Macallan Edition No. 4

I used to love Macallan, then I got over the brand and threw myself onto other whiskies... Now, it's fun to return to Macallan once in a while. And this Edition No. 4 is nice. It's a bit more oldstyle and when I got my hands on a sample (I do not own a bottle unfortunatly), it was priced ok. I tasted it back then and now again. And for me, now, after all those years... this perhaps tastes like the most architectural release in the Edition series. Inspired by the construction of Macallan's new distillery, it is a whisky built around structure, precision and oak management. While some Macallans can feel overly polished and clean and sherry driven, this one manages to retain enough energy and spice to keep things engaging. I'm not a huge Macallan drinker, but hey, this is a great one!

Tasted at the Whisky Show, Budapest 2018.10.27.

Aroma: immediately sherry notes, very dense and sweet, spicy oak, baking spices, dusty board and leather, later sour berries, black tea leaves, viscous herbal mixture. Very warm and vanilla aroma, pleasant to enjoy. The taste is thick and rich, sweet and sour berries and dried fruits, stewed fruit(compote) , sherry notes again, powerful oak notes (wood pores are directly felt), it tingles well in the mouth, a wonderful balance of sweetness and bitterness, after a few sips you feel chocolate or cocoa. The finish is quite long, dry, peppery, sweet and sour, spicy, again there is a lot of wood and berries, the berries are already dried and dried in the sun, and the same spices remain long after a sip. As a result, a very powerful macallan, I was surprised, and the taste and finish do not lag behind the aroma at all, which rarely happens, at first glance it may seem a little harsh and assertive, but this is rather its advantage, the balance is excellent. Grade 88 The question to connoisseurs, what kind of barrels exactly, did not understand.

I would really like to know who does not even love 80 points for this whisky, please let it be if you have no idea

Nose: apples, prunes, sponge cake, lacquered wood, flowering grass. Mouth: prunes, dark chocolate, hazelnuts, dry wild berries, flowering, dried fruits, bitter grass. Aftertaste: short, woody. grassy. Balance: not bad.

Perfectly balanced whisky with a complex sherry profile. A rich palette of classic sherry derivatives: chocolate, prunes, dried apricots, leather, tobacco, black tea, caramel, lacquered wood

Very dark, very appetizing. Raisins in sherry furry sloe, the barrel is still holding back. The start is strong, strong, rather spicy than sweet. Damp wood, Red fruits. Not a typical Macallan. Lots of sherry and spice. Not bad.

I had a bottle of a previous Edition, and I gotta say, this one is a big let down. Nothing offensive, but nothing memorable. I'm glad that I didn't fork over secondary prices for a bottle ... just lucky to have received a sample.

Nose: apples, prunes, sponge cake, lacquered wood Mouth: prunes, dark chocolate, hazelnuts, flowering, dried fruits. Aftertaste: short, woody. Balance: not bad.

Tasting: April 2021

woody, leather, spice, dark chocolate Spice, cake, some vanilla ice cream, nice balance Oak, typical sherry, citrus, subtle smoke in mouth I must say, good one.

A very typical Macallan sherry, with a very rich evolution in aroma and flavor after slight decanting.

Overall, it was quite good, but the drinking experience was relatively mediocre. Reference price (based on rating): CNY 1400

I understand it's divisive, but I think it's okay, but not the usual Macallan style. 88/89.

The whisky tastes nice enough. But the price is way over the top. A modern applied cask taste. Really not better than a decent batch of Aberlour A'bunadh og Tamdhu Batch Strength. So why pay the extra price?

Chocolate nut cookies with bittersweet orange zest, cloves and baking spices. RATING: 87pts - [n22,t21,f22,b22] → |86-89: Remarkable|

Colour of caramel a wonderful aroma like a tobacco shop. Lovely after taste so smooth. Midnight delight sat waiting to be opened and sleep evaded me so opened this favourite nurse.

the malt is challenging and complex I liked it very much and from Edition 1-4 this is the best

nose: dates, dark chocolate, raisens, leathery mouth: thick and rich, like biting a grape(old cognac), sweet, burnt caramel, vanilla, aromatic, finish: medium to long lingering sweet oakyness, perfumy finish 90 this is definitely the better recommend editions

18-01-2019

Simply love it

smell is good ，but the taste and finish is just ok

The high alcohol content makes it feel very full-bodied. Much better than Macallan 12YO.

