Whisky : Macallan 30 Year SMWS 24.139 “Beauty beyond skin deep”

Country/Region : Scotland/Speyside

ABV : 46.9%

Cask : Refill Sherry Butt

Age : 30 Years (Distilled 12 May 1989)

Nose : Subtle and complex with dried fruit, wood, and chocolate.  On the nose were notes of musty dried figs and dates with a mild nutty rancio-sherry funk.  Sweet notes of dark brown sugar, strawberry jam, and candied cherries fronted old varnished oak and woody antiques.  With time came dark roasted coffee and creamy cafe latte.

Palate : Mellow and gentle with warm notes of strawberry, sandalwood, and nuts. A pop of sweet butterscotch cooled to reveal strawberry candies, sandalwood, and patchouli. Cherry and sarsaparilla lingered on the mid-palate and brought Diamond Head Strawberry sodas to mind. At the end was ginger, marzipan, and the subtle floral of an Earl Grey macaron.

Finish :  Long and lingering cola and coffee cake.

Score : 0*

Mental Image : Midnight Sodas in a Five Star Hotel Lobby

Notes :  I know giving a no-score will probably irk some people who see this— and I apologize. I have no idea how to properly score a bottle that cost two grand, even if I did not pay that and should theoretically be free from any price constraint to give my honest opinion. Truthfully, this was good, but I would never say a bottle that costs this much is worth buying. I consider a bottle that costs even a tenth of this to be a special occasion whisky.  

If you have the money and need Macallan, some of these very mature SMWS releases are worth your time and attention. Believe it or not, they are frequently cheaper than the official bottling of The Macallan 30 Year. For those of us without diamond encrusted pocket watches, spending an incredible amount of money on a dram that happens to be cheaper than another even more ridiculously expensive dram is strange even to ponder. Yet, I think this is a better deal for a unique single cask experience bottled at cask strength than the OB. Though let me say again, neither is particularly worth that kind of money.

Overall, this was a unicorn dram— not one I ever expect to try again. It was great, but it was also absurd.

*If you absolutely need a score, I consider this about a 7.