Whisky Showdown! Macallan 12 vs. Macallan Cask Strength

A fantastic matchup today, the Macallan 12 goes up against the Macallan Cask Strength. I normally pit cask strengths against like products, but given the two products eminate from the same distillery, I am curious as to how these whiskies compare.

Both products look similar with the only difference being a slightly deeper shade of red on the cask strength. The legs run a tad slower and thicker on the Macallan 12.

On the nose, the Macallan 12 is softer than the Macallan Cask Strength. The latter is less fruity than the former and more of the wood and smoke comes through. Otherwise, there is little difference between the two.

On the palate, the differences are more readily identified. The Macallan 12 is softer, less obviously fruity, stronger in vanilla, and lighter in texture. The Macallan Cask Strength pulls no punches. The fruit is powerful, the texture is deeper, it is bolder in bringing out the wood from the cask, sweeter overall, and stronger with the smoke.

The finishes on both are satisfying and complex. The cask strength is nuttier and a bit longer. The 12 is somewhat more bitter on the finish.

Overall, these are two nice whiskies. However, there is a clear winner in this showdown and I am at ease in declaring the Macallan Cask Strength the victor. The cask strength is a more complex experience. The stronger flavours are coupled with a degree of variety seldom experienced with whiskies so young. It is more malleable as well, allowing the drinker to experiment with the alcohol quotient and arrive at a level most suitable for his taste.

Therefore, budgets allowing, I strongly recommend the Macallan Cask Strength over the 12. If you buy it during a promotional period, as I did, you can have it for a bargain. It is currently available in ample quantities in Quebec and New Hampshire. However, Ontario has limited quantities of a different batch than the one I have reviewed in these pages.

Cheers!

Whisky Showdown! Macallan 12 vs. The Arran Bourbon Single Cask 12

A whisky with a reputation such as Macallan 12 must be tried against a variety of competitors in order to appreciate how singular the product is. By the same token, one may also discover a wonderful alternative during such a tasting. In today’s showdown, I hope a pleasant surprise is at hand as a wonderful whisky from my collection, the Arran Bourbon Single Cask at cask strength goes up against the Macallan 12. This bottle of Arran is a rare treat, no longer available in these parts. The bottle in my collection is just one of 178 produced in 2011 (bottle number 60 to be precise). It was bottled at 55.5% abv from cask number 115.

Prior to commencing, I poured both through my Vinturi Spirit and added a few drops of water to the Macallan and significantly more to the Arran. I figure I dropped the alcohol content to about 46% abv in so doing.

Their respective colours could not be more different. The bold, rich golden/amber hues of the Macallan contrast significantly from the pale yellow colour of the Arran. No surprise, however, as the bournon casks don’t quite give the same colour as sherry casks.

The sherry nose on the Macallan with its oak and smokey character also contrast neatly from the slightly peated, sugary nose of the Arran. Strangely, both share a pleasant impression of orange on the nose.

The palate of the Macallan exudes sherry, lays down oak, leather, and dark chocoate with orange. The Arran gently introduces peat, smoke, vanilla, banana liqueur, orange peel, and other sweet fruits. Again, a common expression of orange is apparant on both, even though they differ in many other respects.

The finish on the Macallan is longer than the Arran, invoking memories raisin and bitters. The Arran on the other hand is no slouch in the length of the finish and leaves gentle hints of vanilla, juicy figs, orange, and a hint of smoke.

Overall, the Arran is a fine competitor and criminally overlooked by most whisky amateurs. Both these whiskies are fine, complex examples of what their respective distillers wished to accomplish. I highly recommend both and struggle with recommending a winner. If pushed to decide, I will give my nod to the Arran for being the easier on the palate and fuller on the finish and the nose, despite the shorter length of its finish.

Whisky Showdown! Macallan 12 vs. Johnnie Walker Black

This Whisky Showdown! is a first for me. I will be facing off a single malt against a blended Scotch, both of which are extremely popular in the marketplace at the moment. The Macallan 12 will be tasted against Johnnie Walker Black, both are considered 12-year-olds as the Johnnie Walker Black is made up of whiskies that are aged at least 12 years.  The Macallan 12 is bottled at 43% abv against Johnnie Walker Black’s 40%.

