Macallan, or rather "Speyside (M)", has become hot stuff in the indie bottler scene with specific thanks to Signatory Vintage. At some point the Symington squad scored many casks from Edrington's cash cow. As of today, Signatory has released at least 45 different Speyside (M)s across three different ranges — Cask Strength Collection, 100 Proof Edition, and Small Batch Edition — in less than two years, all (or most) of which had sherry cask maturation.
This will be the first time I have reviewed a Signatory 100 Proof Edition, a range that instantly created its own rung on the single malt pricing ladder, offering age-stated (usually over 10yrs) high-strength, oft-sherried, very small batch single malts at less than 60 euros. They beat everyone to it. And the quality is there, I can attest to that.
Signatory has also expanded their Small Batch Edition range which offers single malts older than the 100 Proofers, with a less fiery ABV, at a slightly higher price.
The Cask Strength Collection continues to soar, though many of the range's whiskies have had secondary maturations.
Today I will indulge in three Speyside (M)s, one from each of these ranges. The first is an official "Things I Really Drink", a 14 year old 2010 (1st and 2nd fill oloroso butts) from the Small Batch range, a bottle I split halfsies with the Doctors Springbank. The second is a 13yo (1st and refill oloroso butts) from the 100 Proof Edition range. And the third, an 18 year old first-fill oloroso butt, comes from the classic Cask Strength Collection.
I probably have not tried three Macallans in one night in nearly 15 years. Things were different then.
THREE MACALLAN MATES
| Speyside (M) 14-year-old 2010 Signatory Small Batch #16 48.2%abv | Speyside (M) 13-year-old 2011 Signatory 100 Proof #27 57.1%abv | Speyside (M) 18-year-old 2005 Signatory Cask Strength cask DRU17/A106#5 57.7%abv |
|---|---|---|
| The nose offers mint, chocolate, and walnuts up top; dried cherries, dried raspberries, and a hint of dunnage underneath. It gets more milk chocolatey with time. It picks up more dunnage funk once diluted to 43%abv. Dark chocolate and coal mix with dried raspberries and vanilla bean. | The nose, very different than the 14's, dishes out carob, dried blueberries, baklava, cherry bubblegum, toffee pudding, and a whiff of gunpowder. The gunpowder expands once the whisky is dropped to 43%abv. The nose gets more leathery, briny, and meaty. | The deepest nose of the three. Raw cocoa, asphalt, dried cherries, and black currant jam up front, freshly polished leather shoes in the middle, toffee pudding in the back. At 43%abv, it feels darker (if that makes sense) with dunnage, steel wool, pine sap, and orange oil. |
| This palate goes a direction different than the nose. Savory dried herbs, metal, and cocoa appear first, followed bitterer herbs, toasty oak, dusty smoke. At 43%abv mixed nuts take over, followed by fresher berries and a touch of soot. | No gunpowder on the neat palate. It's actually quite plummy at first, but then shifts gears: tobacco, raw walnut, raw almonds, salt, pepper, and very dry sherry. Diluted to 43%abv, the whisky takes on a gentle honeyed sweetness, with Cow Tales candy and a hint of gunpowder. | Loads of tobacco, metal, and earth arrive in the palate first, followed by blood oranges, dried leaves, and a wormwood bitterness. This palate also gets sweeter at 43%abv, with banana pudding, sugar cookies, toffee pudding, and mint leaf. |
| The finish follows the un-sweet path with raw walnuts, dried herbs, and tart limes. When dropped to 43%abv, the whisky gets slightly sweeter, with fresh berries being balanced out with salt and pepper. | Raw nuts, salt, pepper, and that very dry sherry finish it off. It switches to honey, salt, and ash once diluted to 50%abv. | It finishes smoky, leafy, earthy, with raw walnuts and herbal bitterness. The 43%abv finish matches the palate, then adds a vibrant peppery zing. |
| Comments: I am enjoying my 350mL! The whisky has the right bottling strength, though slight dilution doesn't hurt a thing. The prettier nose and grittier palate offer a great contrast, with neither besting the other. Gimme a little dunnage and soot in my Macallan anytime. | Comments: Slightly dirty, slightly wild, with an impressive dryness (when neat) this Macallan has more fight to it than Edrington would ever allow in their standard releases. As noted above, this reads like the cask was seasoned with something closer to Manzanilla than Oloroso, which is a good thing. | Comments: It's a heavy one, a beast that only shows its sensitive side once doused with water. The surprising earthiness gives the neat finish some Kilkerran vibes. The fruits' cameo appearances push this whisky to the big 9-0. |
| Rating: 86 | Rating: 87 | Rating: 90 (when neat) |
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