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Spirit Name:
Spirit Type:
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Macallan 1824 Series Sienna
Single malt
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Score:
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94/100
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ABV:
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43%
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Region:
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Highlands, Scotland
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Body:
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Medium-full
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Intensity:
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Medium
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Texture:
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Soft and velvety
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Balance:
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Near perfect
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Best served:
Cask:
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Neat
Ex-sherry
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Theme(s):
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Creamy, fruity, nutty, cereal, dark chocolate, caramel, honey, vanilla, coffee notes
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Summary:
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Beautifully integrated, a gentle surge of fresh and dried fruit is balanced by the bitter bite of dark chocolate and wood spices that are softened by soothing waves of creamy and nutty vanilla that recede into a drying finish of shimmering caramel and drying cocoa
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Tasting notes:
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The 1824 Series
The Macallan have released a new range, the 1824 Series. The 1824 Series comprises of four “expressions” that do not have age statements and instead are named after the colour of the whisky: Gold, Amber, Sienna and Ruby. The idea is that each whisky “expression” in the range represents a particular colour. The Sienna is the second darkest of the range.
The aesthetic value of a whisky or spirit is in its natural colour and bottle design. When I first saw the bottle of The Macallan Sienna, the vibrant colours the whisky emitted from the classic bottle design were beautiful. I just had to capture it in that light, because the sun was setting and it was in just the right angle to reflect the colour of the whisky without it reflecting off the label.
I eagerly rushed to the pond, and placed the bottle in the perfect spot – the sun’s rays beamed through the whisky as the spirit caught the light like a prism, and it reflected the water and nearby vegetation. I peered through my camera with a big smile on my face, but the whisky had suddenly vanished. The culprit? Henry the King Charles Cavalier. With a flick of his tail, Henry sent the whisky sinking two metres to the bottom of a murky pond. Looking satisfied that he one again had my undivided attention, Henry’s cuteness let him get away with yet another act of vandalism – first my Burberry glasses which he chewed up, and now this!
The sun was setting. Its once friendly glow quickly turned hostile. The pond was getting darker and darker with each minute and the faint white shimmer of the bottle was fading fast as the sun went down. Even worse, the sun was reflecting off the pond now and it was impossible to see anything, even the fish were hidden beneath a veil of sunlight.
The bottle could have drifted anywhere. Armed with an extremely long pool cleaning net, I scooped hopelessly for this bottle of Macallan Sienna, feeling as though I was looking for a needle in a haystack. The light was no longer my friend, because with each scoop the water became murky from the unsettled mud at the bottom of the pond – surely the sealed bottle would be buried by now. There I stood, stabbing into the water to feel the clink of a glass bottle… and with each stab I looked sillier and sillier. With each “clink” I felt, I pulled up a rock and managed to hold back some colourful language. Then, I felt it. “Clink”, “clink”, “clink”… “this must be it”, I hoped. As I raised the scoop the treasure reflected the sun. There it was, The Macallan Sienna, its label peeling but its contents untouched due to being sealed. Phew! Needless to say, Henry couldn’t be blamed – all is well that ends well!
Tasting the salvaged whisky
Nose: Nose warming and gentle, cereal notes and barley abound with dried husks and oats with honey, raisins and pecan (one of my favourites!). Light notes of orange and lime develop with chocolate coated raisins and a soothing creamy layer of vanilla rich white chocolate and almonds. The mood of this whisky is bright with moments when the clouds come rolling in to unravel something new – raisins and sliced mango are layered with sweet golden caramel as cracked cinnamon sticks and ground nutmeg spark within creamy mocha and vanilla bean ice cream, almost affogato, with the oily aroma of crushed nuts. That creaminess is lovely, developing into fruit packed buttered scones and hot cross buns as gentle solvent and citrus notes cut through the fatty layers.
Taste: Beautifully integrated and balanced, a luscious wave of Spanish style rum and raisin is balanced by dark chocolate as the fruity burst of sultana and nectarine leads to a palate buzzing with gradually receding dried fruit and wood spices of nutmeg in particular – this whisky rekindles memories of spiced fruit loaf, and the sweetness is balanced by the cocoa and wood spices. What is particularly striking about the Macallan Sienna is its balance. As soon as it hits the tongue, the flavours meld together and integrate without causing any noticeable friction or clash – instead they interlace and complement one another.
Finish: Drying, with lingering dried fruit and wood notes softened by gentle vanillas and luscious gooey caramel and honeycomb oozing from a cracked dark cocoa rich chocolate. |
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Likes:
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Highly complex and beautifully integrated flavours on the palate
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Price:
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£65 (UK), $170 (Aus)
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Malt Mileage Whisky & Spirit Reviews 