Macallan, like Ferrari, like Rolex, like Dyson, like LEGO, like IKEA, like any manufacturer who have a sense of self, do ‘ themselves' rather well. They don’t copy, they rarely follow trends, they set their own course and become famous for being the best versions of themselves. Macallan make the best Macallan out there. Sometimes it’s a bit underwhelming, there’s the odd misfire for sure. But, in general the product is exceptionally well made, there’s just so much attention to detail that it sets the bar and becomes a rule for the rest, rather than an exception. Times may change, fashions come and go but Macallan is a producer that creates a product which is timeless, ironic when they’re dealing with a product that has time as a major ingredient. And the time thing, or in this case the NAS thing, is one thing that some people may argue against, but what macallan can do with a NAS whisky is testament to their art and an understanding of their craft which few can match. The Edition range is a very good example of this, and in this case No.4 (for my first review). To give it some context, for a bottle that costs less than the rather superb Glendronach Parliament 21 (on release by £20 or so), it has bags more going on. Truckloads of cocoa, old sherry, oak with some lovely tannins and coffee notes, tiramisu, spices and ginger, layers of wood and pepper are delivered like a guided missile. The nose and palate work together seamlessly and the 48% vol has just enough muscle to hold everything together without getting too overwhelming (not that you couldn’t add a drop of water to calm things down). Add to that some great packaging (yes, this matters, we’re all suckers for a nice label and a pretty box) and you have a really great example of what is possible when you know what you’re doing. Astonishingly easy to drink, a great pleasure to share. Edition 4 is a great example of Macallan being the best at making Macallan at a rather brilliant price. Get it while you can. Nose Sherry, vinous fruits, oak, ginger and baking spice, hints of leather, malt, dry floorboards and warm, sawn wood. Deep, enjoyable and warming. Palate Light and dark sherry, upfront on the first sip it’s hot, alcohol forward with the sherry and spice, oak. Lovely balanced sweetness. Second sip and the mouth picks up the more nuanced flavours in the liquid, figs and chocolate, powdered cocoa, baking spice, overcooked cake when it goes brown on the edges, malt, waves of wood notes and nutmeg. As the mouth adjusts to the liquid it really does reveal more and more layers of flavour. This is good. Nothing screams, it’s all singing together like a well trained choir. Finish Much like the nose and the palate, it all seamlessly works. The flavours meld, waves of the spice and wood and sherry flicker in and out and the rich spice and oak fade with the sweetness of the old sherry like the last notes of a symphony. It’s all about balance. Warm, comforting, a flavour that lasts without being bombastic. Medium to long with a flavour that begs you to take just one more dram. I’m convinced the Macallan Edition is fast becoming the very epitome of what NAS can be. It’s fast becoming my one of my favourite ranges from any company. It’s definitely my favourite affordable Macallan.

Best Edition to date, great balance and plenty of flavour.

Back on track, finally The Macallan I love so much. You simply can't compare this with the nineties but this is excellent stuff

Roasted Chestnuts I never tried the first edition, but Edition No 2 and Edition No 3 were much to my liking. And while Edition No 5 will soon be upon us (with a bloodred label, I’ve been told), I would like to take this opportunity to try Edition No 4. No less than 300.000 bottles were released! No collaboration with any famous chefs or perfume gurus, simply Bob Delgarno who selected a (huge!) amount of casks to finance – I mean showcase - the craftsmanship of the new distillery. No less than seven – seven! – cask types were used for this vatting. Dark and sweet nose on toffee, farmer’s butter, cappuccino with milk foam and… rubber. Truly. I have a lot of rubber on the nose. Then some spices from the wood. Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg. Chocolate cake. Roasted chestnuts. Good strength and fine body. But immediately very spicy. Ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg – just like on the nose – joined by pepper and even a touch of salt. Quickly turns somewhat bitter on walnuts. Chocolate returns, filled with praline. Strangely enough, I do not get any fruit, bar a hint of banana. And caramelized oranges with some imagination. Good, but no cigar. The finish is medium long on chocolate and cinnamon. Hm, this is the ugly duckling in the Editions so far. But can a Master Blender truly predict what his whisky will taste like when he needs more than 1.500 casks to create this malt?

Truly a good drink (for current macallan) Comparing to sherry 18 oak, this one is definetly a winner. Probably best whisky abv. Zero hesitation purchasing below 200eur in any situation.

