Macallan Rare Cask

Continuing my journey through Macallan's offerings, I'm now sampling their 2020 Rare Cask, bottled at 43% ABV. The aroma is luxuriously smooth, presenting a blend of slightly tart black cherries, sweet lemon cream, and aged book bindings. It's followed by dark chocolate confections, fig preserves, and a subtle earthy, cavernous minerality. Notes of grape jam, apricots, and orange blossoms emerge, leading to ginger, cloves, cardamom, and the scent of polished antique furniture, with a slight alcoholic sharpness. The palate has a light body, beginning with a mix of slightly tart black cherries, sweet exotic fruits, and aged book bindings. Then comes a mild, sharp spice that gradually subsides into dark chocolate mocha, dried figs, and a faint earthy, cavernous minerality. Grape jam, apricots, and lime zest follow, transitioning to ginger, cloves, cardamom, and a subtly bitter black tea, with a hint of alcohol burn. The finish is moderately long, featuring orange blossom, dried mangoes, dark chocolate mocha, fig jam, gentle baking spices, aged book bindings, and a mildly bitter black tea. This is a delightful dram that captivates with its aroma, starting with a mild tartness that quickly gives way to creamy sweetness and aged oak, then earthy sweetness with dark fruits and musty caves, before a blend of sweet grapes, light citrus, and florals that fade into gentle spices and antique furniture, which is truly engaging and pleasing. The taste largely mirrors the pleasing profile of the aroma; however, the flavors are more subdued, like a subtle melody instead of the vibrant, delicate tune that initially drew me in. A mild bitterness detracts from the overall experience, finishing slightly sweet before settling into aged oak notes and a touch of bitterness. A very well-balanced and skillfully crafted dram, likely designed for those who prefer minimal alcohol burn, making it exceptionally easy to drink. However, the lower proof appears to have limited the expression of those aged sherry notes that I believe could have truly shone at a slightly higher proof. At almost $360 in my area, this does not warrant the high price tag for me. I'd be content with numerous other options for significantly less.

Ah, the highly acclaimed Macallan Rare Cask. This dram was at the top of my wish list from when I first began evaluating whiskey. Now that my knowledge of the spirit category has grown, my anticipation is lessened, but after sampling this at a tasting event four years ago, I felt compelled to try it again. So, here we are. Side note: This is an earlier bottling from when these featured lighter, scarlet-colored packaging. There’s no year-release indicated, so it’s obviously an older bottling, just impossible to identify precisely. Nose: Quintessential Macallan. An abundance of red fruit. Plum, cranberry, date, fig, raisin. Dried apricot and gala apple. New car leather. Vanilla, caramel, butterscotch, and toffee. Pound cake. Macadamia, pecan, and almond. Orange citrus. 1.25 Palate: A powerful burst of raisin, date, fig, plum, apple, and apricot. Generous amounts of vanilla, butterscotch, caramel, and toffee. Milk chocolate and orange citrus. Pound cake and more gala apple. So much of that. Cinnamon and oak. 1 Finish: Almond and macadamia. Orange and milk chocolate. Vanilla, toffee, butterscotch, and caramel. Some plum, now with golden raisin. Moderate duration. 1 You would struggle to discover a cleaner whiskey. Classic Macallan character. It’s genuinely enjoyable and easy to drink. But let’s get straight to the cost. Was this worth $425? Absolutely not. Now, I am fully aware that I overpaid for this particular bottle. It makes no difference. I often feel as though the whiskies are the ones writing these reviews, and I am merely a channel. Unfortunately, from time to time, an element of the experience is so striking that it overshadows the whiskey itself, which would typically be the sole focus of every review. 3.0/5. I am certain I can locate this for considerably less money. So I might revisit and adjust the score. I previously rated this a 3.75 before factoring in value for money, but I deducted 3/4 of a star due to the outrageous price for something vaguely presented as a blend of their top 1% of casks. Well, it is a perfectly palatable and pleasant whiskey, but for that amount of money, I require an age statement, or a more respectable alcohol by volume percentage, or some distinctive characteristic that sets it apart from their more common offerings.

I was surprised my initial Macallan experience was this remarkable. The moment I unsealed it, a strong scent permeated the entire area. After pouring, its light, tea-like hue was less captivating than its aroma. While smelling, I first detected banana, then citrus and honey scents. During the drink, a delicate chocolate note emerged, and as it went down, it produced a pleasant warmth. That warmth suggested an age of at least 10, possibly even 15 years.

Tart cherry apple pie & rich raisin flavor with some vanilla blended in. Hints of dates, prunes and maple syrup. Slight char from an oak barrel beneath the dominant sherry notes. Velvety smooth chocolate concludes this one very nicely. So easy to drink, you might forget it's Scotch. I anticipated a lengthier finish for the cost, hence a slightly reduced score.

Wonderful, mellow first sip, followed by a delicate fruitiness and a robust, lingering finish. Pairs excellently with steak or a rich cigar. I suspect it would be fantastic with an Ashton Wizard cigar.

Nose: Delicate overall, with hints of caramel and spice. Tasting: Naturally, I detect that initial sherry flavor. Pleasant oak notes, with dried fruit. Finish: This whiskey lingers wonderfully.