Scotland’s famous Macallan distillery is known, among other things, for presenting its whisky in very slick bottling. This is most evident in its fancy and expensive 1824 Masters Series, which is perhaps best known for the non age statement Macallan M. The high end design of the bottles hosting these precious liquids is now extending to other parts of the distillery line up, particularly with the Macallan Oscuro.
Macallan Oscuro is not a new whisky to this distillery, having been introduced several years ago as a travel retail release that scored high marks from renowned Scotch reviewer Jim Murray in the 2011 edition of his annual Whisky Bible. Part of Macallan’s 1824 Collection, it is a limited edition mix of Scotch aged in ex-sherry casks that was distilled between 1987 and 1997. It is considered a non-age statement bottling.
According to Macallan the whisky, once reaching the peak of its maturation, was drawn down to a strength of 46.5% ABV through the use of “natural spring water drawn from boreholes deep under The Macallan Estate.” It was then further barreled for at least six months before being bottled at the same proof.
As mentioned earlier, the biggest part of the revamp of Oscuro is not the Scotch itself, but rather the packaging. Macallan turned to Brandimage, a creative agency out of Paris, for the redesign. What’s resulted is a presentation similar to that of the much more expensive Reflexion from the 1824 Master Series. It now comes in “a beautiful, slender, clear glass carafe which shows off the liquid’s rich, dark colour,” which in turn is housed in a split front display box.
Tasting notes for Oscuro, per Macallan, are below. If you choose to try and hunt down a bottle make sure to ask the retailer first for the newer packaging.
Nose: Ripened woodland fruits, dark chocolate, orange, creamy vanilla
Palate: Dried figs, ripe oranges and a hint of crisp apples
Finish: Full and lingering with a hint or warming wood smoke
Trending Stories
Latest News