Both whiskies are pleasing to the eye, relfect a warm golden/copper colour. The Macallan is slightly darker, making a more rich impression. The legs on both are similar.

The nose on the Macallan is rich and bold, especially against the Black’s softer aroma. Both have some sweet notes, but the Macallan’s smoke and especially the oak sets it apart dramatically.

The palate on the Macallan gives up the oak and, along with the sweet notes of honey and fruit, the smoke playfully blends in and ties it all together. The Johnnie Walker is a treat with its trademark smoke and fruity notes, contrasting with the Macallan in that the oak and smoke is subdued and the fruits are played up.

The finishes on both are very similar. The most I can say is that the Macallan starts smokey and ends sweet while the Johnnie Walker is fruit from the get go. I prefer the Johnnie Walker’s stronger finish.

Overall, I’ll give this a tight race and call it for the Macallan.  It’s  a more complex product, but I’m surprised how well the Johnnie Walker Black holds up against it.

For my initial reviews of each, click the links:

Macallan 12

Johnnie Walker Black 12

Whisky Showdown! Macallan 12 vs. Clynelish Distiller’s Edition

Todays whisky showdown pits Macallan’s popular 12 year old product vs. Clynelish’s Distiller’s Edition, which is aged 14 years according to the date indicators on the bottle. The Macallan is a favorite across the world and the lesser known Clynelish distillery produces a limited range of products but deserves some attention in my opinion.  My original review of the Macallan 12 is here and you can follow the link here for my full review of the Clynelish.

Without further ado, let’s see how these two stack up.

There are few whiskies as satisfying to the eye as the Macallan. It’s a rich colour and stands out next to the lighter amber hue of the Clynelish. Given a twirl of the glass, the Macallan’s legs run down thick but relatively quickly compared to the slow running legs of the Clynelish.

The nose on the Macallan is more oak and sherry than anything the Clynelish offers. The latter yields soft notes of orange and chocolate, mixing in a bit of spice. The Macallan shares one characteristic with the Clynelish as it too gives off some orange, albeit much more subtly. Both are absent of any hint of peat.

The palate of the Macallan brings sherry, oak, some smoke, and light notes of fruit. The palate of the Clynelish is all about orange and milk chocolate with cream. There’s some fruitiness in there, but I wouldn’t call it sweet on its own. However it is sweeter than the Macallan 12, which seems almost dry in comparison.

The finish on both is long and rewarding. The Macallan goes into a display of wood and smoke to differentiate from the Cynelish. The Cynelish stays mellow at this stage with fruits and nuts wrapping up the experience.

Overall, the Macallan is a more complex product despite the 2 years difference in age. I’ll give a nod to the Macallan on this one, the Cynelish being more suitable for easy drinking and those with a preference for sweeter single malts. The Clynelish is also an excellent product for initiation into the world of whiskies with its softer profile.

Cheers!

Whisky Showdown! Macallan 12 vs. Macallan Select Oak

This edition of Whisky Showdown! has us exploring two different products from the same distiller.  An exciting tasting which should lead us to discover how the two different production methods compare and contrast.  The two products in question are Macallan 12 and Macallan Select Oak.

The Macallan 12 is a sherry oak product.  The oak used in making the casks that will age the whisky are from the north of Spain, specifically the forests of Galicia, Cantabria, and Asturias.  The wood is air dried in the north of Spain before being shipped south to be toasted in Jerez and turned into casks.  These casks are then used to produce dry oloroso sherry.  After 18 months aging sherry, the caks are emptied and sent to Macallan’s distillery for use in its whisky production.

The Select Oak is part of Macallan’s 1824 Collection and available only at travel retail sites.  This whisky is aged in three different cask types, Spanish sherry oak casks, American oak casks that held sherry, and American ex-bourbon oak casks.  I am not sure how long the aging process is for this whisky, though I expect it to be less than the 12 years of its challenger.

