Macallan 18 yo 1989/2007 cask strength (Christmas time, mistletoe and wine)

I don't really like Macallan that much. There's nothing objectionable about the whiskies in the range, but of the ones I've tried (about 4, so far, some of which didn't make it into the tasting notebook), there hasn't been much dimension of flavour. They're all sherry sweet, some with a little nutmeg, others with a little oak, but there's nothing that's come up and whacked me in the mouth.

This one though, is different. The 18 year aging, as well as the higher ABV, has achieved what 10 and 12 years couldn't do, which is to infuse it with spice, wood and fruit all the way through, rather than having the flavour elements remain on the surface. Given the season, I'm going to try and pair this with something Christmassy.

The trusty tasting notebook says:

Macallan 18 yo 1989/2007 Cask Strength (from the cask, Whisky Shop)
Single malt - Speyside
Dark amber, almost mahogany
55% ABV

Nose: Oaky, sherry, winey and rich. Oranges and honey. Alcohol prickle and candied ginger.
Mouthfeel: Thick and full-bodied. Doesn't expand much.
Tasting: Sweet and tangy. Woody pine notes, fresh reams of paper. Toffee and honey, orange peel and cherry syrup.
Finish: Long but faint. Caramel fudge. A little woodsmoke at the very end.

And the experiments:

1. Eggnog.

Christmas eggnog, thick with brandy and cinnamon, nutmeg on top. I've had to make this myself, so it's probably not great, and sans brandy too, but otherwise this should be suitable for experimental purposes.

Ah, same problem as with sticky toffee pudding - the heat from the 'nog evaporates the whisky and sends it straight up the nose. Ouch. This is cask strength! But not unpleasant - oak and spice in the whisky marries well with the thickness of the egg. The cinnamon stick in the 'nog complements the pine in the whisky well, and brings out some nutmeg notes that weren't there before. Or maybe the nutmeg comes from the 'nog - it's hard to tell. Overall, tasty, and the 'nog actually benefits from having the whisky in it instead of boring old brandy.

2. Mince pies.

Plain mince pie with butter pastry, no brandy butter sauce. This actually came from Sainsbury, although I'm reliably informed that Marks & Spencer ones are the best.

Interesting flavour combinations. The sweet and fruity mince brings out a lemony metallic taste in the Macallan. Notes of lemongrass and galangal, with a little aluminium foil thrown in to liven things up, all wreathed in winey oakiness of the Glengoyne kind (as opposed to the spicy oakiness one tends to get with whisky - I'm thinking Clynelish). The finish is surprisingly smoky.


3. Christmas pudding.

Slight disaster while attempting this - part of the pudding caught fire (must have been the cognac) and burned a small hole in the container. Nevertheless all one needs is a mouthful, and I managed to salvage a little piece.

The pudding was too sweet, and made the whisky seem faint and far away. Interesting fruity notes though - kiwi and blueberry? But still predominantly orange and cherry. Not a success, but that could be because I burned most of the pudding...


And the winner is number 2, the mince pies. I think I'll chuck out the rest of the pudding, and enjoy another mince pie with rest of the whisky.