In the latest of his monthly instalments, Charles Maclean gives his thoughts on the Malt of the Month: The Macallan Whisky Makers Edition.
Charles also provides us with an intriguing interview with Bob Dalgarno, Whisky Maker for the Macallan.
The label describes it as ‘exceptionally elegant…with a lingering finish’. We can do better than that!
The colour is polished rosewood, indicating the use of European oak casks, and setting up the expectation that this will be a ‘traditional’ Macallan. We were not disappointed! An early aroma of walnuts and chocolate spreads to include apple tart, over-ripe oranges, dried herbs and camphor (if you sniff deeply!).
Water develops its Speyside character and adds dry fruitcake and sweet touch to the aroma. The texture is smooth; the taste, straight, is dry overall, after some light sweetness and a trace of caramel in mid-palate. Water adds sweetness, texture and length: a medium to long finish, and some dried fruit and chocolate in the aftertaste.
Occasion: Drink at any time, although it has the body to be enjoyed as a digestif.
Comment: A classic, traditionl Macallan, with bags of body and character, depth and freshness. A fine balance of European and American casks. The Whisky Maker is to be congratulated!
The expression of The Macallan 1824 Collection which bears his name - selected by World of Whiskies as ‘Malt of the Month’- must have been somewhat daunting to put together?
“ Not really”, Bob told me. “At least no more difficult than any other expression of The Macallan. Perhaps more fun. My reputation is on the line every batch, even when my name’s not on the bottle!”
More fun?
“The bottle does not have an age statement, so I have greater liberty in balancing flavours from various ages and from different kinds of cask: European oak and American oak, ex-sherry and ex-bourbon. Since it’s a one-off, I don’t have to worry about consistency with previous batches.
“It’s also a challenge making something for Duty Free, where there is such a mix of consumers and palates. With The Macallan 1824 Collection I think we have succeeded to do so.
“I was also able to work on the bottling strength, which in my view makes a difference. I settled on 42.8% Vol, which seems to me just right.”
This strikes me as a kind of odd strength.
“Well, it equates to the old 75˚ Imperial Proof – the traditional bottling strength – and I have tried to achieve a ‘traditional’ Macallan flavour in this exclusive collection for Travel Retail.”
What is the ‘traditional’ Macallan flavour?
“Macallan is a rich, smooth, Speyside malt. In the 1960s and ‘70s we were able to use a barley variety called Golden Promise, which gave an extra rich texture to the spirit. I have sought casks of whisky made from Golden Premise.
“For our own proprietary bottlings we always favoured European oak, ex-sherry butts, which make for a dark colour and a full-bodied flavour. So I have used a majority of these, balanced with American oak ex-sherry casks and ex-Bourbon casks. The latter add sweetness and caramel notes, and balance the tannic dryness of European oak…”
Bob knows what he is talking about. He was ‘born to the trade’, at Glenallachie Distillery not far away, where his father worked, and started at Macallan in 1984 as a warehouseman. After passing through every stage of whisky making – mashman, brewer, stillman, warehouse supervisor, operations manager – he joined the panel which selects casks for bottling in 1994.
“It’s all a matter of balance. That’s what I’m looking for. The Macallan Whisky Maker’s Edition forms part of a series, each expression of which is different in flavour (and price!), but I hope each achieves balance as well as having its own character. One of my colleagues described the series as being like a flight of stairs: with each expression you take a step up, and enjoy a different view!”
