Smell is inextricably tied to taste. Without one, we wouldn’t have the other. When it comes to Scotch whisky, we need both (in addition to the other senses, of course) to fully understand and enjoy the liquid gold that is sitting in a glass before us. That is why it makes complete sense that The Macallan has teamed up with master perfumist and fragrance historian Roja Dove to create their latest: Edition No. 3.
Edition No. 1, the first in the series, was drawn from eight different casks of both European and American creation. Edition No. 2 was created through collaboration with the three Roca brothers behind El Cellar de Can Roca, which was named best restaurant in the world twice.
This latest release in the Edition Series is (if it isn’t clear from the aforementioned partnerships) is a way for The Macallan to bring the worlds of whisky and aroma together to really show off just how important the nose of a whisky is. For his part, Dove nosed a wide variety of casks in order to describe the aromas of each in incredible detail. Master whisky maker Bob Dalgarno then took these notes and used them to determine the final product, The Macallan Edition No. 3.
In a statement, Dalgarno said of the product: “Inspiration and innovation lie at the heart of The Macallan and, in Edition No. 3, we have collaborated with one of the world’s most respected aroma experts to create a single malt whisky which pushes the boundaries and challenges convention. There are great parallels between the worlds of whisky and perfume and it has been fascinating to work with Roja to explore the power of aroma in individual oak casks and its influence on the resulting whisky.”
A mixture of American and European oak casks of varying sizes were used in the final product, which helps give depth to the nose. Speaking of, the nose on Edition No. 3 is sweet and fruity with a wide range of aromas available to the dedicated sniffer: vanilla, oak, bourbon, floral notes, green apple, and fruit cake all show up. On the palate, you’re going to find fruit cake, apricot, pear, and more green apple. These flavors lead into a long, lingering finish that, like the rest of the whisky, is sweet and fruity.
Around 250,000 bottles of The Macallan Edition No. 3 in total were created and will retail for around $95 each. The Macallan Edition No. 3 is 48.3 percent ABV, one-tenth higher than Edition No. 2.
Images courtesy of The Macallan.
