DESCRIPTION

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TASTING NOTES (whiskyfun.com)

Colour: amber.

Nose: oh, I was expecting more smoke and dryness but actually, this baby’s rather rounder and more on dried fruits. The most magnificent combination of raisins, figs, dates, quinces and, guess what, dried bananas. There’s also a feeling of old Yquem (no I’m not joking), apricot jam, maybe Turkish delights, then papayas… So it’s rather a luscious one so far while once again, both its complexity and its elegance are huge. Amazing nose, I say no more. After twenty minutes: yes, old cigars, old ham, soy sauce, lovage… All good signs.

Mouth: maybe there’s a little too much oak in the very first sips, and maybe too much bitter chocolate as well, but otherwise it’s beautifully spicy, rather wilder and even harsher/rougher than the two previous ones, as if it was just bottled – and at cask strength, at that. Liquorice, black raisins, old Armagnac, natural tar drops or liqueur, touches of mocha, more chocolate… This dryness remains all the time, around grape pips or even chewing tobacco (or snuff). Mentholated tobacco.

Finish: long, still a little rough, impressively young in fact. Mentholated and fino-ish aftertaste. Comments: quite a beast. I’m wondering whether these superb bottles wouldn’t need 50 more quiet years to become, well, smoother ;-). Oh, and I wouldn’t say this baby was frankly peatier than other very old Macallans, but maybe will the next one be a straight peater?

SGP:561 - 93 points.

PRODUCT SUMMARY