From the mid-1900s to the present day, Macallan’s sherry-focused approach to whisky maturation has built up a worldwide fanbase. However, not only has the community of whisky drinkers changed over the decades, but also how the whisky is made and how it tastes.
Whisky writer Dave Broom and The Whisky Exchange’s buying director Dawn Davies MW have been drinking Macallan for a long time, and have seen those changes. In this tasting, they’ll look back over 30 years of Macallan’s whisky, tasting their way through its history and seeing how things have changed.
This is a great opportunity to try Macallan from over the years and look at how it’s changed from an independent perspective.
The 1970s were a golden age for Macallan – a period where its whiskies were especially rich. Some of that is down to the variety of barley used: Golden Promise. It was particularly well-suited to malting and created whiskies that have become legendary. By the 1980s, its yields proved uneconomical, and it fell by the wayside.
If Macallan is famous for any one thing, it is sherry-cask maturation. Modern sherry-cask expressions often tend towards less subtle character, while old-school examples find the cask in harmony with the whisky. This 1980s example is a prime example of the old school: rich and structured with sultanas and sweet spice, and the spirit character shining.
The 1990s marked a period of change in the world of whisky: it saw Macallan change its bottle and gain new owners. This 1997 vintage was the last release to bear a date of distillation on the label, with all future releases instead having just the date of release. While you can still work the numbers to calculate when it was distilled, it was the end of an era.
Launched at Whisky Show last year, this is an exclusive cask-strength release bottled by Signatory Vintage for The Whisky Exchange that has been matured since 2005 in a single first-fill oloroso sherry butt. This single-cask expression shows the spirit's natural affinity for sherry cask maturation without dilution or other interventions.
Gordon & Macphail have a long history of working with Macallan, and have been the custodians of some of the oldest releases from the distillery, often bottled with the historically curious name ‘Macallan-Glenlivet’. More recent examples, including this 2006 release, use the name Speymalt, as Macallan now fiercely protects its name.
The jewel in contemporary Macallan's crown, the 18 Year Old Sherry Oak is a whisky which has become a standard against which other luxury whiskies are compared. This 2023 release was distilled in 2004/2005, and shows the distillery's continued commitment to sherry casks, giving the whisky a heart of rich fruitcake and spice.
The Line-up
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Macallan 1973 18 Year Old Sherry Cask Bot.1991
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Macallan 1985 18 Year Old Sherry Cask
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Buy from TWE
Macallan 1997 18 Year Old Sherry Cask
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Buy from TWE
Speyside (M) 2005 18 Year Old Signatory for Whisky Show 2024
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Buy from TWE
Macallan 2006 18 Year Old Cask #9620 Speymalt Gordon & MacPhail
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Buy from TWE
Macallan 18 Year Old Sherry Oak 2023 Release