Review #31 - Macallan 15 Year Double Cask
Another Speyside giant, this time Macallan. One of the most well-known single malt brands, and one that many consider to be an iconic luxury brand (a perception that sometimes changes over the course of a whisky journey), this is known for showing up in many movies and television series, as well as plenty of other marketing ploys.
Something that comes with that recognition is changes in price, from both the producer and the distributors/storefronts. Macallan of any age has become something of a collector's item, and while current 12 year bottlings are available now for "only" $65 to $90 depending on the cask type used in aging, a 12 year bottling from a few decades ago can easily go for $500 to $1,000. This celebrity status has been creeping into the current year bottlings as well, with price hikes seen across the board, making it harder to consider these malts any sort of value proposition.
Macallan 15 Year Double Cask
Scotland/Speyside - Single Malt
Current Locally Available Price: USD 160 (2023)
Age Statement: 15 Years
Strength: 43% ABV
Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle at 20% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Lots of musty sherry, this is a bit of a sherry bomb. There is some mild oak in there, but that's musty as well, and some damp green earthiness accompanies it. Quite rich overall, and there are dried fruits of fig, orange, and then a bit of citrus. Not too sweet, and as this opens up further, the dried fruit turns to plum and raisin and grows stronger.
Palate: On the palate, that musty sherry note is again the first thing that comes to mind, and it's a bit dominant here. On the dry side but not quite bitter, and there are fruits of sweet fig and dry plum. The mouthfeel is medium.
Finish: Medium length finish as well, but sometimes bordering on short. Warm fortified wine is there all the time, nice and soft, but still packing some flavor. In addition to the dried fruit, we're now finding some baking spices near the end of the finish.
Final Note: This feels a bit more nicely balanced than the 12 year old bottlings from Macallan, which is nice. The flavors here aren't particularly uncommon, but it does them somewhat well. There is some subtlety, but overall, with the absurd rising prices on Macallan bottlings in recent times (not that they were ever cheap), we're unlikely to buy a bottle of this when we can get more flavor elsewhere for less money. Even within the same brand - is this better than 12 year? Yes. Worth $50 to $70 more per bottle than the 12 year? No way.
Our Average Rating: 7.5 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 5.83