Both are similar in legs, having thick legs that run rather quickly.  The Macallan 12 is darker and richer in appearance than the Select Oak however, making it easy for me to distinguish them as I go through this tasting.

The nose on the Macallan 12 is full of sherry while the Select Oak brings out intense orange, cinnamon, spice, and vanilla.  Some other fruit is also apparent in the nose of the Select Oak.  The Macallan 12 also has some faint hints of orange, but it is more smokey and dry overall.

On the palate, the Macallan 12 is more sherry, smoke, oak, dried fruit, and hints of orange.  The Select Oak has cinnamon and spice, sugar, citrus, and dried fruit.

The Macallan 12 finishes smoky with wood and spice.  It’s dry overall, but has some faint hints of dried fruits.  It lingers for quite some time.  The Select Oak is sweeter and less long lasting, but not to say less satisfying.  The sweetness is very nice in itself and hugs the tongue as it works itself through its stages.

Overall, I’ll give the Macallan 12 the slight edge overall.  It is more complex overall and an interesting experience, but I like the sweetness of the Select Oak quite a bit.  Depending on my mood, my overall rating could change, but on this cold November evening I prefer to the Macallan 12’s smokey, oak filled tasting experience.  The Select Oak is harder to find of course since its distribution is limited, but I strongly recommend purchasing both.  The Macallan 12 should be purchased in New Hampshire if you happen to be going through as it is easily less than half the price than in Quebec and Ontario.  For my full review of the Macallan 12, click here and you can find my review of the Macallan Select Oak by clicking here.

Cheers!

Whisky Showdown! Macallan 12 vs. Glenlivet 12

This edition of the Whisky Showdown pits two twelve year old that are most likely staples in many home bars.  The Macallan 12 is extremely popular and has been for many years.  the same could be said of its challenger the Glenlivet 12.  For those with limited space or facing a decision as to which to order at the bar, this tasting should provide some guidance.

Let us start as usual with the visuals.  The Macallan is a darker colour than the Glenlivet with a deep amber hue compared to the latter’s light gold appearance.  They both produce thin, quick running legs after a good swirl of the glass, however the Macallan appears to run slightly slower.

On the nose, the Macallan whiffs of sherry, oak, hints of honey and fruit.  The Glenlivet’s much more sweet in comparison and softer overall with its notes of vanilla and fruit.  The sherry and oak mark the Macallan whereas the vanilla and apple mark the Glenlivet.  Both have a similar hint of orange and citrus.  An interesting introduction to both, but the Macallan seems to have the edge in arousing interest with its bolder and more complex introduction.

On the palate, the Macallan is about sherry, oak, honey, orange peels, and a hint of smoke delivered in a chewy texture that is well balanced and complex.  The Glenlivet is an exercise in apple, fruit, and vanilla in a more watery, though slightly chewy texture that results in a very easy drinking experience.  The Glenlivet has some hints of wood, not nearly as rich as the Macallan and even hints of milk chocolate to contrast with the Macallan’s approach to sherry and oak.

The finish on the Macallan gives way to more smoke and dark chocolate versus the Glenlivet’s milk chocolatey impression.  The Macallan lasts longer and eases into some variations on what the nose and palate had shown while the Glenlivet’s shorter finish is less diverse.

Overall, the Macallan is the winner due to its more interesting overall profile.  However, the Glenlivet goes down easy and may appeal to a broader base as a result.  I will go ahead and name the Macallan the winner here but stress that the Glenlivet is a good drink as an everyday dram and probably will satisfy more guests at parties and events while the Macallan is more suited to those who already have a more profound appreciation for whisky.  Congratulations to the Macallan, you can find my review of the winner here, and my review of the Glenlivet here.

Cheers!

