Macallan 1957 25 yo Anniversary Malt 43%
Happy 50th National Day Singapore. The occasion lives up to its hype. This is a milestone for the country, with much accomplished but also many ways we can improve, and not in the material sense. Still I raise a glass to the little red dot.
What’s a national day whisky? 60s? Wish I had a Bowmore at hand but I think this meets the criteria too.
(Picture credit – whiskyexhange.com)
Nose: Profound. Resinous cedarwood, juniper, kiwi polish, hot machinery, seamlessly melded with the dry aromatic richness of ‘old style’ sherry wood – luscious and velvety. Take golden raisins, acres of old leather, skins of a thousand muscat grapes, tablespoon of dark honey, maybe some candied ginger, blend it and let it oxidize a moment till just so. Add 25 years and then bottle a perfect marriage of wood and spirit.
Palate: Delivers. Dry, superbly aromatic despite its low strength. Dry leather, some rancio notes, roasted nuts, ancient wood. It’s a full bodied spirit dripping with richness, not without some tannic grip – an elegant result.
Finish: Medium long and a touch weak, I expected longer really, but hey 1957, 25 years in wood, 30 years in glass. Still brimming with woody oxidized notes though.
Honestly it’s very good whisky and worth the auction lust one sees with these old Macallans. But if you’re after big spirit matched with old oloroso wood, made the way that modern whisky cannot copy, there’s 60s, 70s Bunnahabhain, Strathisla, Glen Grant, Longmorn and Glenfarclas out there for a fraction of the price- just saying.
Whiskyrific RSS
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- Longmorn 1969 / 1991 Gordon & Macphail ‘Cask’ #3716/7 61% vs Longmorn 1969 Gordon & Macphail ‘Cask’ 61.5%
- Benromach 1982 / 2000 Gordon & Macphail ‘Cask’ #987 61% vs Benromach 1982 / 1996 Gordon & Macphail ‘Cask’ #1335 + 1341 63%
- Mortlach 35 yo 1936 Gordon & Macphail Pinerolo for Edwards and Edwards 43% vs Macallan-Glenlivet 15 yo Pure Malt Gordon and Macphail Gold Label 80 proof
- Springbank 12 yo 100 proof 57% ~ early 90s vs Springbank 10 yo Sutti Import 59% ~ a rather dark vatting
- Glen Mhor 26 yo 1965 Prestonfield #202 56% vs Glen Mhor 1978 / 1989 Gordon & Macphail Cask 65.3%
- North Port 15 yo 1974 / 1989 Sestante ‘Very Rare’ 66.1% vs North Port 14 yo 1974 / 1988 Intertrade 66.2%
- Glen Grant 18 yo 1977 / 1995 Wilson & Morgan 46% vs Glen Grant 32 yo 1972 / 2004 Milroy 51%
- Pierde Almas Tobaziche Mezcal 48% vs Pescador De Suenos Tobala PSTB-2A 2016 San Juan Del Rio 50.13% NOM-0258X
- A Kilbride Distillery 28 yo 1989 / 2017 HNWS Taiwan 51.1% vs Laphroaig 25 yo 1986 / 2011 AD Rattray #2123 60.6%
