I must say I’ve always loved Macallan. It really is one of the finest Scotch Whiskys there is. The 12 yr old is an institution within the whiskey world as is the 18yr. As with a lot of distilleries, The Macallan have moved into non age statement whiskys , abbreviated to NAS, with their 1824 Series. Launched in late 2012 with their “Gold” bottling it was soon followed by three more releases, the Amber, Sienna and Ruby in 2013. The whiskys themselves get their name from the colour of their spirit and are not categorised by age although I suspect as you rise through the range they do have parts of older spirits in them. The Macallan have stated that they are 100% natural colour, so no E150 colouring used here. All four releases use ex Sherry casks with a mixture of 1st and 2nd fill being used and as you rise up through the range, the colour becomes richer.
For this post I’m going to have a look at the Amber release. Bottled at 40% ABV. this release has a higher percentage of 1st fill sherry butts which gives it that warmer amber colour as apposed to the Gold release. Overall it is a very enjoyable drop and I would recommend it over the Gold which left me unimpressed and disappointed. I am a lover of Sherry influenced whisk(e)ys so this did deliver for me, although it’s nowhere near the 12 or the rest of the age statement Macallans. Available for approximately €60. My tasting notes are as follows;
Nose: Raisins opening up to cinnamon and vanilla. Sweeter than I expected.
Palate: Very gentle smooth taste. Green apples and again some cinnamon. Maybe some grape in there?
Finish: Medium finish that is pleasant. Apples again and some chocolate lingering there somewhere.
That's Dram Good 