Macallan Edition No. 2

Review by: The Muskox

Here’s my second review of a whisky I tasted at the Toronto Whisky Society’s Macallan/Highland Park tasting the other day. This was the first Macallan we tried, and was followed by the Edition No. 3 and then the Classic Cut. I reviewed the Edition No. 3 a while ago and didn’t love it, so let’s see if this one will redeem the series for me.

Distillery: Macallan.

Bottler: Official bottling.

Region: Speyside.

ABV: 48.2%.

Age: No age statement, rumoured to be 12-13 years old.

Cask type: A variety of 1st and 2nd fill American and European oak ex-sherry casks.

Price: $172 CAD.

Color: Amber. Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.

Nose: Floral and honey, with lots of coconut and some orange. After that, it’s all deep dark sherry notes, with dark sugar, complex fruit, vanilla bean, and balsamic. A nice toasty malt undercurrent in there backing everything up.

Palate: Big and rich texture. Very full, with a nice dryness. Wood-spice dominates here. Oak, vanilla, ginger, cloves, cinnamon and caramel. Rich sherry is strongest right up front, then gives way to the wood. That nice balsamic note is here too.

Finish: Long and lingering. The fruit returns, with candied oranges and sherry. Oak, caramel and vanilla. Rich gingerbread develops towards the end and hangs around for quite a while.

Conclusion: A big, rich whisky. I like the depth of the wood and sherry notes, especially that balsamic thing which I’ve started to really look out for. There’s a good balance of dry, sweet, and spice. It could have been a little bit more complex, but it was very tasty and my favourite Macallan of the night.

Final Score: 86.

Scoring Legend:

  • 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
  • 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
  • 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
  • 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
  • 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
  • 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
  • 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
  • 50-59: Save it for mixing.
  • 0-49: Blech.

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