I don’t claim to be a whisky drinker. By that, I mean I don’t actually know anything about whisky. Of course, I was delighted but slightly surprised when I was recently approached to review some whiskies on this blog. I must admit that I have always quite wanted to appreciate whiskies; in the same way that I’ve always wanted to appreciate wine. However, the world of beer is yet to be conquered so whisky has been left on the back-burner. Until now. I don’t imagine my whisky reviews will look like much to the seasoned whisky drinker: I don’t have a clue what I’m talking about, for a start, so the reviews will be conducted with something of a beer-taster’s palette and terminology. Still, should make for a rollicking good try.
Today’s whisky is The Macallan 18 Year Old single malt. Weighing in at a very cool £70 a bottle, it’s shaping up to be good stuff already. According to the Master of Malt website:
The nose is punchy and of medium-body. There are notes of dry oak and wood shavings, hints of crème de cacao, crème anglaise and marmalade. There are notes of apple blossom and cut flowers. The palate is quite sweet and rich. There are notes of winter spice and Demerara, hints of rum and sherried sultanas, vanilla emegres with cooked appls and cut rosy apples. There are notes of mixed peels. The finish is of medium-length with a solid oak.
I’ll be the judge of that. Now, during beer reviews I would usually comment on colour and condition. Having two bottles of whisky here in front of me, I can certainly see a distinct (if slight) colour difference, but I don’t imagine I’ll be commenting much on head retention or gas content here.
On to the nose, and yes – it’s definitely whisky. It’s slightly sweet, yet mellow and lacks the cheap sharpness that many shop-bought whiskies (you know the ones I’m talking about) tend to have. All in all, it smells very pleasant. I must admit that at first, my nose recoiled in horror at even the slightest hint of what I knew to be whisky. However, on further smelling, I can already tell that this is in a class of its own and simply should not be judged against what I knew to be whisky before today.
A generous measure in the glass, then, and into the mouth it goes. The alcohol practically lifts off the surface of the liquid and up through the roof of the mouth. It’s fresh and vibrant but incredibly smooth. The after-taste is slightly nutty and has something of the tropics about it. It’s very rich and would make a great after-dinner whisky.
What more is there to say? It’s a thoroughly cracking whisky and has genuinely awakened my enthusiasm for a drink I never really had much time for before today. If you’re even slightly into whisky, you need to get yourself a bottle of this stuff. It’s almost Christmas, so why not treat yourself? Make sure you buy it from Master of Malt and tell them Adam sent you. They probably won’t care, but it’ll make me feel special.
