Let’s start publishing the reviews from our tweet-tasting. Since we are tidy people, we start from the beginning: Macallan Gold. As you certainly know, the new NAS serie is focused on a bizzarre theory of colours: Bob Dalgarno, Macallan’s whisky maker, wrote he decided to blend and bottle the whiskies following a chromatic scale to demonstrate that casks matter and an old whisky is not necessarily better or more expensive than another… Ok, our power of discernment would lead us to let Bob go away fastly with all his marketing circus. Anyway, let’s check these whiskies. The Gold is golden (…) and it was bottled at 40% ABV. On every label is written “esclusively matured in sherry oak casks from Jerez, Spain”: no more “fine oak”, so we’re probably talking about a mix of American and European oak casks, both ex Sherry.
N: it seems too much alcoholic and it doesn’t hide its young age, showing grains and porridge notes, with sugary candied fruits. After that, there’s a delightful aroma of almonds and hazelnuts and a little bit of oak influence (even wood polish). Dried raisins and a hint of vanilla. Wonderfully fresh.
P: exactly the same pattern as in the nose: very gentle and round, even if the taste lacks of intensity… Again nuts in the front row (same almonds and hazelnuts), later a bit of sultanas, without that annoying sweetness that sometimes accompanies this kind of flavours. Oak and vanilla give a more than decent contribution. Deliciously malty and biscuity.
F: surprisingly long and surprisingly focused on red fruits, along with the nuts.
It’s better than many other entry-level Speysiders, even if it’s not mind-blowing… Young and simple, but with a distinctive character: malt and nuts are the stars of this well balanced dram. Our vote is 82/100; in UK you can buy it for 35 pounds. We thank Matteo for the samples.
Recommended soundtrack: Spandau Ballet – Gold!
