Orange, Nectarine, Cocoa, Dried Herbs, Musty Charred Oak, Nutmeg, Pepper, Ginger, Cinnamon, Cloves, Mint and traces of Plastic and Metal.

Drinking Advice:

Due to the size of the sample I only tasted this Balvenie neat.

Rating: 82 - Stars on a 1-10 scale: 7.5 (*******1/2         )

Nose: 21 - Taste: 20.5 - Finish: 20 - Overall: 20.5 

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

A few of my loyal readers have pointed out that every once in a while my final Rating note does not seem to be totally in line with the written text. I recognize that. When I started this Whisky Blog back in 2011, I was not at all experienced in tasting and scoring Single Malts & Blends. Looking back I realize that during the early years I probably scored the good Whiskies too low and the not so good Whiskies too high. Ever since the beginning I try to remain consequent in my rating, always comparing the outcome to the rating of comparable whiskies in terms of quality and taste and adjusting the final rating if necessary. This might lead to the discrepancy I mentioned before. It would have been much easier if I would have chosen a simple 1-10 rating since the beginning but after having reviewed 950 whiskies it would not be wise to change the system now. I will however from now on add stars on the 1-10 scale so you will have a better idea of what I thought of the whisky reviewed. Please feel free to comment!

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion:

The Balvenie distillery was founded in 1892 by William Grant in Dufftown, Keith, Banffshire. Production started in 1893. It's still in the hands of William Grant & Sons. They have an extensive core range that includes the 12 Doublewood, the 15 Years Sherry Cask and the Portwood 21. We tried to visit the distillery in 2014 and 2019 but both times it was closed for maintenance. Balvenie is currently ranked nr. 6 in the list of world wide Single Malt sales.

Trials with Peated Balvenie started in 2001 when the Whisky market was in a dip & the industry looked for innovations and new flavours. The peated Triple Cask I am reviewing today was launched in 2017, initially as a Travel Retail Exclusive. It's made with 100% peated Barley. 

I love new initiatives and I'm sure that Balvenie is able to produce a good peated whisky while maintaining the distillery character. That's not quite the case with this peated Triple Cask though. The Peat (Clay) and Smoke are not overwhelming but still manage to obscure the distillery character. It also works powerless for which I blame the indifferent cask management. It's not really a peated Single Malt and it's not really a Balvenie. The Triple Cask is caught between a Rock and a Hard place and as such I can't really recommend it.

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                            July 28, 2022

Bruichladdich Octomore 10.2

”(Octo)More Than a Feeling”

Whisky Review # 955

Country: Scotland
Region: Islay

Brand: Bruichladdich Octomore 10.2 (96.9 PPM)

Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky - 24.000 Bottles
Age: 8 Years (2010- July 2019)

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 56.9% (Cask Strength)
Maturation: 4 Years in 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon - 4 years in 3rd Fill Ex-Sauternes Casks
Chill Filtration: No

Price Range: US$ 140-180 (July 2022)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😐 Borderline acceptable for such a young Single Malt

Buying Advice: 😊 A little too Young but one of the better Octomores I had so far

Colour:

Golden/Light Amber (Natural Color)

Nose:

Relatively Young and Sweet. The Sweet Wine cask influence is clearly there but it's not overdone. The expected Earthy Peat and BBQ Smoke are there of course but they don't totally overpower the other Aromas. The Nose is nicely balanced although the Alcohol is noticeable. As always nose along the edges while avoiding the middle of your glass. In doing so you will be able to avoid most of the Alcohol & identify the Fruity notes. The Nose is quite pleasant and invites you to take a sip.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Barley, Slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Vanilla, Apricot-Filled Puff Pastry, Red Apple, Toasted Pineapple, Slightly Sour Berries & Cherries, Nectarine, Lemon, Wax, Earthy Peat, (Shell) Fish, Bacon and Pork on the BBQ, Brine, Soot, Leather Saddles, Charred Oak, Greek Olives, Pepper, Mint and mixed Herbs.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Honey, Burnt Caramel, Orange, Grapefruit, Dried Fruit like Figs, Plums & Dates, Hay and Grass, Tar, Ginger, Rubber and Petrol Station.

Palate:

Strong and Oily. A reasonably balanced mix of Sweet, Sour and Bitter notes. Peat & Smoke are not overpowering the other Flavours. There's a slight Medicinal feel to the Palate. The Alcohol is more noticeable at this point.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Barley, Salted Burnt Caramel, Ginger Bread, Red Apple, Toasted Pineapple, Sour Berries, Earthy Peat, (Shell) Fish and Pork on the BBQ, Hospital, Ashes, Soot, Tar, Brine, Charred Oak, Leather, Rubber, Pepper, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Mint and Licorice.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Vanilla, Toffee, Dough, Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit, Christmas Cake, Tobacco, Copper Coins, Dried Herbs, Dark Chocolate, Aniseed, Cloves, Nutmeg & Coriander.   

