Review #2: The Macallan Edition No. 2

Distillery: Macallan

ABV: 48.2% NCF(?)

Age: NAS

Price: $100

Color: 1.9 Brown Sherry.

Nose (according to the wife): Bit of vanilla, toasted wood, and leather. Surprisingly a bit nutty as well. Smell similar to Japanese black sugar candies is very strong throughout.

Palate: More bitter than you would expect, though with a little water it isn’t as prominent. Similar to the nose, there is a lot of the black sugar candy taste (maybe molasses/treacle?). The sweetness from the sherry comes through along with some vanilla and toasted wood. Box says there are notes of dried fruit, I don’t really seem to find it anywhere.

Finish: Finish is where this whisky really falls on its face. It is a nice, slow finish however it is very spicy similar to a young wine in first fill oak casks. With some water, bitterness replaces the spice a bit. To the very end, the black sugar candy flavor is there.

Conclusion: Overall, a pretty good whisky but one that I think could’ve been a lot more than pretty good. Perhaps letting it age a little more would tone down the spice and let the sherry flavor sink in. Definitely better than Macallan’s lower-end offerings (Gold, 10 year, 12 year) and a nice glimpse into what this distillery can actually produce.

Final Score: 83

Scotch whisky review #2, Speyside review #2, Whisky Network Review #2

Scoring Legend:

• 96-100: The perfect dram, nectar of the gods.
• 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky.
• 85-89: Amazing, will always try to keep a bottle of this in my collection.
• 80-84: Very Good, maybe only one minor nitpick about the whisky keeping it here.
• 75-79: Good, quite enjoyable to drink.
• 70-74: Solid, wouldn’t go out of my way to get it.
• 60-69: Meh, still drinkable.
• Below 59: If you have a bottle of this, start cooking with it instead.

Originally reviewed Feb. 13, 2018.