Macallan Classic Cut (2018 Release)

It pains me to write this. If we look back to early 2017, when Macallan launched the first Classic Cut, I was ecstatic. I enjoyed that malt so immensely that I spent an entire Saturday driving around central Virginia, gathering every bottle I could find on local store shelves (this was mid-to-late summer, and most bottles had already vanished). I ended up with 8 bottles. I knew this was a malt I'd want to revisit periodically, so I needed a substantial quantity. Now, fast forward to about a month ago, and I see the new 2018 version on display, beckoning me – same vibrant red packaging, same classic bottle design and label. Well, naturally, I'll likely require 8 bottles of this year's release as well. Fortunately, the store only had 3, so my investment is currently $270 plus taxes. The issue is, this year's iteration is an absolute disaster. I can't comprehend what has occurred. This bottle shows a 7-8% decrease in ABV, which can't be the sole reason. I still can't pinpoint the primary flaw. I'm baffled. The 2018 version is a pale gold color and forms medium drops with oily, rapidly developing legs in the glass. It's bottled at a substantial 51.2% ABV. It remains priced at $89 here in Virginia. The aroma hints at the shortcomings: artificial, buttered popcorn greets you immediately upon opening. Some unusual oak notes and weak sherry characteristics assault the senses in turn. I detect that same diacetyl acid flavor persisting, regardless of how long it rests. The palate is quite luscious, almost mouthwatering. Unfortunately, that same buttered popcorn flavor overpowers the sherry cask influence expected from Macallan. There are some berry and Juicy Fruit gum notes mixed with what I can only describe as "wicker basket" wood characteristics. It becomes very dry, very quickly. What happened? The finish is warming, due to the near cask strength, but again, it's mostly buttered sherry that lingers, eventually becoming extremely dry. I've given this bottle time and multiple tastings, and these notes haven't significantly improved (nor worsened, thankfully). I must compare this to its successor, and it's a regrettable follow-up. Frankly, it's not even a very good Macallan. Thankfully, I didn't purchase additional bottles, and a friend unknowingly accepted one from me as a Christmas gift (I shipped it to him before opening my own bottle, so I didn't foist this upon him, haha). Thus, I'm left with one bottle that I'll happily store away for a potential future set (if Macallan continues this series). I hope they acknowledge this bottle's weaknesses and avoid repeating them. As it stands, this is a 2-2.25 bottle. Seek out the 2017 version and leave this one for the less discerning, my friends. Cheers.

A friend gifted me this 2018 Macallan Classic Cut for Christmas. He offered a choice between this and, I believe, the GlenDronach Peated Portwood. Having enjoyed the 2017 version, I opted for this one. It's bottled at 51.2% ABV (a significant decrease from 2017), non-chill filtered, and has a natural orange-amber color. The aroma begins with sweet raisins but abruptly shifts to artificial movie theater popcorn butter topping – that thick, greasy, fake butter smell – along with a strong sulfur note. It's very sweet and fruity, with unusual oaky characteristics, as if the butter and sulfur have permeated the wood. Notes of grape jelly, strawberry jam, blackberries, cranberries, and blueberries are present, along with butter toffee, caramel, vanilla, and pie crust. I also detected cashews, possibly peanuts, light maple, brown sugar, and even a hint of white chocolate. Extended aeration brings out more caramel. Adding too much water results in a slightly sour taste, muting the buttery notes and revealing more raisins and faint spices, like baked apples and pears. The palate is intensely sherry-forward, bright and juicy, but its youth is evident. It's sulfuric and buttery, reminiscent of melted butter and a sulfur candle mixed into cheap sherry. Disappointing. It also has caramel and some mint, with tart berries but still some sweetness, like a berry compote with insufficient sugar. Sherried oak and faint cocoa powder are discernible, along with raisins, craisins, and light ginger. Despite the ABV, the heat is mild, only noticeable occasionally. Water doesn't alter it much, slightly increasing sweetness and toning down the overall profile. The mouthfeel is medium to full-bodied, oily, and mouthwatering. The finish is lengthy, featuring sherry, mint tea, caramel, and a slightly tart, dry quality. I took over a month to finish this bottle. For the first two-thirds, the buttery and sulfuric notes were inescapable and a burden. While still present in the final third, they were greatly diminished, allowing the berry notes to be more appreciated. Compared to its 2017 predecessor, it was quite a letdown, akin to drinking cask-strength mixed berry jam, which isn't really my preference. Some positive aspects exist but are heavily overshadowed by those peculiar notes. Thanks for the gift, it certainly got me buzzed on several occasions, but I'm done with this 2018 Classic Cut. Cheers.