 

Finish:

Medium Long with lingering Soot and Ashes. Mostly Sweet. A few Sour and slightly Bitter notes develop towards the Medium Dry to Dry, slightly Medicinal end. I find Toasted Barley, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Honey, Red Apple, Nectarine, Grapefruit, Orange, Lemon, Earthy Peat, (Shell) Fish & Pork on the BBQ, Hospital, Ashes, Soot, Tar, Rubber, Copper Coins, Charred Oak, Dark Chocolate, Nougat, Tobacco, Leather, Licorice, Pepper, Ginger, Cardamon, Cloves, Mint and Nutmeg. The Alcohol remains noticeable.

Drinking Advice:

I added a little Water and that enhances the Smoky character on the Nose. Fruity notes are enhanced on the Palate while the Finish becomes quite Spicy and rather Sharp. A few drops certainly help to open up this Octomore. But don't overdo it!

Rating: 87.5 - Stars on a 1-10 scale: 8 (********)

Nose: 22.5 - Taste: 22 - Finish: 21 - Overall: 22

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

A few of my loyal readers have pointed out that every once in a while my final Rating note does not seem to be totally in line with the written text. I recognize that. When I started this Whisky Blog back in 2011, I was not at all experienced in tasting and scoring Single Malts & Blends. Looking back I realize that during the early years I probably scored the good Whiskies too low and the not so good Whiskies too high. Ever since the beginning I try to remain consequent in my rating, always comparing the outcome to the rating of comparable whiskies in terms of quality and taste and adjusting the final rating if necessary. This might lead to the discrepancy I mentioned before. It would have been much easier if I would have chosen a simple 1-10 rating since the beginning but after having reviewed 950 whiskies it would not be wise to change the system now. I will however from now on add stars on the 1-10 scale so you will have a better idea of what I thought of the whisky reviewed. Please feel free to comment!

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion:

Bruichladdich was founded in 1881 by Barnett Harvey. During its history it was mothballed various times, the last time in 1998. In 2012 the Islay distillery was bought by Remy Cointreau (France). Since, Bruichladdich is showing a healthy growth again. The distillery produces 3 types of Single Malt, i.e. the unpeated Bruichladdich & the heavily peated Port Charlotte & Octomore. The basic core range includes the Classic Laddie and a 10-year old Port Charlotte. The annual production amounts to around 1.1 million litres. About 10% of that is Octomore. Octomore by the way means " The Big Eighth". This is a medieval division of common ground.

The Octomore 10.2 was distilled in 2010 with 100% Scottish grown Optic and Oxbridge Barley from the 2009 harvest and matured entirely on Islay.

One of the better Octomore expressions I've had so far. It's quite balanced despite its obvious Youth and the high ABV. I like the way that the Peat and Smoke are complementary to the other Aromas and Flavours. This could be perfected with a few years more in the cask. I also like the use of 3rd Fill Ex-Sauternes casks. They provide enough Sweetness to give balance to this 10.2 but do not leave this Malt cloyingly Sweet. Still, I could imagine that certain Bruichladdich fans would find this 10.2 a little too Sweet for their liking. I like this Octomore but I'm not sure I would pay this kind of money for such a young Malt.

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                            July 21, 2022

All pictures were taken during our visit in May 2014

Lossit (Lost Distillery Company)

”You’re Lossit Little Girl” 

Whisky Review # 954

Country: Scotland
Region: Islay

Brand: Lossit - Classic Selection - Styled on long closed distilleries
Bottled by: The Lost Distillery Company, Kilmarnock
Type: Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

Age: NAS

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 43%
Maturation: Mix of Ex-Bourbon casks and Oloroso and PX-Sherried Wood
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 45-60 (July 2022)
Price/Quality Ratio:👍 Okay at around US$ 50
Buying Advice:😐 It's not bad but if you like the profile take the Caol Ila 12 instead

Colour: Golden (Natural Colour)

Nose:

It certainly reminds me of Islay in a way but the Nose of this Lossit is Young and a bit Thin and the Peat is more subdued when compared to such Islay standards as the Ardbeg & Laphroaig 10 years old. The Nose is mostly Sweet but there are some Sour and Salty notes as well. The Sherry Cask influence is limited so I suspect 2nd and 3rd Refill casks. The Alcohol is slightly noticeable. The Nose is not bad but it lacks power.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Barley, slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Salted Caramel, Coastal Peat, Brine, Cold Campfire Smoke, Green Apple, Nectarine, Lemon, Straw, Milk Chocolate, Dairy, Cooked Vegetables, Mint Tea, Pepper and Leather.        
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Burnt Heather, Vanilla, Honey, Orange, Grapefruit, Iodine, Driftwood, Olive Oil, Nuts and Nutshells, Green Banana, Pear Drops, Bacon and Shell Fish on the BBQ, Ginger, Cinnamon and Tar.

