The Macallan Cask Strength Reviews

The Macallan Cask Strength
Review by Gargamel Jan 1st 2007

Color

Deep red-amber.

Nose

Dried fruit, Dark chocolate, Cherry cola.

Body

Fullbodied, Sweet and wet.

Palate

Orange peels, Black cherries, Dark chocolate.

Finish

Simple, but mature with distinct features. Longer than you at first think. Warm and easy.

This whisky is a cherry delight. Full of flavour, it would be too much to drink often. To be savored for desert.

The Macallan Cask Strength
Review by Saul Jan 1st 2007

Color

Dark Copper Red.

Nose

Sweet Mustard, Orange Peel, Sherry.

Body

Heavy, Full Bodied, Viscous.

Palate

Cherry Chocolates, Sherry.

Finish

Long and satisfying, finishing at the tip of the tongue.

This whisky commands your attention. This is not a whisky you could drink all night. It's a cask strength that certainly shows it. Drank neat too quickly, the burn overpowers the flavors.

The Macallan Cask Strength
Review by RJ Jan 1st 2007

Color

Maple Syrup.

Nose

Plenty of nose. Fruity.

Body

Full bodied. Strong. Sweet.

Palate

Tastes in the front of the mouth. Very sweet. More chocolate than berries.

Finish

Long on the finish. Very warm.

This is beautiful stuff. I've never experienced so much alcohol.

The Macallan Cask Strength
Review by Fyoder Jan 1st 2007

Color

Orangey brown

Nose

Perfumey, Fiery, Sweet

Body

Medium body, Dry

Palate

Fruity, Bittersweet, Nutty

Finish

It burns! A bell shaped burn. It intensifies and then declines. Long.

For those who like a scotch that fights back.

The Macallan Cask Strength
Review by Oliver Jan 1st 2007

Color

Strong english tea.

Nose

Concentrated sherry; oak polish; leather; the smell upon entering an oak panelled library; alcohol; more polish and less wood as it progresses.

Body

A light-heavyweight. Not as viscous as the European market cask strength Macallan.

Palate

Rich at first, with sherry, red fruits and notes hint of marmalade and christmas pudding, then thinning.

Finish

the fruits fade quickly and give way to a rawboned hits of alcohol. Harsh; astringent.

A good cask strength malt, but a step down from the european market version aged (at least) 10 years. Seems like the vatting included some very young whiskyes as well as some perhaps past their prime. (This is the "red lable" version, being phased out in the U.S. for the "prefume bottle" expressions in white.

The Macallan Cask Strength
Review by Sfaulk Jan 4th 2007

Color

Cider

Nose

Strong wooden and smoke smell

Body

Full bodied, rich, very thick

Palate

Smoke and wood, fruit-like aftertaste

Finish

Great long aftertaste, fruity aftertaste

This'll put hair on your chest, sailor! A great winter drink for cold nights, this will warm your innards and put a smile on your face.

The Macallan Cask Strength
Review by Bongo Jan 9th 2007

Color

golden amber (watered)

Nose

rubbing alcohol but warmer, hint of peat

Body

silky, very smooth and thick, full bodied

Palate

peat hinting at oak

Finish

warming and aromatic, mellowing into a sweet lingering presence, subtle and not overbearing

This was a real treat and unlike any other whiskey I have tried. It delivers itself in a warm and smooth silky texture, almost like a liqueur in body. The flavours are strong but not overpowering, and it is a perfect accompaniment for a good book or other relaxing contemplative experience. I would recommend this to anyone as a good choice to keep around the house.

The Macallan Cask Strength
Review by Anonymous Nov 27th 2007

Color

Dark red amber

Nose

Sweet cherries, hints of pear.

Body

Thin and fiery.

Palate

Strong oak sherry, alcohol, hints of rubber.

Finish

Longish oak laden finish, very hot.

Red label version. A very fiesty and strong whisky with an excellent nose and thoroughly enjoyable finish but a lackluster palate.

