The Macallan Cask Strength (57.2%): This gem was one of the many amazing drams we tasted last Friday night with friends. The theme of the night was sherry matured Scotch whiskies and the extraordinary line-up was created by Dave Russo. He also sourced the whiskies by himself and apparently pulled quite a few bottles from his own collection. So, needless to say seeing an old red label The Macallan Cask Strength sitting on the table was quite an excitement. At the end of the night I shamelessly managed to steal a wee sample from the bottle. And now on this gorgeous Sunday afternoon I am planning to have some fun and spend time with it. It is the old version of The Macallan CS which is easily identifiable by its solid red color label and can be sold for an ungodly amount of money these days. Mainly after the distillery stopped bottling their cask strength expression these old red label versions became even more desirable especially among Macallan collectors. It is bottled at 57.2% abv and there is no age statement on the bottle. Color: Buckwheat honey. Dark amber with a beautiful red hue when held to the light. Nose: Struck matches, spoiled milk and sour cherry juice first. After airing and adding a few drops of water most of the sulphur notes fade out: Beef stew, cooked prunes and sultana raisins. Red turnips, green asparagus and zante currants. Rubber bands and latex gloves. Palate: Thick, heavy and syrupy goodness. Sweet dried dates and candied chestnuts. Cinnamon, garam masala and cloves on top. Baklava syrup and cherry pie. Adding a tiny amount of water works very well like it did on the nose. Warming and velvety mouthfeel. Ripe raspberries, sweetened grape and cranberry juice. Finish: Forever... You feel every drop drawing their way into your belly. Paprika, cinnamon and raisins. Cherry cola, red port wine and the sweet burn of maple syrup. Overall: Macallan at its best... If you are a fan of the distillery and/or sherry matured whiskies life cannot get better for you. Too bad that this whisky is long gone and I don't see any chance in my near future to be able to score a bottle without taking a lump sum loan from the bank. But who knows..? That's why we should take our time and walk into the small liquor shops we find in rural places now and then. There might be a few bottles like this one collecting dust on one of the high shelves. Thanks again to Dave Russo for the sample and to our host Onur Sergici for a great night of whisky...
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