It feels strange to evaluate this the day after sampling their 21 year Fine Oak (or whatever triple name it is), and it's even stranger that I anticipate awarding this a much higher score. For the sake of data, let's proceed. Nose - Sweet, robust, sherry, chocolate, caramel, ginger, and a fruit candy somewhere between peach and orange. The finish shows some younger oak notes, which isn't surprising given this is likely mostly 6-12 year old whisky. However, it's quite subtle and not unpleasant. Taste - The flavors here are abundant, and I still can't quite identify the fruit. It's somewhat like orange but lacks the citrus sharpness. Vanilla is present, along with some warm baking spices. Finish - Citrus becomes more prominent in the finish, which is long and lingering due to the strong alcohol intensity. Now, with all Macallans, we encounter more peculiarities... despite the name, this is not actually cask strength. The 2018, with its lower ABV, comes across even less so than the 2017 and lacks the creamy mouthfeel it could have possessed. I suspect their arbitrary ABV was designed to mislead whisky enthusiasts, and frankly, it's just another instance of their peculiar marketing. Putting aside their questionable marketing, how is it overall? This is a very good whisky. I plan to review the 2017 next to see, but I'm finding they've managed to conceal the youth quite nicely. However, with even a little experience, the difference compared to well-aged whisky is discernible. Still, it's a distinctive and genuinely enjoyable flavor profile for me. It's dangerously smooth and might be among the best whiskies for daytime enjoyment (on a weekend, naturally). It possesses the complexity for a top-tier dram, but the finish and transitions are much more in line with a considerably cheaper whisky. For $100 - I'd recommend it if you appreciate sherry whiskies. It's a significant improvement over the Glendronach batch 7 (confirmed in a blind tasting), but it falls considerably short of the less expensive Tamdhu batch 3 I sampled during the tasting. A score of 3.0. If this is your preference, you should definitely purchase it. If not... you'd need to be someone who frequently spends $200+ on whisky for this to be a worthwhile gamble.

Perhaps the "Classic Cut" moniker stems from Macallan's six pillars marketing, but its essence should lie in truly classic Macallan tastes and scents. I'd seen this bottle many times but never bought it, as I'm not a die-hard Macallan follower. However, I now realize I should have, especially since this expression represents the most "Macallan" whisky Macallan has ever produced. If you aim to demonstrate the potential of a classic Macallan profile, this is the one. It fulfills every characteristic of the "Macallan profile" checklist. Presented at 51.2% ABV with a rich amber hue. Nose: Wood shavings and chocolate. Maraschino cherries. Cocoa butter, cookie dough, red fruits, and more chocolate. Straightforward, classic sherry. A hint of soap. Hazelnut, coffee. A second whiff reveals subtle artificial citrus notes, akin to air freshener. More cherries. Palate: Delightful, robust, and packed with flavor. Begins quite sweet, like chocolate and dulce de leche. Cocoa butter. It then shifts to a very mineral character. An "unbelievable" effervescent sensation on the palate; peppery, with a potent oak spice explosion. A subsequent taste brings toffee; cinnamon and apples. Quite pleasing. Finish: A quintessential Macallan on the initial taste. Sawdust, minerals, and sulfur, with significant oakiness/woodiness. Subsequent sips offer tobacco leaf and traces of refined smoke. Exquisite. In conclusion, I genuinely enjoyed this bottling and would suggest it. I consider it worth the $118 asking price. A well-rounded, dependable dram, scoring 92 out of 100.

Nose: 87. Smells of candied ginger and powdered sugar, with ripe figs and nutmeg. It's a classic Macallan aroma, but less intense and complex than the Edition 2, 3, or 4. There's a sulfur scent, similar to Macallan 12. Palate: 88. Tastes of chewy ginger candy and orange milk chocolate. Finish: 87. Lingering spicy oak and vanilla, with a touch of sulfur. Overall: 87. I appreciate the high alcohol content, but this bottling isn't as good as the previous year's. The 2017 was fantastic; this 2018 version is quite disappointing. VFM: 84. Originally $100, now seen for $80, which is still too much for what it offers.

A solid example of what I like: classic musty, malt-forward, sherry-aged scotch. However, the distillery's inflated pricing strategy means comparable bottles can be found for half the cost. It offers notes of lemon, dates, and butterscotch, with a whisper of mace. Imagine a glazed scone or perhaps some Irish soda bread. Hazelnut comes through, along with a mild pepperiness that initially tingles the tongue but mellows with aeration. Notes of vanilla and oak are present. It has a very smooth, creamy texture, starting with a soft lemon curd sensation that reappears later as lingering nutmeg and Szechuan pepper. There's some chocolate, leaning more towards milk than dark. This expression is bolder and more intricate than the 12-year-old. It's certainly more assertive than the 18-year-old, though I feel this particular bottle doesn't possess the depth and subtlety found in the highly enjoyable, albeit excessively priced, 18-year-old. I believe it has a place in their lineup. I'm uncertain how much variation exists annually, as this is my first taste. I acknowledge the justified criticism the distillery receives for its pricing, and perhaps for declining quality, but this one met my expectations. The taste is likely around 4.25+, but the value brings it down. Still, a fine dram in my opinion.