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Macallan 22 years old 1988 Signatory Cask Strength Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , The Macallan
92
Macallan 22 Year Old 1988 Cask 4952
22 year old Macallan matured in a hogshead. This was distilled on the 25th May 1988 and bottled on the 14th July 2010. A release of 275 bottles at cask strength.

This dram has a white-like color.

Nose (88): inexistent. sweet, honey, wood, a little raisins, dried fruits, spices, tobacco. First nosing data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Palate (96): . sweet, honey, citrus, floral, wood, nuts, spices. Bouquet data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Finish (92): no finish. sweet, wood, spices, nuts, honey. Finish length is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Macallan 22 Year Old 1988 Cask 4952 with 92 points over 100.

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Macallan 18 years old Fine Oak Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , The Macallan
91
Macallan 18 year Fine Oak
The Macallan Fine Oak is triple cask matured in a unique, complex combination of exceptional oak casks;

1. European oak casks seasoned with sherry impart a rich character with hints of dried fruits, spice and chocolate orange.

2. American oak casks seasoned with sherry deliver delicate hints of citrus lemon, coconut and toffee sweetness.

3. American oak casks seasoned with bourbon deliver floral aromas and sweet notes of vanilla and fresh fruits.

This triple cask combination delivers an extraordinarily smooth, delicate yet complex Single Malt matured at The Macallan distillery for a minimum of 18 years.

This dram has a white-like color.

Nose (92): inexistent. sweet, nuts, honey, wood, spices, a little oloroso. First nosing data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Palate (92): . sweet, honey, wood, oloroso, spices, smoke. Bouquet data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Finish (88): no finish. honey, wood, spices, smoke. Finish length is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Macallan 18 year Fine Oak with 91 points over 100.

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Gladiator by Ridley Scott

By Miguel in Aberlour , Drink & Arts

If you find yourself alone, riding in the green fields with the sun on your face, do not be troubled. For you are in Elysium, and you’re already dead!

The movie

Russell Crowe Gladiator by Ridley Scott
Maximus is a powerful Roman general, loved by the people and the aging Emperor, Marcus Aurelius.
Before his death, the Emperor chooses Maximus to be his heir over his own son, Commodus, and a power struggle leaves Maximus and his family condemned to death.

The powerful general is unable to save his family, and his loss of will allows him to get captured and put into the Gladiator games until he dies.
The only desire that fuels him now is the chance to rise to the top so that he will be able to look into the eyes of the man who will feel his revenge.

The dram: Aberlour A’bunadh

a bottle of Aberlour A'bunadh 17
A really great dram at a very reasonable price for cask-strength whisky of this exceptional quality.

Aberlour a’bunadh is hugely sherried and intensely flavoured: a whisky to cherish.

Looking at the glass this whisky remind me of the barley fields, of the grapes and raisins drying under the sun, of the dark bodegas at Jerez. It’s a powerful dram that can light even darkest places.

Smelling it is like swimming in nuts, honey, sherry and flowers. Something that transcends the drink itself…

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Macallan 18 years old 1991 Sherry Oak Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , The Macallan

“The Sherry Oak version has a deeper aroma with more wood and spices. Overall it is a better whisky than the Fine Oak 18 years old.”

93
Macallan 18 year Sherry Oak
A benchmark: not just for Macallan, but for aged whisky everywhere. Sets the standard for sherried Speysides to aspire to. 'Best Malt in the World': The Macallan 18 years old, Whisky Magazine, June 2004

This dram has a mahogany-like color.

Nose (94): more than average. sweet, honet, tobacco, spices, floral, citrus, oloroso.

Palate (92): powerful, oily. sweet, oloroso, tobacco, cocoa, wood, nuts, honey, floral, grass.

Finish (92): longer than average. floral, wood, citrus, spices, tobacco.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Macallan 18 year Sherry Oak with 93 points over 100.

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Macallan 10 years old Cask Strength Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Recommended , The Macallan

“ An epical sherry monster: Macallan-zilla!. If you don’t like sherry don’t even move around this one. Awesome.”

