Macallan Classic Cut Review
Macallan Classic Cut is a limited edition bottling released by Macallan in the fall of 2017. Based on the bottle’s label design and high ABV, Classic Cut clearly seems to be a nod to the beloved—but discontinued—Macallan Cask Strength of old.
According to the label, Classic Cut is “exclusively matured in hand picked sherry seasoned oak casks from Jerez, Spain.” The use of the phrase “sherry seasoned oak” is interesting. Compare that to the Macallan 12 year old label, which states, “exclusively matured in selected sherry oak casks from Jerez, Spain.” Is Macallan trying to tell us something with the use of the word “seasoned”? I don’t know, but I don’t think so. Any ex-sherry cask could be called sherry seasoned, plus Macallan’s website now refers to all their sherry oak bottlings as sherry seasoned, even if that exact phrasing isn’t found on all the labels. It’s an interesting tidbit to note though.
Also interesting: there is no mention on the label of this being a cask strength whisky. It’s bottled at 58.4% ABV, which certainly could be cask strength. But it’s also possible that Macallan watered it down slightly. I’ve seen other reviewers speculate that it is indeed not cask strength, but I’m not so sure. It would be a strange ABV to use if it’s anything other than cask strength. But it’s not on the label, so we don’t really know for sure one way or the other.
I’ve never had the good fortune to try any of the old Macallan Cask Strength bottlings, so this review is not a comparison to the old bottle. Which is how it should be anyhow. Classic Cut is a new bottling that should be judged on its own merit, not as a reincarnation of a whisky ghost. So let’s see how it tastes.
Macallan Classic Cut Review
Type: Single Malt Scotch
Region: Speyside
ABV: 58.4%
Natural Color
Nose
Sweet. Lots of fruit, especially tart cherries, but also plenty of dried tropical fruits (pineapple, papaya, and mango). Cherry pie topped with Cool Whip. Candied ginger. Wet sherry oak. Vanilla beans. Toffee. Milk chocolate. Marzipan.
Palate
Red wine. Ginger. Orange liqueur. Dates. Plums. Black licorice. Big malty backbone. With some exposure to air, more spices emerge, especially cinnamon candy, along with nutmeg and clove. Fairly full and thick mouthfeel, warming and mouth-coating.
Finish
Long, drying, and slightly bitter. Orange peel. Ginger. Nutmeg. Vanilla. Marzipan. Sweet and sour sauce.
Overall
Lovely stuff. Ginger is the dominant note throughout, along with dates on the palate. I don’t remember having had a whisky with such pronounced date notes, and I rather enjoy it.
There is no mention of age on the label (making it NAS), and I would guess this is mostly young whisky, with perhaps a little bit of more mature stocks added for balance (which is purely speculation on my part). I often find more pronounced ginger notes on younger, high ABV single malts, so the prominence of ginger here is a pretty good indication to me of the whisky’s youthfulness (which isn’t a bad thing, at least not in this case). Also note that despite its high ABV and apparent youthfulness, this is a surprisingly easy sipper even without adding water (which perhaps gives credence to the idea that Macallan already watered this down a wee bit). That said, a small drop or two of water does help to open this up a bit.
This isn’t the most complex whisky in the world, but what it does, it does well. This is a single malt that any fan of Macallan or sherry-matured whisky in general should enjoy. Compared to other recent Macallan limited edition bottlings, specifically the Edition Series, I enjoy this as much or more—I like Classic Cut significantly better than Edition No. 3, and about the same or slightly more than Edition No. 2. Recommended.
SCORE: 88/100
Final Thoughts
I have no idea how this compares to the old Macallan Cask Strength, since I’ve never had it. Most other reviewers who have had both say that this new Classic Cut is inferior. I imagine they are correct, but who cares? The old one is gone, and the new Classic Cut is quite good.
One thing to note: Classic Cut improved quite a bit after the bottle was open for a couple weeks. Not that it was bad at first opening—it wasn’t, I enjoyed it immediately, but it was a bit restrained. It’s improved noticeably as I’ve worked my way through the bottle, with the spice notes in particular becoming more prominent. So if you have a bottle and aren’t too excited by it at first pour, give it some time and air.
Buy again? Yes. The pricing on Classic Cut is surprisingly competitive with other similar single malts. Whereas Macallan prices have often gone through the roof (such as with their 18 year old), Classic Cut is about the same price ($85-90) as several other high ABV/cask strength sherry matured whiskies. Around me, it is about the same price as Tamdhu Batch Strength and Glengoyne Cask Strength, and is significantly less expensive than Aberlour A’Bunadh (which is now going for around $120 near me—crazy). And I think Classic Cut is better than any of the aforementioned malts. The only problem is availability—this is a limited release and bottles are going fast. Get it while you can.
Drink This Not That: Drink this if you can still find a bottle, but if you can’t find it and want something similar, try another high ABV, sherry-influenced whisky, such as Tamdhu Batch Strength or Glengoyne Cask Strength.
Questions about my scoring system? Refer to the Review Method & Scoring Scale page.
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