Whisky Showdown! Macallan 12 vs. Yamazaki 12

The first international whisky showdown! One of Scotland’s best known brands against a perennial favorite from Japan!  Macallan 12 and Yamazaki 12 go at it this time.  The Macallan is the better known of the two, but my previous review of the Yamazaki 12 was quite good and I’ll be interested to see how my perceptions will change, if at all, with a head to head tasting.  Both of these whiskies have sherry casks involved in the aging, but the Yamazaki uses three types of casks in its process. American oak, toasted, is used in the Yamazaki as are Japanese oak barrels which lend a distinct flavour.  The aging strategy at both distillers should make for different tasting experiences.
The visuals are quite different between the two.  The Macallan with a rich dark copper tone contrasts clearly against Yamazaki’s light gold colour.  The Macallan’s legs are thick next to the Yamazaki, though both appear to run rather quickly.  Both products are bottled at 43% abv.

The nose on the Macallan is fruity, with orange standing out.  There’s some smoke and oak to bind the fruit with the overwhelming sherry influence.  The Yamazaki is sweet, moves away from orange and towards melon, pineapple, honey glaze, vanilla, light spice, but no sign of smoke.

The palate on the Macallan exudes sherry and oak.  There’s a bit of smoke in there too.  The Yamazaki is still fruity.  The pineapple is strong as is the honey.  The vanilla is also quite present.

The finish on the Macallan is dry, slightly smokey, not too long but quite pleasant.  The Yamazaki is fruity even on the finish.  Lingering notes of melon and pineapple continue to play with honey and vanilla, providing a very nice overall experience with enough complexity to keep it interesting.

I’m quite sure I’ll surprise a lot of people by declaring my preference for the Yamazaki 12 over the Macallan 12 overall.  Both are good, but the Yamazaki is better at delivering a complex experience.  At $65 at the SAQ, this is a better value in both relative and absolute terms on the Macallan 12 which is sold for almost $90.  The LCBO sells the Macallan 12 for roughly the same price in Ontario and does not carry the Yamazaki 12.  The Yamazaki 12 is a great drink for everyday, special occasions, and sharing with friends who are both whisky fans or not normally whisky drinkers.  Pick up a bottle, you won’t regret it.

Cheers!

Macallan 12

Today’s tasting is the Macallan 12 year old variety. Macallan is traditionally known for its rich sherry oaks in which its Speyside distillery produces some excellent Scotch whisky. The distillery has also established a Fine Oak range, which takes another approach altogether which I will not go into here. Macallan has become quite popular lately but has been known to produce fine whisky for a long time. Kingsley Amis referred to it in his book, Every Day Drinking as his “Drink of the Year”.

The Macallan is distilled in Spanish sherry oak casks from Jerez. These casks are filled with sherry and aged 2 years before being shipped to the Macallan distillery for maturing Macallan’s new make.

The product is a very rich amber colour, deep and satisfying to the eye. It is bottled at 43% alcohol by volume.

On the nose, the sherry influence is immediately apparent. Some fruit and orange peel are also present. A bit of smoke and wood even out the experience.

On the palate, there’s sherry again…so much sherry, and even cognac. The wood comes through much stronger on the palate than on the nose. Some smoke too. Fruit and orange peel, possibly some shades of chocolate orange mix in and provide some sweetness. There is a hint of spice somewhere in there.

The finish is long and satisfying. It is a dry finish mostly, with the fruit at the top giving way quickly to the wood. The wood finish reminds me of the smell of a wood fireplace or stove on a cold winter night. This would be a great a great drink to warm spirits on a cool night out on a deck.

A hint of water is all it takes to unlock more sherry notes, adding some sweetness to the nose and palate, but taking some off the finish. The water does a great job enhancing the experience on this whisky, but add too much and you quickly diminish the returns.

Overall, the whisky lives up to the hype. As Kingley Amis states in the aforementioned book, “the only drink you want after having some of it is more of it”. Highly recommended and a basis for comparing many other whiskies of the same kind, it does not come cheap. However, if you find yourself on a trip to the states, especially New Hampshire, I recommend picking up a bottle. It will cost you half of what you will pay in Quebec and Ontario.

Cheers!