Not really a proper tasting per se, but managed to get a sample of the Macallan Rare Cask Black at the DFS in Hanoi's international airport. There was no sales staff there, but the bottles were labelled for tasting, had the sticker seal broken, and were obviously not full. And there were plastic cups available. That's an open invitation, right?
I figured that this is the only time I'll get to try the Macallan Rare Cask Black, so why not. I'm not going to pay $600 for NAS Macallan, no matter how impressive or bulky the packaging is.
So, a peaty/smoky sherry bomb, yes? Sounds like Highland Park.
Macallan Rare Cask Black (abv 48%)
Colour - Teak-wood-ish
Nose - The peat and smoke isn't obvious at all on first nosing, becoming a little more prominent with some time. But this is still predominantly a sherried whisky. Raisins, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon...figs? A little peppery too. So far so good.
Palate - Mm. A little alcohol prickliness, but still, smooth. Velvety sherried notes - prunes, raisins, but without the tartness. Some vanilla. A hint of liquorice. The usual sherry spices - nutmeg, cloves. Maybe a touch of pepper. Charred oak and some smoke. A little drying and slightly bitter.
Finish - The smoke is the most obvious here, when you breath in through your mouth after swallowing. Still a little sweet. Not too long. Drying, with fairly strong tannin.
Overall - Pretty good, and the flavour profiles don't stray much from what's advertised. But, while good, this tastes like maybe a Highland Park 18 with less heather and floral notes but more sherry. It lacks the smooth subtlety of the Macallan 18, and doesn't have the abounding richness of the 12. The weak smoke that it gains, I feel, doesn't quite justify its pricing above the 2 other staple Macallans. Nor is it better than the Highland Park 18. So, why is this even worth $600...? Who'll pay for it...??
If you're thinking of getting this, don't. Get Highland Park instead, for your smoked sherry bomb fix.
No comments:
Post a Comment