Tasted #51, #52 & #53: The Macallan 1824 Series (Amber, Sienna & Ruby)

Third time tasting these, but first time actually taking proper notes (the first was a quick taste at The Oak Barrel Whisky Fair, the second at the 1824 Series launch party where by the third dram the hunger pangs were kicking in...)

So, thoughts? In a nutshell - an impressive range, and one that addresses a few of my concerns with previous (age statement) releases of The Macallan.

(For more information on the Series in Australia, see here).

The Macallan 1824 Series Amber (40% ABV, NAS, Speyside Scotland, $105AUD)

Colour: The lightest of the three - true to it's name, a light, vibrant "Amber".
Nose: Alcohol esthers up first - there are clearly some younger whiskies in the mix here. Slightly earthyy notes, a bit of smoke. A standard, young The Macallan to me.
Palate: Light and fresh (i.e. needs a slightly higher ABV for my liking), pleasant, smoke is gone, slight Apple notes, with some notes of hazelnuts coming in later on. Nothing really stands out, but nice enough overall.
Finish: Initial rich but quickly thins out. Short to medium.
Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 90/100

The Macallan 1824 Series Sienna (43% ABV, NAS, Speyside Scotland, $160AUD)
Colour: Darker than the Amber but only just.
Nose: Not obviously sherried at all - rich, luxurious, leather and oak notes, with a hint of matchheads/flint. In all honesty the first whisky I thought of was Glenfiddich 40yo. Not saying it's as good, but the nose had similarities. Fantastic, in a word.
Palate: All the notes from the nose carry through, flinty, rich, leathery, and with a slight sherbert tang.
Finish: Very smooth, with the leather and flint notes carrying through to the end. A well-balanced dram overall.
Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 94/100

The Macallan 1824 Series Ruby (43% ABV, NAS, Speyside Scotland, $220AUD)
Colour: The darkest of the three, also presumably the oldest.
Nose: If the Sienna isn't obviously sherried, then this obviously is. BIG sherry/berry influence. Strawberries and raspberres in particular. Reminds me of a Glenfarclas 30yo.
Palate: Big rich syrupy mouth feel, smooth, berry notes continue throughout.
Finish: Initially, interestingly, tropical fruits. But then a slightly smoky, sherried, dry finish. Long.
Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 92/100

So there you have it - finally tasted, properly. Thankfully, consistent with my previous samplings of the lineup, the Sienna remains my favourite (as it seems to for plenty of other whisky bloggers too, it seems).

Cheers,
 - Martin.