Macallan 12 Year Old Robert Burns Semiquincentenary

Firstly, A very elaborately-packaged Macallan released to celebreate the 250th Anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns. A vatting of two casks from different years that both bore the number 1759 (the year of Burns’ birth), this comes in an unusually pretty decanter with an insert containing a map and a Burns poem as well as information about the bottling.

Further, This is the expression that made us all cry and cringe when it first came out, around fifteen years ago. This was, I quote, ‘matured in a selection of American and European oak casks seasoned with Sherry, as well as American oak casks seasoned with bourbon’. So a matter of seasoning… I last tried this expression in 2017 and had though it was extremely ‘meh’. But time is progress. Colour: straw. Macallan 12 Year Old Robert Burns Semiquincentenary

Nose: no quibblings, this is fresh, cake-y, sightly fat, with touches of suet and paraffin, otherwise fresh croissants and sunflower oil. Overripe apples, a little menthol. I’m surprised, positively.

Mouth: not bad at all, and not even weak at 40% vol. Good notes of beers, cakes, sweet breads, with a little rye and liquorice, which was not expected, gingerbread, and those lovely cookies our deer neighbours the Swiss are making in Basel, Läckerli! Finish: medium, clean, with even more rye and something that reminds me of Eddu’s Breton buckwheat ‘whisky’.

Conclusion, excellent surprise. I could quaff this, and even find a wee ‘craft’ side to it. Did they change the recipe? Up from 76 point.