Macallan Rare Cask

Continuing on my exploration through some of Macallan’s releases, next up I have a sample of their 2020 Rare Cask that was bottled at 43% ABV. The nose is velvety soft leading with a mix of lightly soured black cherries, sweet lemon custard and dusty leather-bound books then dark chocolate truffles, fig jam and light musty cavernous minerality followed by grape jelly, apricots and orange blossoms that transitions to ginger, cloves, cardamom and polished antique furniture with light ethanol burn. The taste is a thin mouthfeel starting with a mix of lightly soured black cherries, sweet tropical fruits and dusty leather-bound books then a mild bitter and sour spice that slowly fades to dark chocolate spicy mocha, dehydrated figs and light musty cavernous minerality followed by grape jelly, apricots and lime zest that transitions to ginger, cloves, cardamom and mildly bitter black tea with light ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with orange blossom, dehydrated mangos, dark chocolate mocha, fig jam, light baking spices, dusty leather-bound books and mildly bitter black tea. This is a very tasty dram that draws you in with a nose beginning with a mild sourness that quickly fades to creamy sweets and a dusty well-aged oak before earthy sweets with dark fruits and musty caves then to a mix of sweet grapes, light citrus and florals that fade to light spices and antique furniture that is captivating and delightful. The taste manages to maintain much of the delightful profile found on the nose; however, the flavors are dialed back into a subtle tune instead of the wonderful vibrant and delicate melody that drew me in along with a mild bitterness that detracts from the profile and finishes lightly sweet before gravitating towards well-aged oak notes and a mild bitterness. A very well balanced and executed dram that is likely tailored towards an audience that prefers little to no ethanol burn as it is a very easy sipping dram, but suffers from the lower proof which restrained those well-aged sherry notes that I think could have really thrived at a slightly higher proof. At a cost of nearly $360 near me, this doesn’t justify the premium asking price for me and I’d be happy with plenty of other options for far less.

Ah, the vaunted Macallan Rare Cask. This was on my bucket list since my early days of reviewing whisky. Now that I’ve learned more about the genre, I’m less excited than I was back then, but after trying this at a tasting event 4 years ago, I felt I owed it to myself to try this. So here we are. Side note: This is an older bottling from when these had the lighter, scarlet-colored packaging. There is no year-release indicated, so it’s clearly an older bottling, just impossible to pinpoint. Nose: Very much Macallan. All kinds of red fruit. Plum, cranberry, date, fig, raisin. Dried apricot and gala apple. New car leather. Vanilla, caramel, butterscotch, and toffee. Pound cake. Macadamia, pecan, and almond. Orange citrus. 1.25 Palate: A powerful pop of raisin, date, fig, plum, apple, and apricot. Plenty of vanilla, butterscotch, caramel, and toffee. Milk chocolate and orange citrus. Pound cake and more gala apple. So much of that. Cinnamon and oak. 1 Finish: Almond and macadamia. Orange and milk chocolate. Vanilla, toffee, butterscotch, and caramel. Some of the plum, now with golden raisin. Moderate length. 1 You’d be hard-pressed to find a cleaner whisky. Classic Macallan profile. It’s really likable and easy-going. But let’s skip right to the price. Was this worth $425? Absolutely not. Now I’m fully aware that overpaid for this one. Doesn’t matter. I often feel that the whiskies write these reviews, and I’m just a conduit. Unfortunately, every now and again, there is an element of the experience that is so powerful that it steals the forefront of the review from the whisky itself, which would normally be the sole focus of every review. 3.0/5. I’m sure I can find this cheaper—significantly cheaper. So I may return and improve the score. I had this at a 3.75 before considering VFM, but I docked 3/4 of a star for the absurd price tag for something that is sold vaguely as a blend of their top 1% of casks. Well, it’s a perfectly tasty and pleasant whisky, but for their amount of money, I need an age statement, or a more respectable ABV, or some distinguishing quality that separates this from their more common products.

I never expected my first Macallan tasting to be this extraordinary. Even as I opened the bottle, an incredibly intense aroma filled the entire room. Once poured into the glass, my attention was drawn not so much to its light tea-like color, but to its scent. While nosing, I first picked up banana, followed by citrus and honey aromas. During the tasting, there was a subtle chocolate note, and as it went down the throat, it left behind a wonderfully pleasant burn. The character of that burn made it feel like the bottle was at least 10, maybe even 15 years old.

Tart cherry apple pie & deep raisin flavor with some vanilla swirled in between. Hints of dates, prunes and maple syrup. Slight oak barrel char underneath the sherry forward notes. Velvety smooth chocolate finishes this one up quite nicely. So drinkable you almost forget it’s scotch. Expected a longer finish for the price point hence a slightly lower rating.

Great smooth first note, then a very light fruity note with a light bold finish. Great with steak or a full bodied cigar. I think as a cigar parring would go great woth an ashton Wizard

Nose: mild overall, notes of caramel, spice Taste: of course I get that upfront sherry flavor. Nice oak notes, dried fruit, Finish: this whiskey just sits with you in the best way.