Macallan Classic Cut (2019 Release)

There are two of the same bottles listed, which is interesting. So, this distillery tends to annoy us, but damn if they don't make some good malt that they dilute, mess up, then bottle poorly and overcharge for! This is their 2019 "classic cut," a diluted (they add water to the spirit) and misrepresented No Age Statement Cask Strength bottling—more marketing. It's the latest in the classic cut series. A series I've genuinely enjoyed despite this distillery's awful marketing and their strange commercial featuring someone seemingly committing suicide, only to perhaps sprout wings in a dream while falling to their death. Setting aside the suicide theme, let's get to the spirit. Nose - An appealing blend of vanilla and chocolate, enhanced by ginger with only a slight hint of raw alcohol. Then, I detect some citrus as it opens up, almost like orange notes. Interestingly, when it sits in the glass, I get those chocolate and vanilla notes, but if I keep tasting and don't let it sit, it's like orange vanilla cream and alcohol. Taste - Let's address the elephant in the room: this is clearly a young spirit. It's intensely sweet initially, becoming progressively more bitter as it goes down. Vanilla and a mix of bitter and citrus fruits are prominent and bold. The finish is all vanilla, cream, wonderful milk chocolate, and possibly even honey, as the packaging suggests. Overall, the finish is great, but the flavor profile is somewhat off-putting in relation to everything else. So, comparing the 17, 18, and 19? The 17 offers significantly more oak, but in a very pleasing way for these younger casks. It's richer, sweeter, and has a fuller body. The 18 seems thin in comparison. It has more spice and is frankly thin and almost dismissive. The 18 feels like an odd one out in the lineup. Oak isn't really a factor until the finish, where it provides a nice change. So, the 19 compared to them? Well, the 17 still stands out as the most drinkable and enjoyable, delivering the most ABV punch. For me, that's a true standout, although my 4.0 score might reflect me overhyping a bottle I felt was a good value rather than an accurate rating. I think I need to reconsider that score and make it more realistic. The 18 is still not an enjoyable spirit for me compared to the other two, but it's still very good. The 19? Well, it's good, but not exceptional. I'm giving this a 3.0, and frankly, I think I've rated both the 17 and 18 too highly before this. I still believe it's better than many significantly more expensive offerings from this distillery, but my standards are rising for what constitutes a 3.0 and certainly a 4.0. Full disclosure: while this bottle typically sells for $120-$135 at fair market prices around me, I somehow found it for $80. At $80, it's a must-buy for sherry fans. At the $100 mark, it's a good purchase, and above that, I'd pass. I will be reviewing the batch 8 glendronach and glenrothes blender's or maker's cut next—two more No Age Statement higher proof sherry spirits. I'll revisit this 2019 in comparison, so I reserve the right to adjust this score. However, I suspect both will rank below this, as 3.0s are not low scores for me.

I typically don't care for this distillery's products. If you've seen my previous notes, you'll know I'm not a fan of this brand. I acknowledge they produce decent spirits that many people enjoy, but I don't find them exceptional. However, I recently sampled the 2018 classic cut edition and was impressed. I rated it 92/100, and I recall that whisky as the most authentic expression of the brand I've ever had, embodying all the flavors I anticipate from them. This encouraged me to purchase the 2019 edition, and... well, continue reading. It's bottled at 52.9% ABV with a chestnut natural color. On the nose... it's very intricate. Oranges are immediately noticeable, followed by white chocolate, a very wine-like quality, dates, crème brûlée, nuts, cocoa, almonds, and amaretto liqueur. After the initial taste, dehydrated fruits emerge: raisins, dried oranges, and a mineralic spice. After ten minutes, it revealed more. Orange juice, thick liquid caramel, stewed apples, and latex. On the palate, it's simply incredible. Vanilla cupcake and fondant. A spicy note begins to develop after a few seconds, intensifying into that slightly salty taste you get from Coca-Cola (you might not have realized it, but Coca-Cola has a noticeable salt content). A second taste brought out chocolate, a medicinal quality, and latex, similar to the aroma. The finish is exceptionally satisfying. Red fruits, tobacco, and a mineralic spice. It evolves into ginger and chocolate. It's very lengthy with an overall mineral sensation. White chocolate with almonds can be perceived in the finish. So... I had a full page of tasting notes. I tried to deduct points for the nose, palate, and finish, but my sense of fairness wouldn't allow it. The more I attempted to lower its score, the more I recognized how well-crafted this dram is. It's not my favorite spirit, and I wouldn't be devastated if I never tasted it again, but I would certainly consider it near perfection for a spirit critic and enthusiast. Every rule has an exception, and this, my friends, is a perfect score: 100 out of 100. Cheers. Go get this.

Continuing my exploration of Macallan's range, I'm sampling their 2019 Classic Cut, bottled at 52.9% ABV. The aroma begins with sweet, creamy lemon-lime frosting and light leather, followed by dark chocolate-covered golden raisins and fresh espresso beans. Then come musty grapes, persimmons, and caramelized nectarines, transitioning to subtle baking spices and light oak with a moderate ethanol burn. The taste offers a medium mouthfeel, starting with sweet, creamy lemon-lime frosting and light leather, then a mild bitter spice that gradually fades to dark chocolate mocha, butterscotch pudding, and mandarin orange. This is followed by musty grapes, persimmons, and caramelized peaches, leading into subtle baking spices and light oak with a moderate ethanol burn. The medium-length finish features caramelized peaches, lime zest, dark chocolate-covered raisins, espresso, light black pepper, and mildly bitter black tea. This expression is a significant improvement over their 12-year-old Double Oak; the flavors are much richer, likely due to the 12.9% ABV increase, which balances creamy sweet and sour citrus fruits, a touch of earthiness, and youthful oak spice. There's a slight youthful tartness that would likely mellow with more age, but this demonstrates the potential Macallan possesses when they refrain from diluting their single malts into bland, characterless drinks.

Traded a bottle of Blanton's for this. I was half-expecting to be disappointed, but reading enough reviews made me feel fairly comfortable with the trade. The nose is a blast of raisin. I can also detect some dark chocolate and orange. The palate brings honey, jammy red fruit, raisin, dark chocolate, and a slight wisp of gunsmoke. Here, it feels more like a feature than a flaw. I didn't like the sulfur in the 12 year Sherry Oak, but the small amount I notice here comes across as complexity. The proof is perfect for me, full flavored, not hot, not watery. It turns out Macallan isn’t all overpriced garbage, although I effectively only paid $60 for this. Also, this is the 2019 release, and I've heard the more recent Classic Cut releases haven't been as good.

I tasted this immediately after the 2018 release. The earlier bottling has a more prominent aroma, while this one offers a fuller palate. The 2019 aroma is subdued compared to the powerfully aromatic 2018, but still displays the sherry influence with notes of dates, honey, and cinnamon apple pie. The slightly higher alcohol content (52.9% versus 51.2% for the 2018) is almost imperceptible on the palate when compared to the 2018. Pleasant vanilla notes are noticeable towards the end of the finish. Tasted in a Glencairn glass.

The color is a clear orange mahogany. The aroma has distinct sherry influence: dates, clove, honey, cinnamon, and spice cake. The palate combines vanilla with a touch of paraffin. It's substantial but balanced; you can tell it's not a standard 86-proof spirit (this one is 105.8). I have this bottle and the 2018 version; I need to find out about getting more recent ones.