Macallan Edition No. 4

info: A fourth bottle from the Macallan "Edition" series. This time, it's a blend of 7 different sherry casks. We expect a typical sherry aroma combination. I'm copying the cask details: "European/American Oak refill butts, European/American Oak refill hogsheads, American Oak first fill Vasyma hogsheads, European Oak first fill Diego Martin Rosado butts, European Oak first fill Jose Y Miguel Martin butts, European Oak first fill Tevasa butts/puncheons and European Oak first fill Tevasa hogsheads." Nose: Cinnamon, orange zest, and red fruits. Palate: A lot is happening here! Where to begin? Up front and equally present, you get the red fruits. Oak notes like burnt coffee beans. Dates, blackberries, red berries. Lemon zest. Definitely citrus somewhere. Raisins. Brittle honey (like the honey found in cereal). Very complex. Finish: A bit coppery, a Coca-Cola aftertaste, still cinnamon, coffee? red fruits. Overall: Pricy, but I think it's worth it given the complexity. I enjoy the avalanche of aromas it offers. I loved the Macallan no. 2 for its intensity, but here it's more about pure complexity than intensity. It's not exactly delicate, though, at 48.4% (vs. 48.2% for no. 2), but on the palate, no. 4 is smoother. No. 4 also seems more complex. No. 2 was a sherry "punch in the face," no. 3 was a ginger spice play, no. 4 is a complex sherry play. To risk sounding crazy, this is the kind of sherry play you'd find in Glendronach. If you liked the Glendro 21, chances are you'll like no. 4 (even though the Glendro 21 remains far superior in my opinion). In short, what to remember from this scotch: enormous aromatic complexity on the palate, smoothness, and red fruit. Definitely better than #3, but behind no. 2 in my opinion. In short, I love it! Still an excellent no. 4, 94%

The Macallan Edition Series always makes single malt collectors rush to buy. After trying Edition No. 3, I thought it was decent but definitely not worth the buzz. Undeterred, I got its successor and I'm here to see how it compares. Nose: Plenty of sherry. Dried grapes, dates, cranberry, and fig. Plum with some cola and caramel. A bit of nail polish, similar to No. 3 but less intense. An unusual wintergreen note. Finally, honey, toffee, and orange citrus. Leather isn't obvious at first but shows up later. Palate: More dried grape, date, fig, and plum from the sherry. Cola and leather. Poundcake. Caramel, toffee, brown sugar, milk chocolate, vanilla, and syrup (not maple). The orange is back, with some apple. Finally, oak spice emerges as cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. Quite like the nose, but with more complexity. Finish: Begins with some bitter orange peel. Vanilla and milk chocolate combine like ice cream cake, a taste I often get from a Macallan palate/finish. It's quick though; it soon shifts to cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove spice. Medium length. I believe I gave the No. 3 a 3.5. I compared the two side-by-side, and they were about the same. I can't rate this one higher than 3.25. That means I need to re-evaluate the No. 3... Anyway. Solid whisky. Worth the excitement? Definitely not. I'd be happy with my purchase at $50. For the $100 I spent? No thanks. Secondary market prices? Anyone paying over $100 would be completely foolish. They nailed the palate, while the nose and finish are totally unmemorable. For $100, I expect memorable. This is a major factor in my rating. At this price, the Macallan 15 is the clear winner from this distillery, significantly outperforming No. 3 and 4. No. 2 is coming soon, and, heads up, it will do much better than its successors. Good whisky, bad value, unwarranted hype.

