A 25 year old Macallan drawn from one European oak sherry hogshead, cask 3917, and bottled at cask strength of 51.4% ABV. It was the tenth cask in the 2018 Exceptional Single Cask release, chosen by Sarah Burgess for the Americas, and produced 237 bottles.
About This Whisky
The reference code tells the story: 2018 is the release year, ESH stands for European sherry hogshead, 3917 is the cask number and 10 its place in the release. The spirit was filled on 6 April 1993, the cask was set aside on 8 June 2018, and it was bottled on 24 September 2018. A hogshead holds about half a butt, so the spirit sees more wood. After a quarter century it has kept a bright berry character rather than turning heavy, and it was bottled without chill filtration.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Summery berry tart, raspberry, blackcurrant and almond.
- Palate: Toffee, cinnamon and vanilla, rounded and creamy at full strength.
- Finish: Long, with berry fruit and oak.
Serving & Food
Serve at cellar-to-room temperature in a tulip glass, neat to start, then with a teaspoon of water to bring out more fruit. The berry notes suit a raspberry frangipane tart, duck breast with a cherry glaze or a mild goat's cheese with almonds.
How to Enjoy
A 1993 birth-year bottle, or a quiet 25th anniversary gift for someone who drinks whisky rather than collects it.
Product Details
Producer/Distillery: The Macallan, Speyside, Scotland
Series / Reference: Exceptional Single Cask 2018/ESH-3917/10
Distilled: 6 April 1993
Age / Bottling: 25 years old, bottled 24 September 2018
Cask / Edition: European oak sherry hogshead, non-chill filtered, cask strength, 237 bottles
Selected by: Sarah Burgess
Market: Americas
ABV: 51.4% ABV / 102.8 proof
Volume: 750mL
Origin: Scotland
About the Distillery
Behind every Macallan bottle is a small team of whisky makers who nose casks from the warehouses at Easter Elchies, deciding which go into which expression. Sarah Burgess, who picked this cask, went on to become Lead Whisky Maker and later chose the very old casks for the Red Collection. The Exceptional Single Cask programme let the team put their names to single casks they found unusual, and each bottle records who selected it and when it was distilled, reserved and bottled.