Pride Of Strathspey 1950

In 1950, Macallan was not the high-end, marketing-driven brand it is today. They struggled to sell their production, and James Gordon & Co. (later Gordon & MacPhail) would purchase their unaged spirit and bottle it as "PRIDE OF STRATHSPEY". This independent bottling is acknowledged to be a 1950 Macallan, even though the distillery is undisclosed. Bottled in 1970 at 40% abv, it's a 20-year-old. This was part of "The Perfect Collection" by Richard Gooding and is one of 10 bottles I won at that historic auction. The nose is absolutely stunning, featuring a lovely coffee aroma, caramel popcorn, figs, and hints of lemon and passionfruit. It becomes much sweeter after the first sip, with an incredible blackberry marmalade note. The palate is one of the most delicious single malts I've ever experienced, with notes of liquorice, blackberry jam, and thick sherry. It's very winey, with figs, raisins, and plums. It's elegant, smooth, and very tasty. The aftertaste is the only area where it falls slightly short; while wonderful, it's not very long. It has notes of prunes, clove, figs, and quince dessert, with a hint of salt, reminiscent of dark chocolate with salt. Cinnamon is also present. Overall, even though I'm not a Macallan fan, I now understand its prestige. Older spirits like this possess characteristics absent in newer releases, especially considering Macallan's current trend of frequent new, young, and NAS bottlings. It's a fantastic dram; the finish could be longer for perfection, but it remains a remarkable whisky. I rate it 97 out of 100. Cheers!