What We’re Drinking: The Macallan Edition No.1 Review

A couple of weeks back, the good folks at Edrington sent me a package containing some very interesting contents indeed.

I was delighted to see that it contained a sample portion of The Macallan Edition No.1. This expression was introduced recently to the American market, but has yet to grace our fair shores, so I was very thankful indeed to have gotten a taste of what this Non Age Statement (NAS) whisky has to offer. 

To be sure, being a NAS whisky, this new edition will naturally meet with some scepticism. While other whiskies can rely on a declaration of their age as a proof of quality, this has only two things: a trust in the Macallan brand and the passion of its craftsmen, and the experience of people have tasted it. While the quality of scotch produced at the Macallan is undoubtedly excellent, it’s heartening to see that the folks there have stepped up to the challenge, stood behind their products, and allowed us aficionados to judge the merits of a whisky directly.

Reading a bit of the provenance of this whisky helps us to understand the intricacies of its construction. For any whisky, and in particular Macallan, most of the flavour comes from the wood, and each variety of wood that can be used in whisky making each imparts a different character to a whisky.  This property of whisky can  be used to give a nice complexity in taste to non Single-Cask expressions, which may be blended from whiskies matured in different casks, each possessing distinct flavours.  This also increases the complexity to the whisky maker, who must balance the flavours in just the right proportion and give harmony to the final product.  

This is not a new process; most of the whisky that’s available, Single Malt and Blended, are the result of blending. Yet, not all drams are made equal. The difference is in the skill of the blender, and the casks that are available to him. Fortunately, Macallan is abundant in both. You can see from the chart below that 8 different ones are used for this expression:

Also worthy of note is the use of both American oak and European oak, as Stuart MacPherson, the Master of Wood at Macallan, revealed earlier. The result of all those elements is the complexity I tasted in the whisky. Also of note is the 48% ABV of the product, which I believe increases the strength of the flavour.  

You’ll also notice that there’s no statement of age for the whiskies in the casks above- but if I had to guess, I would say there would be some very old whisky blended into the Edition No.1, based on the complexity and the smoothness of the product. You would never find a kind of smoothness in a raw, product that has not had the time to mature.

So how does it taste?

Nose:  Toasted, dried green apples, banana, raisins and pineapples.  Toasty wood with mild spice undertones. Toffee and vanilla,  bitter cocoa. Dried raisins, prunes. Very remarkable nose- for both its freshness and its complexity. 

Palate: Sweet orange. stewed apples. candied ginger. In the mid-palate, dried fruits – apricot and raisins, then spice that gives way to oak and caramel at then end.  The initial sweetness gives way to faint tartness and mellow malt flavours, culminating in a pleasant dryness.  A medium mouthfeel, not too rich. Addition of water brings out the orange even more strongly. 

Finish: Walnuts and almonds, a soft and pleasant dryness on the tongue that lingers.

Overall: An excellent whisky, with immense complexity, yet a sense of harmony and balance. None of the flavours battle in the glass, and layer upon each other gently in a thousand slender folds. A great example of how an excellent whisky should be like. I don’t know how much they will be retailing for, but if it’s anything below $200, I think you’re getting a very good deal out of it.

If you’re interested in participating in the launch of the The Macallan Edition No. 1. in Singapore, you can attend the Toast The Macallan event from 30 March till 3 April at The Black Swan, which will be  transformed into The Macallan Restaurant and Bar over the event period.  

I understand that there will be more than drinks and food at the event, which will be a multi-sensory experience and includes a specially created decompression room to neutralise the senses in preparation for the tasting of the fine whisky. Sounds fun. 

Toast the Macallan Ticket Information:

Standard Whisky Tasting Session at $30 per person

A whisky flight with The Macallan’s signature single malts, perfect for those who would like to learn more about The Macallan.

Collectors’ Privilege Tasting at $220 per person

For the matured whisky drinkers and serious enthusiasts, this whisky flight offers a tasting of The Macallan’s premium whiskies with a gift of The Macallan Edition No. 1.

Toast the Macallan Whisky Pairing Dinner at $120 per person

Curated by The Black Swan, this is a delectable 4-course whisky pairing dinner with The Macallan Signature Single Malts.

Toast the Macallan Lunch at $55 per person

An appetizing 3-course lunch set with a welcome drink of The Macallan Sherry Oak 12 Years Old served neat, on the rocks or cocktail style.

You can get more information and tickets at www.ToastTheMacallan.sg.