Macallan 12 Year Single Malt Scotch Whiskey

            I personally think that one of the many beauties of Scotch Whiskey is the amount of diversity this spirit has. What I mean by that is that there is almost like a tree for it: two main types, Single Malt and Blended. Then in those categories there are many styles like Islay, Highland, Speyside and so on. Each one of these has their own distinct style and taste, for instance Islay is more known for being smokier and has more peat, while Speyside has more sweetish flavor. Another good region is Highland, which has a more fruity and smooth taste. A good example I find for an excellent Highland Single Malt is Macallan 12 year aged. Aged in Sherry oak casks from Spain, I honestly think that this is a fine piece of what Highland Scotch Whiskey is.

Nose

            Once more, I am not a very good judge on the aroma of many spirits. But with the Macallan, I found a lot of the scents it advertised to be very present. Macallan claims that their Whiskey’s aroma contains hints of vanilla, some ginger, fruit, sweet sherry and smoke. The Scotch does contain a very sweet smell, a mixture of the sherry and vanilla. It is a comfortable sweetness, and not too heavy in the nose. Of course, I cannot find any of the ginger. There is a hint of smokiness to the nose, and in combination with the sweetness it reminds me of tobacco. While that may turn some off, I should note it is not a cheap tobacco smell, as with cigarettes. Rather, it is a scent of fine pipe tobacco, something I find to reek of quality, care, and a lot of comfort.

Taste

            Being a 12 Year Single Malt, a lot of times I have found that having a nice smoothness to it is nice, but not always the case. But once more with the Macallan, it is surprising in its smooth and comfortable flavor. Again, Macallan claim that the flavor contains a rich note of dried fruit mixed with sherry sweetness. And once again, Macallan delivers on this promise. What I found nice was that the notes of sherry and dried fruit (both powerful and rich flavors by their own rights) were nicely balanced. No one flavored dominated here, but both stood out on an equal footing, creating a nice mixture.

            Behind the flavors of fruit and sherry is another thing Macallan advertised with its 12 Year: Smoke. Aged in sherry casks, this flavor (in my opinion) was an unavoidable addition to the Scotch. And like most Scotches, the smoke is a welcome thing. Unlike an Islay Scotch, the smoke is not an overpowering flavor, rather a subtle background note that adds to the overall experience. Smoke in Scotch is something I am very used to, and enjoy very much, especially when I have to look for it, because by searching for one flavor I enjoy the others more. Think of it as an opposition that others are marked again, or rather a base control. When one flavor is put against an opposite, it stands out more, and that is the case for the smoke in the Macallan. The one note that I cannot find in the Macallan is the spice that is supposedly matched with the smoke. Maybe it is because I am looking too much for the smoke, or that it is too subtle a note against the smoke. Either way, I think the Macallan works fine without it.

Finish

            Being brief about the Macallan’s finish, it is a fine and pleasant one. It leaves a sweet and smooth aftertaste, retaining much of its dried fruit flavor. The smoke, already a background flavor, diminishes even more, but with the fruit being so nice, that is hardly a minus. Once more, the spice is non-existent, as well as the other advertised flavor: sweet toffee. That aside, the finish is wonderful.

Conclusion

            Macallan is a wonderful Highland Scotch Whiskey. The best word I can think to describe it is comfortable, because so many aspects of it are. Its aroma reminds me of a cozy, warm living room with a wood fire sizzling in the corner. The taste, rich with dried fruit, is not an unwelcome one, being sweet on a smoky backdrop. The finish does what all finishes should do: make you just want to sit there for even longer and sip it. This is an excellent Scotch, and for 12 Years old, its quality is something brilliant. If you want to try a good quality Highland Scotch, look no further.

Ardbeg 10 Year Single Malt

            The first time I had Laphroaig Single Malt whiskey was only mid- to late-December of last year, and I was hit by the massive amount of peat this scotch has. This is the staple of Islay style scotch: smoky and peaty. This was Laphroaig Quarter Cask, aged 10 years, and the peat surely (to some people) is overwhelming. I, personally, have learned to love the taste, as the smoke and peat add a depth of flavor to the whiskey that few other drinks can match. So, when the opportunity arose to try another Islay scotch, I literally jumped at the chance and decided to try Ardbeg, 10 year aged.

Nose

            I must admit that when it comes to the aroma of whiskeys, I am not really the man to talk to, as I usually only have one nostril unclogged at any one point and it is usually slightly stuffy. That being said, for the Ardbeg one smell can easily be identified right off the bat: Peat. For those who do not know, peat generally has a more smoky aroma with a slightly earthy scent to it. That should easily give a clue as to how the scotch will taste--as with all food and drink the dominant aroma tends to be the dominant taste. Ardbeg’s website describes the aroma as “smoky fruit…peat infused with zesty lemon and lime, wrapped in waxy dark chocolate.” If you look for it, I am sure the chocolate is there, but I mainly smell the peat and fruit.

Taste

            Once more, Ardbeg’s website gives a lengthy description of the many tastes their 10 year scotch contains. From lemon to “…sizzling cinnamon…” to buttermilk to even liqourice root. I will not shy away from admitting that I was unable to taste most of these, which could be chalked up to my nose being stuffed or just that my tongue is not trained well enough to find these individual flavors. What was immediately stood out to me was the obvious: the peat. I was expecting it to have a flavor similar to the Laphroaig, a massive amount of peat, but I was surprised. While the peat was present, it was not overwhelming, allowing me to taste the other flavors present in the whiskey, such as the other fruity flavors and slightly spicy pepper tones.

Like Laphroaig, I had this over ice, but unlike the Laphroaig, I did not have to wait for the scotch to get watered down before tasting the other flavors. From the start, I could taste the Ardbeg’s peat, but I was also able to taste a sweetness with it as well. I would not call this the lemon taste it advertised, rather more a berry-like taste, but a mild one. Either way, this was a wonderful mixture, as the smoky peat and sweet fruit combined to make a deep and interesting blend of flavors. I enjoyed this very much, especially coming from only a 10 year aged scotch. Moving forward, I must talk about what was one of the most surprising things about Ardbeg: how smooth it is. Currently, one of my favorite scotches is Glenfiddich 15 year aged. The Ardbeg is a smoother scotch than the 15 year, something that surprised me as it is 5 years younger. I consider this a mark of quality.

Finish

            I will not speak at length on Ardbeg’s finish. It is a pleasant finish, smooth, easy, with less peat and more fruit. The aftertaste it leaves is one I do not mind at all, as all those excellent flavors meld nicely together. Personally, I find the finish makes want to drink the Ardbeg more.

Conclusion

            Ardbeg is a nice quality, well made and overall great Single Malt. It is smooth and it is tasty, and from a 10 year, that is a great deal. While I could not taste or smell a lot of the advertised flavors and aromas, that did not stop me from enjoying this scotch. If I had to rate this one, I would easily give it a 9 out of 10. If you have the chance, I would easily recommend you give it a shot. But I will warn you, if you do not like peat or smoke, you will not like this. If you do, what are you waiting for?