AVB
Jesus of Cool, I'm bad, I'm nationwide
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2003
- Messages
- 23,422
Macallan 30-year-old official bottling. Standard bottle, presentation box, 86 proof, $370-500 depending on where you find it.
Update: As of 01/07 the going price is now over $650 in most places
Update: As of 01/09 the going price is now over $800 in most places
Update: As of 01/11 the going price is now over $900 in most places
With tomorrow being our Anniversary I was expecting to open this then. However, my lovely wife, knowing how much I wanted to try this relented and let me crack it this evening.
Running a bit late tonight due to some tape backup problems at a remote site; I was looking forward to coming home and just relaxing before all the things we have planned for tomorrow kick in. Little did I know this was not my wife's plan.
I usually get home before she does but not today, she left work early to prepare a bit of a surprise for me, sorta pre-anniversary. I came home to find Brie, shrimp, champagne and my bottle of 30 yo Macallan waiting for me on the dining room table. Now if only I allowed myself to smoke a cigar in the house all would have been perfect. As it was, I let things settle for 30 minutes so before opening my bottle of Macallan.
The nose is strong and full with spices (cloves?), sherry and orange, much more so than the 18 or 25 year old versions. The tasting is very complex with some peaty notes coming forward over different parts of the tongue. Orange is a strong background flavor, again more so then the 18 or 25. The finish is dryer than I would have thought based on other Macallan I've had but still has some sherry sweetness mixed in with the orange background.
The big question I would imagine that you are asking is: Is it worth it? I'd have to answer both yes and no. In terms of value and what is considered Macallan's best normally available whisky it is a no. The Macallan 25 is a better dram by far and the 18 is close. With the 25 being $150 less and the 18 up to $375 less, they are by far, better buys. There seems to be a gap in the official bottling of Macallan between the 25 and the 35 yo Vintage line where things tend to drop off a bit. While I've only had one shot of the 1961 vintage (36 yo) it was much more impressive than the 30 or 25.
It is hard to beat on the "impress the boss" meter when that blue box comes out with Macallan 30 years old on it. That alone may be worth the extra cost to you if you are in that situation. I love my wife for getting this for me and I'm glad I have it and that I've tried it but I won't be replacing it very quickly when it's gone. However, I'll damn sure enjoy it while it lasts!
Update: As of 01/07 the going price is now over $650 in most places
Update: As of 01/09 the going price is now over $800 in most places
Update: As of 01/11 the going price is now over $900 in most places
With tomorrow being our Anniversary I was expecting to open this then. However, my lovely wife, knowing how much I wanted to try this relented and let me crack it this evening.
Running a bit late tonight due to some tape backup problems at a remote site; I was looking forward to coming home and just relaxing before all the things we have planned for tomorrow kick in. Little did I know this was not my wife's plan.
I usually get home before she does but not today, she left work early to prepare a bit of a surprise for me, sorta pre-anniversary. I came home to find Brie, shrimp, champagne and my bottle of 30 yo Macallan waiting for me on the dining room table. Now if only I allowed myself to smoke a cigar in the house all would have been perfect. As it was, I let things settle for 30 minutes so before opening my bottle of Macallan.
The nose is strong and full with spices (cloves?), sherry and orange, much more so than the 18 or 25 year old versions. The tasting is very complex with some peaty notes coming forward over different parts of the tongue. Orange is a strong background flavor, again more so then the 18 or 25. The finish is dryer than I would have thought based on other Macallan I've had but still has some sherry sweetness mixed in with the orange background.
The big question I would imagine that you are asking is: Is it worth it? I'd have to answer both yes and no. In terms of value and what is considered Macallan's best normally available whisky it is a no. The Macallan 25 is a better dram by far and the 18 is close. With the 25 being $150 less and the 18 up to $375 less, they are by far, better buys. There seems to be a gap in the official bottling of Macallan between the 25 and the 35 yo Vintage line where things tend to drop off a bit. While I've only had one shot of the 1961 vintage (36 yo) it was much more impressive than the 30 or 25.
It is hard to beat on the "impress the boss" meter when that blue box comes out with Macallan 30 years old on it. That alone may be worth the extra cost to you if you are in that situation. I love my wife for getting this for me and I'm glad I have it and that I've tried it but I won't be replacing it very quickly when it's gone. However, I'll damn sure enjoy it while it lasts!