From: Becky Paskin (https://scotchwhisky.com/whisky-reviews/new-whiskies/20062/batch-158/) Score: 93 NOSEReassuringly complex, with lots of oak and wood spice at the fore, surrounded by sweet acacia honey and toffee. This alluring, zesty, citrus baked sweetness, like a lemon drizzle cake or key lime pie, is captivating. I could sit and nose this for hours.PALATECakey and nutty, muscovado sugar and black pepper. The wood’s effect is very much apparent – fresh oak shavings and a polished sideboard – but it’s not overdone. Sticky caramel and Jamaica ginger cake take centre stage as the wood spice builds. However, there’s enough citrus zestiness – lime peel and orange juice – to keep the spark going. FINISHIs that a touch of smoke? Perhaps a heavy char. Either way, it lingers, with a chewy, sticky fruitiness, like reduced blood orange juice.CONCLUSIONEdition No 4 is designed to showcase the ‘structure’ of Macallan. This is an absolute bargain. Just glorious.

Very cool. Personally, I find the No. 4 in direct comparison with no. 3, much better. I'm just more on this dirty impact.

Best of the 5 editions yet

RATING: 87pts – |87 – 89 (B+) → Great| — Always nice to have a bottle of this.

Personally, I do not think it's like Macallan in the edition series, but Completion is high. Intuitive, lots of nuts, leathers, a bit malt, a little bit of complexity, no dramtic elements.

Rich, classic sherry cask, jam, raisins, delicious!

n choco, creamy, more elegant than no.3, eucalyptus, coffee ice ceam, smoked meat, oxidated apple juice, brown sugar syrup, slight hint of earthiness & grass (interesting), herbal medicine, cola, dried prune, fresh fruity sweetness & sourness delivers less oxidation smell of preserved fruits than no. 3/5/6, 89 p silky (like nutella), milky, sweet, raisin, black jam, fresh juicy black plum, brown sugar, grape yogurt, smoky, peppery, quite fresh fruitiness, nice! 89.5 f oaky, smoked meat, peppery, a bit of oily texture lingers, choco, weak hint of bondage, 88

Nose: sweet, oak, leather, light rottenness, dried fruits, dark berries. Mouth: dried fruits, spices, oak, vanilla, berries. Finish: long, dried fruits, oak, vanilla, spices. It’s a sweet, smooth and easy drinkable whisky, but I wait from Macallan more.

Revisiting this 4 years later and still liking it. elegant dram with black tea, rock candy and hints of red fruit on the palate with some ginger. Had to think of the Secret Speyside cask 1632 from the Maltman. Def. some similarities there.

Rich aroma with a hint of dried fruits, honey, tobacco and spices, complex and voluminous. Bright taste, juicy, oily, berries, dried fruits, spices. The aftertaste is long with a spicy accent and notes of dried berries, tobacco and dark chocolate.

Color: Deep bronze. Aroma：Pronounced；Palate：88/100; Aftertaste：Med-Long.

lots of sherry, dark chocolate, traces of nuts, dried apricots, candy apple, some spices, some white pepper, some vanilla, malty. the aromas mingle perfectly and very gentle. the finish is long lasting and full of all the aromas. I do like the ABV. this is some nice and dignified Malt. Easy to drink and enjoy with friends and at the same time a perfect malt to sit and enjoy for hours. Well done Macallan!

Nose: sweet, oak, leather, light rottenness, dried fruits, dark berries. Mouth: dried fruits, spices, oak, vanilla, berries. Finish: long, dried fruits, oak, vanilla, spices. It’s a sweet, smooth and easy drinkable whisky, but I wait from Macallan more.

Objectively the most successful and delicious of Editions 2-6 (I haven’t tried the 1st). Delicious, I want more and more)

The aroma brings noble dry wood, minerals, sea salt and dried fruits to the forefront. At the same time, caramel, dark chocolate and sulfur are also heard, complemented by apples, ginger and spices. The taste is dominated by chocolate, salted caramel and caramelized apples. Despite a fruitier profile, it is not inferior in complexity and richness to the 2nd Edition.

Disappointing, strange casks with, in my opinion, off-notes; the bottle price is a bad joke.

Nougat and vanilla. Hints of cinnamon. Oak. --- Calling it a "limited release" when there are 300k bottles is a joke, of course. It is a very good whisky though. Wouldn't want to collect it, but certainly enjoyed drinking it.