Palate:

A Young and slightly Rough mix of Sweet, Bitter & Sour notes. The Alcohol is more noticeable at this point. It's not really bad but it tastes a little bit Artificial, Hot and slightly Metallic.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Barley, Salted Caramel, Slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Green Apple, Lemon, Coastal Peat, Cold Campfire Smoke, Ashes, Milk Chocolate, Nougat, Nuts & Shells, Charred Oak, Mint Tea, Wet Rocks, Cigar Box, Pepper and Ginger.

         
Supportive Flavour Accents:

Vanilla, Toffee, Heather-Honey, Grapefruit, Orange, Nectarine, Tar, Iodine, White Wine, Green Bananas, Pear, Floral Soap, Bacon and Shellfish on the BBQ garnished with Fresh Herbs like Rosemary and Thyme, Cinnamon and Leather.

     

Finish:

Middle-Long, a little Thin, Bitter-Sweet & Ashy. The Bitterness increases somewhat towards the Dry end and the aftertaste is slightly Artificial, Soapy & Metallic. The Alcohol is much more present by now. I find Toasted Barley, Salted Caramel, Toffee, Vanilla, Peat, Cold Campfire Smoke, Ashes, Tar, Iodine, Green Apple, Lemon, Grapefruit, White Wine, Nuts and Nutshells, Charred Oak, Straw, Bacon & Shellfish on the BBQ, Mint Tea, Pepper, Cinnamon and Ginger.

Drinking Advice:

Added Water does not improve this Lossit.

Rating: 82 - Stars on a 1-10 scale: 7.5 (*******1/2)

Nose: 21 - Taste: 20.5  - Finish: 20 - Overall: 20.5

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

A few of my loyal readers have pointed out that every once in a while my final Rating note does not seem to be totally in line with the written text. I recognize that. When I started this Whisky Blog back in 2011, I was not at all experienced in tasting and scoring Single Malts & Blends. Looking back I realize that during the early years I probably scored the good Whiskies too low and the not so good Whiskies too high. Ever since the beginning I try to remain consequent in my rating, always comparing the outcome to the rating of comparable whiskies in terms of quality and taste and adjusting the final rating if necessary. This might lead to the discrepancy I mentioned before. It would have been much easier if I would have chosen a simple 1-10 rating since the beginning but after having reviewed 950 whiskies it would not be wise to change the system now. I will however from now on add stars on the 1-10 scale so you will have a better idea of what I thought of the whisky reviewed. Please feel free to comment!

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion:

Lossit was founded by Malcolm McNeil near Ballygrant on the Isle of Islay in 1817 as an illicit farm distillery, producing its own Barley and drawing Peat from the bogs. It was the biggest producer on the island in the early days of the Whisky industry until it closed in 1867 as it had become outdated and isolated.

First of all I like the purpose of this Series created by Scott Watson and Brian Woods of The Lost Distillery Company. Both worked at Diageo before that. It's nice to try and recreate Single Malts from long closed distilleries based on the information still available on the Water Supply, Barley, Yeast and the distilling process. It's not easy to do that I suppose. The Lossit is the second in a series of six that I bought as a Sample Gift package. All with Natural Color indeed and without Chill-Filtration as it was done in the days. So far so good.

The Lost Distillery Company usually uses between 5 and 10 Single Malts to try and recreate the lost distilleries. The Lossit is said to contain some peated BenNevis but I would not be surprised if it contained at least some Ardbeg, Lagavullin and Caol Ila as well.

There's of course no way we can tell if this Blended Malt really resembles the old Lossit Whisky. But The Lost Distillery Company succeeds in creating an acceptable Young Islay Whisky. You should not pay much more than US$ 50 though. My main issue with this Lossit and the Classic Selection so far is that the Whiskies are very Young and Thin. They also release the Archivist and Vintage Selections that contain older Whiskies that matured in better casks. I will certainly try to get some of those as well. If you like this Aroma/Flavour profile, you better go for the Caol Ila 12 Years.