The Macallan Cask Strength
Review by Mishima Jan 20th 2008

Color

a ruddy chestnut

Nose

At first shy, only a touch of sherry and a whiff of oak. Then fruits bloom, dark and unnamed, perhaps plums, then obvious oranges married with a lush chocholate. The wood develops, polished oak, a mahogony library reminiscient of old bourbon, and just a whisper of smoke. Ends up where it began, with sherry coming once again to the fore. Water brings out more sherry and some walnuts.

Body

Medium bodied. Wants to be thicker but all the alcohol keeps it afloat.

Palate

There is a good complexity here, even if it does come off bitter. Black tea overbrewed and left to grow cold. The bitter half of oak. Burnt sugar. Still a little sweet. The most pleasant part is the flavour of apples underneath all this. But soon enough the alcohol deadens the tongue. With water it tastes like a more assertive highland park 12.

Finish

The instant you begin to swallow that chocolate odour fills your mouth with its flavour, of rich dark chocholate melded with yes of course wood and sherry. Somehwere a crooner under a street lamp lights a cigarette, and so a touch of smoke accompanies the dessert, along with tabacco, but not the thin cheap kind, but the thick pungent roll your own a Raymond Chandler character might smoke. Oh and the high clean burn of almost 60% abv, but that really goes without saying.

The cask strength is much superior, in limited experience, to the standard 12. The nose is more flamboyant, the finish livelier, and the whole the thing comes off feeling over the top. Unfortunately the palate suffers, remaining bitter even with the addition of water. Still, it does a nice job of simulating the wood panelled library and leather armchair I'm sure I'll never be able to afford.

The Macallan Cask Strength
Review by ColoradoDram Feb 26th 2009

Color

Dark amber, burnt copper.

Nose

Sherry galore, lamp oil, bites back! so don't nose too deep in your Glencairn.

Body

Full bodied, very oily mouthfeel.

Palate

Bitter wood, sherry, currants.

Finish

Hotter than hot (even reduced a plenty), medium-short length - indicating youthful age.

This is my least favorite of the three cask strength Speyside sherry monsters. A good dessert dram for sure, but a bit linear and simple compared to the Glenfarclas 105 and Aberlour A'bunadh.

The Macallan Cask Strength
Review by Wtl.base Feb 1st 2010

Color

Deep red amber

Nose

Sherry, faint fruit, a hint of smoke.

Body

Medium to full, dry.

Palate

Sweet, peppery, spicy, very astringent. Sherry, dried fruit, walnut. Full strength: nice warm burn. Reduced: cereal in the background.

Finish

Medium long, dry, tangy. Quite enjoyable.

Not a lot of development. Sherry and astringency stand out and make for a rather flat experience.

The Macallan Cask Strength
Review by Insinuendo May 6th 2010

Color

A beautiful sherry amber to this Scotch.

Nose

Aromatically complete! A complexe nose of the most mouth watering. Dates and dried fruit and notes of fruitcake are the main traits found here. There are obvious butterscotch, cream, vanilla, toffee notes mixed in with allspice, cardamom and cloves. There is a rather subtle smokiness. Also a slight fishy, seaness to it which is not unpleasant.

Body

A heavyweight in body.

Palate

The attack is sweet. The syrupy texture rapidly coats the tongue and the spice kicks in rapidly. The backend is hot with notes of black pepper and a slightly resinous bitterness, sappy.

Finish

The flavors linger well beyond 30 seconds.

Cask Strength is the way to go with The Macallan.

The Macallan Cask Strength
Review by ChadDavis Jan 1st 2012

Color

Amber +3 dark brown

Nose

Neat: Rich Sherry, figs, dried apricot, chocolate? Not very complex. Watered: Vanilla, apricots, clove/cinnamon 29/33

Body

Medium bodied, despite the 60% abv.

Palate

Neat: Candied Cherry, dates, burnt caramel, mildly smokey. Fiery in the mouth when neat. Watered: Hot cinnamon, grapefruit, figgy cake, powered sugar 27/33

Finish

Neat: Hot hot! burning syrup, cinnamon, fruit. Medium finish. There are some young vibrant whiskys in this, but there is a depth which betrays some aged ones as well. Watered: Still hot. Cinnamon, not much else 24/33