It's time to discuss my experiences with the newer Macallan NAS Editions. They've launched one of these annually since 2015, each being an experimental batch with different blenders, wood types, and so on. Retail prices have stayed steady at around $90-100 per batch. However, the secondary market has gone wild for Edition No. 1, with bottles now fetching nearly $1000. The definitive answer to that is 'No.' Let's focus on the 2018 release: Edition No. 4. Its experiment centers on wood influence, mainly sherry casks (no surprise there, given Macallan's fondness for sherry wood). This one presents a dark, amber color in the glass. It appears slightly watery, leaving thin legs. Bottled at 48.4%, it's non-chill filtered with no added color, as is typical for Macallan. The aroma is predictably sherry-driven: grape sweetness alongside ripe red berries, lightly toasted nuts, and honey-glazed apples. It becomes quite complex the longer you linger with it and is very welcoming. Classic Macallan. The taste is also sherry-powered. You'll find juicy citrus wedges, light vanilla, with hints of sharp oak appearing midway through. The mouthfeel isn't as rich as Edition No. 3. The finish is of medium length and surprisingly peppery for a Macallan. The harsher-than-expected wood notes irritate the tongue and throat a bit too much for my preference, though it does leave a lingering sherry note long after the sip concludes. Overall, this one is almost classic Macallan. The added harshness is neither anticipated nor desired. I can't say I'd suggest this when you could easily save an extra $25-35 and have just as enjoyable an experience with the standard 12-year-old or Double Cask. The unfortunate part is that my upcoming review of Edition 3 will reveal even more shortcomings in this series. I still have an unopened bottle of No. 2 to try, but I won't be paying a premium for the initial release. 3.5 stars, at most. Cheers.

Moving along with the annual Macallan Edition releases, we arrive at Edition No. 4, a sample from a friend. It's bottled at 48.4% ABV, is non chill filtered, and has a natural dark amber/copper color. A slight alcohol tingle on the nose, followed by prominent oak, honey, and floral notes. I detected raisins, plums, cranberries, oranges, and red apples. It's quite fruity, with a subtle sherry undertone. Notes of tobacco, caramel, vanilla, and a bit of allspice. Flavors of butter toffee, maple syrup, and light mint chocolate. The palate is rich but not excessively sweet. Strong notes of raisins, figs, and oak. Hints of walnuts, clove, and nutmeg, alongside an unwelcome acetone flavor that lingered too long. Plums, prunes, chocolate, and orange zest. Sugary syrup, more peppery oak, and a touch of cherry syrup. A light to medium body that feels thin, watery, and mouthwatering. The finish is lengthy, with oak, spice, sherry, light citrus, chocolate, and black cherries. Compared to the previous two (Editions 2 and 3), this is the least impressive so far. That's not to say it's bad, but it offers less. The nose is quite good, a classic Macallan profile, but the palate felt a bit harsh and somewhat lacked depth. If the nose hadn't been as good (which wasn't extraordinary), I would have rated this a 3.5, but I'm settling on 3.75. Cheers

The Macallan has put out its "edition no. 4," part of a yearly limited collection. Edition No. 1 is nearly gone. No. 2 wasn't great, no. 3 possessed a delightful smell, and this no. 4... It surpasses them all. As usual, I'll begin by stating I'm not a big Macallan supporter, but this, purchased early, is a fantastic and inexpensive drink. Around $90. It was launched as a nod to Macallan's new £140 million distillery. It comes in at 48.4% ABV with a stunning chestnut hue. The aroma is your standard Macallan scent amplified. Extremely sweet, with notes of toffee, Twix bars, butterscotch, Reese's, dulce de leche, and that signature Macallan cut grass/herbal hint. Fantastic. The taste is similarly sweet and spiced, featuring caramel, scorched caramel, milk chocolate, oak, and clove. The finish is lengthy, well-rounded, and full-bodied. Outstanding. This expression earns my admiration, and I urge you to purchase it immediately while it's still affordable. A brilliant dram, scoring 91 out of 100. Cheers.

Perhaps it's because it's Tuesday, I have employment, and I'm alive that this tastes great... not too concerned about COVID-19 ending me... I believe the upcoming 4-week confinement with my spouse and offspring, starting today, will get there first when we inevitably end each other. I read that New Zealand exports enough food to sustain 40 million people, or ten times its population, so we should be alright... plenty of beef eye fillet, and this whiskey is always a good pairing. Toffee, burnt caramel, spicy. I am rather fond of it. I had thought after the Oscuro experience, it would have ruined Macallan for me permanently, but no, it hasn't. It is peculiar, though; Macallan frequently possesses this characteristic where the more I consume it, the more the slightly bitter, astringent aftertaste, which I don't notice initially, builds on my tongue and significantly detracts. The superior expressions like Rare Black, Oscuro, etc., lack this, unlike their lower and mid-tier offerings. Anyway, started at a 4. 3.75 at most.