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                            July 11, 2022

Macallan 18 Years Triple Cask Matured

”Price Tag”

Whisky Review # 953

Country: Scotland
Region: Highland/Speyside

Brand: Macallan Triple Cask Matured (Fine Oak)

Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 18 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 43%
Maturation: Mix of American & European Sherried casks and Ex-Bourbon barrels
Chill Filtration: Yes

Price Range: US$ 225-325 (July 2022)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👎 Too expensive for what it offers
Buying Advice: 😀 Well-made Sherried Speysider with only a few flaws

Colour:

Light Amber with Shades of Orange (Natural Color)

Nose:

The Nose is mainly Sweet but a few Sour notes provide some balance. The Alcohol is noticeable and I detect a bit of Sulfur as well. Nothing serious though. The Nose is certainly not unpleasant but it could do with a slightly higher ABV. The Sherry casks are clear but this Macallan is certainly not a Sherry-Bomb. Main drivers are Malt, (Dried) Fruit and Nuts.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Barley, Butter Biscuits, Vanilla, Dried Fruit like Sultanas, Raisins, Dates, Figs, Plums and Bananas, Nectarine, Orange, Apricot-Filled Puff Pastry, Floral Perfume, Herbs Garden, Nougat, Milk-Hazelnut Chocolate, Charred Oak, Cinnamon & Ginger.    
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Toffee, Caramel, Heather-Honey, Yeast, Grass and Hay, Bounty Bars, Grapefruit and Lemon, Red Apple, Pepper, Leather and Tobacco. Hints of Sulfur, Rubber and Struck Matches.

Palate:

It basically follows the Nose. It's a bit on the Thin side though. This 18 Years really deserves an ABV of at least 46%. Bitter-Sweet and Sour notes are in balance.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Toasted Barley, Vanilla, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Sultanas, Plums and Dates, Apricot-Filled Puff Pastry, Milk-Hazelnut Chocolate, Charred Oak, Grapefruit, Orange and Spices like Pepper and Ginger.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Heather-Honey, Toffee, Salty Caramel, Grass and Hay, Red Apple, Dark Cherries, Lemon, Bounty Bars, Floral Perfume, Nougat, Leather, Tobacco, Cinnamon, Nutmeg  & Cloves. Hints of Sulfur and Rubber.

Finish:

Middle-Long and quite Creamy. Bitter-Sweet, Salty and Sour notes provide balance. The Alcohol is not fully integrated. The Bitterness increases somewhat towards the Medium-Dry end. The Sulfur note is more noticeable as well. I also find Toasted & Malted Barley, Salted Caramel, Toffee, Vanilla, Heather-Honey, Dried Fruit Sultanas, Raisins & Plums, Nougat, Milk-Hazelnut Chocolate, Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit, Red Apple, Herbs, Cherry-Flavored Cough Syrup, Caffe-Latte, Charred Oak, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Pepper, Ginger, Cloves, Tobacco and Leather. In the background hints of Rubber.

Drinking Advice:

A few drops of Water help ease the Alcohol and enhance the Fruity notes. The Finish becomes more Spicy though and Menthol is noticeable. It also becomes quite Dry. I would suggest to add a few drops though.

Rating: 85.5 - Stars on a 1-10 scale: 8 (********)

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 22 - Finish: 21 - Overall: 21

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

A few of my loyal readers have pointed out that every once in a while my final Rating note does not seem to be totally in line with the written text. I recognize that. When I started this Whisky Blog back in 2011, I was not at all experienced in tasting and scoring Single Malts & Blends. Looking back I realize that during the early years I probably scored the good Whiskies too low and the not so good Whiskies too high. Ever since the beginning I try to remain consequent in my rating, always comparing the outcome to the rating of comparable whiskies in terms of quality and taste and adjusting the final rating if necessary. This might lead to the discrepancy I mentioned before. It would have been much easier if I would have chosen a simple 1-10 rating since the beginning but after having reviewed 950 whiskies it would not be wise to change the system now. I will however from now on add stars on the 1-10 scale so you will have a better idea of what I thought of the whisky reviewed. Please feel free to comment!

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion:

The Macallan distillery was founded in 1824 by Alexander Reid and is located in the village of Craigellachie (Morayshire). The majority of the shares is owned by the Edrington Group. The current production lies at around 11.5 million litres per year. The core range includes a/o Sherry Oak, 12, 18, 25, 30, 12 Triple Cask & Gold, 12, 15 and 18 Double Cask. We have visited both the old & the new distillery and liked the old one better. For some reason I don't like the combination of Modern infra-structure and Whisky. I'm more the Springbank kinda guy!

The 18 Years Triple Cask was launched in mid-2018 to replace the Fine Oak. My sample was distilled in 2020. In the meantime this expression is now discontinued and replaced by the Double Cask version.

This 18 Years is a well-made though not exceptional Macallan. There are a few things that would certainly have improved this Single Malt such as a slightly higher ABV and the absence of the Sulfur and Rubber notes. Personally I also feel that the Wood slightly dominates the Spirit. A few more Fruity notes would have benefited this Macallan. Still, it's a nice Sherried Speysider. It comes at a hefty price though! 

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                              July 4, 2022