93
Macallan 10 year Sherry Oak Cask Strength
The Macallan Sherry Oak is exclusively matured in selected sherry oak casks from Jerez, Spain instead of using different kind of casks as the Fine Oak range does.

This expression is matured for 10 years and then bottled at original cask strength without chill filtration or the addition of water. The result is a particularly rich Single Malt, best enjoyed with a splash of water to release the complex aromas and sumptuous flavours.

Even if the prices on the Internet are high this Macallan is worth every penny you pay for it.

This dram has a white-like color.

Nose (92): inexistent. sweet, nuts, honey, spices, oloroso. First nosing data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Palate (96): . sweet, hot, oloroso, honey, spices, wood, nuts. Bouquet data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Finish (92): no finish. nuts, honey, wood, spices. Finish length is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Macallan 10 year Sherry Oak Cask Strength with 93 points over 100.

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Macallan Fine Oak 10 years old Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , The Macallan
89
Macallan 10 year Fine Oak
Matured in Bourbon & Sherry Oak Casks. This range has been around for a few years now and seems to have weathered the storm it caused amongst the faithful when it was initially released. "The Fine Oak range is...more approachable, and has the potential to be embraced by a greater percentage of whisky drinkers....cutting back on the sherry reveals more of the Macallan spirit, which is first-class." John Hansell, Malt Advocate Magazine

This dram has a white-like color.

Nose (92): inexistent. sweet, honey, tobacco, spices, floral, citrus, smoke. First nosing data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Palate (92): . sweet, tobacco, sherry, honey, wood, spices, parma violets. Bouquet data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Finish (84): no finish. tobacco, honey, wood, spices. Finish length is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Macallan 10 year Fine Oak with 89 points over 100.

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Macallan 10 years old Sherry Oak Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , The Macallan
91
Macallan 10 year Sherry Oak
This Macallan 10 years old is matured exclusively in oak sherry casks from Spain to deliver a deep, rich, deliciously smooth and well-rounded flavour with a slight sweetness and touch of sherry and wood.

Its deep colour is achieved wholly naturally without the addition of any colouring.

This dram has a white-like color.

Nose (92): inexistent. sweet, tobacco, vanilla, dry fruits, nuts, spices, wood. First nosing data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Palate (92): . sweet, spices, wood, oloroso sherry, leather, nuts. Bouquet data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Finish (88): no finish. nuts, leather, wood. Finish length is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Macallan 10 year Sherry Oak with 91 points over 100.

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Macallan 9 years old Provenance Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Recommended , The Macallan

“ A wonderful Macallan of such young age. It shows great sweetness and a outstanding dried fruits component.”

92
Macallan 9 year Old McGibbon's Provenance
A 9 years old single malt whisky distilled by The Macallan distillery in the Speyside and bottled by Douglas Laing for their Provenance Range.

Aromatic spices, citrus fruits, long and mellow with a lightly smoked finish. Abounding sweetness on the palate, this Macallan is a really nice experience for such young whisky that rivals in quality with older expressions of the distillery.

This dram has a white-like color.

Nose (88): inexistent. sweet, spicy, wood, vanilla, dried fruits. First nosing data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Palate (96): . sweet, honey, wood, spices, dates, smoke. Bouquet data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Finish (92): no finish. honey, wood, spices. Finish length is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Macallan 9 year Old McGibbon's Provenance with 92 points over 100.

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The Macallan: Masters of Sherry

By Miguel in Featured , The Macallan

Macallan, one of the most luxury single malts, had a humble origins but hard work and an obsession with wood have made it one of the best whiskies in the world acclaimed by connoisseurs and aficionados.

The foundation of Macallan

Macallan DistilleriesFounded by Alexander Reid, Macallan took out its license in 1824. One of the first Speyside distillery to do that as most of the distilling was done in a clandestine way. The Easter Elchies house, where the Macallan distillery was originally located, dates of early 1700

When Alexander passed out the distillery passed through a couple of hands until in 1868 James Stuart, a corn merchant in Rothes and owner of Mills of Rothes.

