Meet Amber, Sienna and Ruby. The new girls on the block are the latest release by The Macallan 1824 Series, a celebration of the single malt’s strengths, oak sherry casks and natural colour.
The Macallan 1824 Series: Amber, Sienna, Ruby – Photo © Cocktails & Bars
Staying with the current trend, The Macallan 1824 Series bears no age statement. The focus is on the natural flavour and the casks that impart the colour and flavour to the whisky. Incidentally, the whiskies are named after metals associated with the colours.
The Macallan Amber expression (40% ABV) is aged in a combination of refill American oak, refill Spanish oak, first fill American oak and first fill Spanish oak. On the nose, it has light citrus, vanilla, sweet malted barley and is not high on spice and dried fruit. On the palate it is soft, creamy and sweet with a hint of spice, vanilla flavours, strong on vanilla with a short sweet finish. The Macallan Amber makes a good introduction to the range and lends itself to cocktails and a novice palate.
The Macallan Sienna (43% ABV) is darker and richer in colour with subtle vanilla, orange citrus, more prominent sherry spice, dried fruit, vanilla raisins and ginger with an elegant and warming oak finish. This is arguably the best choice in the series.
Rich dried fruit, treacle and oak are evident on the nose with The Macallan Ruby (43% ABV) expression, matured exclusively in sherry oak casks from Jerez in Spain. With Christmas cake and rich, dried fruits on the palate, there is a hint of sweetness mid palate which ends in a long, dry and oaky finish – a dram to sip with some of the finest dark chocolate.
The Macallan 1824 Series will be available from November 2013 at these recommended retail prices: Amber, $105, Sienna, $160 and Ruby $220.
This article was originally published on October 30, 2013 on our sister website Gourmantic.
