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
- Laphroaig 40 yo 1960 / 2001 42.4% vs Laphroaig 28 yo 44.4% (2018)
- West Indies Dark Rum 1948 Samaroli 49% vs Lapalun Rhum Petit-Bourg Vieux Rhum dela Martinique 1952 / 1972 50%
- Dornoch New Make August 2019 60% vs Dornoch New Make 63.5% ~ circa April 2018
- Tobermory 32 yo 1972 / 2005 49.5% vs Tormore 16 yo 1966 / 1982 Samaroli 57%
- Macallan 17 yo 1965 43% ~ bottled 1983 vs Macallan 29 yo 1965 / 1994 Signatory #1058 49%
- St. Magdalene 26 yo Cadenhead 1982 / 2008 52.7% vs St. Magdalene 32 yo Cadenhead 1982 / 2015 58.1%
- Aultmore 2005 / 2018 Gordon & Macphail #15601007 for Whiskywarehouse Exclusive 54.1% vs Aultmore 25 yo 46% ~ 2014 bottling
- Longrow 16 yo 1974 46% ~ mini, J & A Mitchell & Co Ltdvs Longrow 21 yo 1974 #1550 46%
- Lochside 21 yo 1979 / 2001 Silver Seal 50% vs Lochside 37 yo 1981 / 2018 The Whisky Agency 48.6%
- Lagavulin 10 yo 1988 / 1998 Horae Solaris Moon Import 50% vs Lagavulin 1988 Samaroli 56%