Rebuilding in stone

James bought the distillery from the Earl of Seafield in 1886, rebuilt it on stone, as before was done in wood, and sold it to Roderick Kemp in 1892.
Roderick was the owner of Talisker up to 1892 when he fell out with his partner. So Roderick tried to buy Glenfiddich, Cardow and Mortlach without luck before he acquired Elchies distillery. One of his first jobs was to rename the distillery to Macallan-Glenlivet and improve a lot the quality of the new make.

Macallan distillery stills

On his death in 1909, ownership passed into a family trust for Kemp’s descendants who managed the distillery until the present owner, Edrington Group, bought it in 1996. A new still house was built in 1954 with two mash, three spirit stills with shell-and-tube condensers. In 1965 more stills were added doubling production. Stills were increased to 18 in 1974 and again increased to 21 in 1975. The second still house was closed in 1990 but has been recommissioned and resumed operations in September of 2008.

The blenders and the birth of single malt

In 1970, Macallan produced more than one million litres per year but 93% of its production went into blends. Just five years later there was a cut of blenders’ orders. This encouraged Macallan to mature it stock for bottling as a single malt.
Macallan casks at the distillery warehouse

Konichiwa: Suntory takeover

In 1996, Highland distilleries combined its shareholders with Suntory to mount an hostile takeover of the company.

Obsession: perfect wood casks

Macallan and the wood is a story of an obsession. Macallan only matured it whiskies in european oak casks that have contained oloroso sherry. They even bought a bodega in Jerez -Gonzalez Byass- to have a good stock of butts and hogsheads. Unfortunately the price of the casks has been increasing as most bodegas at Jerez now uses american oak as it is cheaper. That is the main reason behind Macallan Fine Oak range that uses a triple cask combination of european sherry casks, american sherry casks and oak casks.

Macallan use malt that is mainly from Simpson’s of Berwick-upon-Tweed and it produces is around 8 million litres per year.

Some Macallans from my collection



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More than just sex: Kamasutra and the elixir of Life

By Miguel in Drink & Arts , Amrut

India set two mankind milestones for sex and whisky: Kamasutra and Amrut.

The book about sex and love

kama-sutra the book of love

The Kama Sutra is an ancient Indian Hindu text widely considered to be the standard work on human sexual behavior in Sanskrit literature written by V?tsy?yana. A portion of the work consists of practical advice on sexual intercourse. It is largely in prose, with many inserted anustubh poetry verses. “K?ma” which is one of the three goals of Hindu life, means sensual or sexual pleasure, and “s?tra” literally means a thread or line that holds things together, and more metaphorically refers to an aphorism (or line, rule, formula), or a collection of such aphorisms in the form of a manual.

Contrary to popular perception, especially in the western world; Kama sutra is not an exclusive sex manual, it presents itself as a guide to a virtuous and gracious living that discusses the nature of love, family life and other aspects pertaining to pleasure oriented faculties of human life.

The Kama Sutra is the oldest and most notable of a group of texts known generically as Kama Shastra. Traditionally, the first transmission of Kama Shastra or “Discipline of Kama” is attributed to Nandi the sacred bull, Shiva’s doorkeeper, who was moved to sacred utterance by overhearing the lovemaking of the god and his wife Parvati and later recorded his utterances for the benefit of mankind.

The dram: Amrut

a bottle of Amrut Indian Whisky

According to Indian Mythology, when Gods and Rakshasas – the demons – churned the oceans using the mountain Meru as churner, a golden pot sprang out containing the Elixir of Life. hat was called the “Amrut”.

Amrut Single Malt Whisky is a product of many years research to produce whiskies matching world standards.
This whisky is made from selected Indian barley grown at the feet of the Himalayas, nurtured by the waters flowing there and cultivated by old and traditional agricultural practices.

It is carefully mashed and distilled in small batches to preserve the natural aroma and matured in oak barrels in a unique tropical condition,at an altitude of 3,000 feet above sea level at Bangalore, the garden city of India.To retain the natural characteristics of this oak aged Indian Malt Whisky, we do not chill filter, some haze may therefore be noticed in the product.

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