Nose: Sultanas, oranges, sherry, vanilla, lemon oil, hints of pineapple, something spicy (maybe ground cinnamon?), old paper. Fairly fresh and fruity overall. Palate: Pleasantly dry on the arrival and into the development, but no hint of bitterness or sourness at any stage. Sherry and fruit are the initial flavours. The development brings a sweeter note and suddenly a most unexpected wave of rich sherried fruit cake with sweet preserved citrus peel, glacé cherries and almonds. Quite delicious. It's not a complex palate, just a few key flavour components, but they combine into a very pleasant whole. A good texture, if a little thin. Finish: Quite short, turning sweet and more like bread and butter pudding, dried fruits, a little sour/bitter hint of grapefruit, which is quite nice, and a lingering touch of aniseed or fennel. There is an unmistakable kinship between this and the Gold 1824 expression, but Amber is a definite step up. Richer overall with the fruitiness being more sweet/tropical instead of bright and bracing. The cereal notes are deeper as well, being more like cake than biscuits. I think the basic distillate is probably the same but just given different wood treatment. This is fairly cask-driven, but subtle about it. It's just coming into summer here and the day is clear and warm - this whisky suits it perfectly. Tasted from a 30ml sampler - I may buy a bottle and it would sit on the shelf next to Arran Lochranza Reserve and Compass Box Asyla. "Good" : 83/100 (3.5 stars)
About this bottle
Not afraid of the shortage that concerns many Scottish distilleries, Macallan has invested in new facilities and, more importantly for us willing to drink now, created a new range in 2012: the 1824 series. At its core, we have four colours for four ways to play with the wood. Like the Macallan Gold, the Amber edition is a blend of American and European oaks, but Amber comes with a higher proportion of 1st fill casks, therefore a darker colour.
How it tastes
Measured across 14 flavor axes. Tap a note to find other bottles that lead with it.
Reviews
Showing the most detailed of 48 parsed reviews.
Ding, ding. The bell sounds for the WWWC (whisky welterweight championship) title. In the left corner we have the maple leaf champ Canadian club 20 year and in the right Scotlands finest - Macallan Amber. Whatya say Jim Murray whose gunna take it? Canadian Club you reckon? Hmm with JMs track reckon its not looking good for the Canuk if he's getting paid to promote...i mean honestly is giving his opinion. But as we know the ref is severely biased against all things Macallan.. Its a tough one. Macallan comes out smooth and strong. Left - candied oranges, vanilla - and then the right - toffee, caramel...not a devastatingly complex combo but it's more than enough for CCs weak kneed insipid sweetness. MA goes the round but CC gets dragged out of the ring and dumped unceremoniously down the sink by the waitress. The ref for once is impressed given Macallans share of the fight purse actually matches his ability this time round at $70 a bottle. 3.5 - 3.75 rounding to a 4 for the three initials usually never associated with the word Macallan...VFM. Sadly once his promoter hears those three letters he drops MA like a hot potato as he doesn't want to devalue his brand...
1L. Matured in sherry casks this offers fuller flavour than the Gold while being more delicate than the Sienna. Unsurprisingly it is amber in colour and fragrant with aromas of citrus, orange peel, spice, peat and smoke; the palate is complex with smoke, ginger, dried fruits, apricots and cinnamon that lingers on a long finish. COLOUR Amber NOSE Polite, almost apologetic at first, with a floral, citrus sweet nose that gains presence, commanding a chorus of vanilla notes over freshly harvested grain. Raisin, sultana and cinnamon look on as toffee apples and candy floss step into the limelight. PALATE Fresh green apples and lemons mingle with cinnamon. Ginger notes hover as fruit takes over, with subtle oak lingering in the wings. FINISH Light to medium with soft fruits and cereal, slightly dry.
This dram takes time to evolve. To really get to know it, it takes several pours in a night. It starts floral and fruity, the palate clean, sweet, with a little candied orange peel. I find it gently coating and pleasant, some cinnamon or spice near the end. The finish is medium; Oak seems older almost musty. A little bitter for the first while too and somewhat drying. Overall this is an OK and gentle Scotch. I think what you paid for it might have a great impact on how much you like it. For me, it was a gift and I can enjoy it. However, I'm not sure it's worth the prices I have seen being asked.
Whisky pochodzi z beczek po sherry typu puncheon i butt wykonanych z amerykańskiego i europejskiego dębu głównie ponownego napełnienia . Nos Łagodny , rodzynki , jabłka , gruszki , wanilia miód , mleczna czekolada , nieco gałki muszkatałowej i pieprzu . Smak Delikatny , suszone figi , daktyle , czereśnie , brązowy cukier , krem waniliowy , prażone orzeszki , szczypta cynamonu . Finisz Dość długi , płatki śniadaniowe z miodem , wanilia , cynamon i dąb .
Not so strong in the beggining, a bit spicy near the end, something like cinnamon, it hasn't a very prolonged end, specially if you pair it with a cigar. I once did it with a Romeo&Juiliet cigar, they both in the palate do pair nicely, but the cigar taste quickly overwhelms the Macallan's taste. Anyways still a very good whisky, just it doesn't have that more prolonged ending like the more aged Macallans.
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