Macallan Double Cask Gold

I didn't get to try this while it was being made, but thankfully I found it on a shelf years later. This purchase might have been a waste of money, but as someone who likes to complete sets, I couldn't pass it up. It might be gone, but this bottling started the Double Cask line, and I suppose that's enough reason for me to be interested. Aroma: Milk chocolate, vanilla, toffee, and caramel. Toasted almond. Peanut butter cookie. Pencil shavings. Lemon-lime soda. Citrus orange. Gala apple, pear, apricot, and golden raisin. Plum, date, and fig. Honey and butterscotch. Cinnamon, black and white pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Mild green, young notes are scattered throughout, indicating youth, with some more floral, refined ones mixed in. Palate: Velvet and leather. Citrus orange. Butterscotch, honey, caramel, vanilla, sugar cookie, and toffee. Especially the first two. Toasted almond. Pencil shavings. Apple, pear, and apricot. Heavy on the plum, raisin, fig, and date. Pipe smoke and cocoa. Cinnamon, black and white pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Finish: Plum, raisin, date, and fig. Tastes like a Fig Newton, even. Citrus orange. Cocoa. Milk chocolate, vanilla, and toffee. Cinnamon, black and white pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. This is unexpectedly good. I can't imagine it's much younger than their 12-year Double Cask. This appears to be the replacement for the 10-year, and now there's a gap in that position. Or, more likely, this was simply younger stock that would eventually become the DC. If that's the situation, this was a test run and its discontinuation makes sense. Now, I liked this. It follows all the conventions of the Macallan DC series. In hindsight, it's not revolutionary, but when it was first released, it was a unique and valuable endeavor. I spent $100 on this, but as I mentioned, I paid extra for my curiosity. Retailers know when they have something you can no longer buy, and therefore, I won't be too critical of this because it cost about $50 in its time. But, the 40% abv and lack of age statement do detract from it a little. A score of 3/5 feels appropriate. I'm deducting a quarter of a star for value. I'm still glad I got it though.

A non-age-statement alternate bottling of the double cask expression (the other is a 12-year); and clearly a younger Macallan that is a good choice for just $45. Bottled at 40% abv On the aroma, your typical Macallan; the almost cliché chocolate, dulce de leche, Snickers, Milky Way, and Butterfinger, BUT the herbal notes are almost absent here, leaving an acetone/alcohol scent that isn't unpleasant. On the palate, it's a little rough but retains the toffee and nuttiness of the 12-year, but it definitely feels younger. A short clove aftertaste. Overall, this is a less expensive, but not vastly different in flavor and aroma, bottling than the 12-year, it merits at least a 76 out of 100.

It's light and floral at first. The sweetness is immediately apparent, with sherry influences noticeable, but sweetness is the dominant characteristic. As the flavors develop, there's a lot of vanilla and a touch of dark chocolate. The moderately short finish remains sweet and slightly spicy. In summary, this lacks complexity and nuance. It's sweet, sherried, and has ample vanilla. An easily sipped and very approachable drink.

Smells like milk chocolate, dark red cherries, ginger, and nutmeg. Tastes of mild spices, bittersweet fruits, and malty vanilla. The brief finish is dry like sherry, with chocolate-covered raisins and a hint of waxy walnuts. Overall: This is a NAS bottle, formerly the 1824 Gold and now called the Double Cask Gold, and it unfortunately shows. If you want a Macallan, spend a little more for the Double Cask 12 Year.

The nose has hints of toasted butterscotch and lemon, with a subtle, underlying note of oak and leather. The initial taste is very mellow and smooth, without any burn, featuring a pleasant blend of oak and toasted nuts, not excessively sweet, with honey and lemon taking a secondary role. Midway, a gentle warmth emerges, leading to a somewhat dry, woody finish that isn't very enjoyable.

Aroma: I detect dark fruit and a musty smell, almost like wine. Notes of dark chocolate and spice are present. 2/5 Palate: Somewhat thin. The sherry influence is clearly noticeable. Flavors include ripe fruits, spice, chocolate, and a hint of leather. Not terrible. 3/5 Overall impression: 2.5 /5