The Macallan 52 Years Old, 2018 release, drawn from one first-fill European oak sherry seasoned cask and bottled at 48% ABV. Only 250 individually numbered bottles were released worldwide, and the whisky is not to be repeated.
About This Whisky
The spirit spent 52 years in a single hand-crafted, first-fill European oak cask seasoned with sherry in Spain. Burgess called the result full of rich spicy flavours. The Macallan's notes speak of rich fruit over dark chocolate fondant, cinnamon and ginger from the wood and a wisp of peat smoke. The release was announced in January 2019 as the 2018 edition, limited to 250 numbered bottles.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Rich cherries and dark chocolate, toasted oak, orange blossom and a thread of peat smoke.
- Palate: Rich fruit overlays dark chocolate fondant, wisps of peat smoke meet cinnamon and ginger from the wood spices.
- Finish: Long, with notes of sweet oak, cherry and blackcurrant mellowing out to a floral and lightly peated finish.
Serving & Food
Serve at room temperature, neat, in a small tulip glass. At 48% a single drop of water is the most it needs. Enjoy it on its own, or with a few dark cherries and a square of bitter chocolate.
How to Enjoy
A once-in-a-lifetime pour for serious Macallan collectors, and a gift for a 52nd birthday or anniversary.
Product Details
Producer: The Macallan
Age: 52 years old
Release year: 2018
Cask: Single first-fill European oak sherry seasoned cask
Outturn: 250 numbered bottles
Volume: 700mL
ABV: 48%
Category: Speyside single malt Scotch whisky
About the Distillery
Behind every Macallan release is a small whisky mastery team who decide when a cask is ready. For the 52 Years Old that task fell to whisky maker Sarah Burgess. Very old casks are checked regularly, because a whisky can pass its peak and turn woody or lose strength as the years go by. The team's job is to catch the moment of balance. Burgess described bottling this one at 48%, the point at which its flavours came together, and noted its ruby mahogany natural colour.