The Macallan Rare Cask

It's a must have especially during the winter months accompanied by a a nice cigar after a steak dinner.

4th December 2018

I first bought this expression when it was released in the US were it was supposed to be available for the US market only and received rave reviews. The very initial releases also had their tops sealed with a red wax, you can still find pictures of that on old reviews. It really was a great whisky and worthy of 5 stars. It was so good in fact that I bought another couple of bottles a few months later to enjoy on another occasion, this time though they had a red paper wrapped around the neck and were sealed with clear plastic covering rather than the special red wax! I opened one of these bottles recently, and the bottle and was not in the same league as the initial offering. I actually found it burnt a bit in the after taste rather than the smooth but mouth watering quality of the first. Not terrible, but it was like drinking normal young whisky after just having a Macallan of 25years.

15th October 2018

I would give it zero stars, if not for the fact I admire the sheer audacity of selling an over priced B.S. product with such fervor and zeal. I can think of no reason to pay such a ridiculous price for a whisky sans age statement. And can't help but think a bulk of these positive reviews are people rationalizing what they spent on this hot garbage.

11th October 2018

I cant wait to taste this whiskey, came here because believe it or not my local store has this priced for $1,100.00 .

10th August 2018

A different type of Macallan here we have some younger spirit driven whisky alongside some well aged stuff and they mingle together quite well. The nose is your typical macallan with the dark fruits, dates, figs but on the palate you get the nip of the young whisky on the arrival and then the older stuff takes over as ir devwlops with the character of a well aged Macallan it concludes with a medium length finish. Very tasty indeed. 3% more ABV would of made it an outstanding whisky

19th July 2018

I had a dram of this as part of a Father’s Day tasting set (my 2 month old son has excellent taste).

I thought it was a lovely, complex, clean sherried malt with some very old whisky in there despite its NAS.

In the following week I have had Glendronach 18 and Glenfarclas 25 and found it to be significantly more refined than the Glendronach (~£80) and up there with the Glenfarclas (~£125 and considered great value), although admittedly I haven’t had them side by side.

Ultimately, this is great whisky and it probably isn’t as overpriced as it looks. Would I spend £200 on a bottle? Not in a world where the Glenfarclas 25 exists.

13th July 2018

Fantastic whisky. Very delicate and smooth yet leaves with you a nice long finish. Yes It is NAS but it taste so much better than a lot of whiskies in this price range. Don't trust people who are 'Age statement' snobs.

30th May 2018

43% ABV, chill-filtered and artificially coloured, no age statement... and Macallan wants how much? No, seriously, where are the cameras? Kidding aside, I've had this and although it wasn't terrible, it was unremarkable and underwhelming. Fruit? Sure. And not much else. You can rely on your name and many will obviously suck it up. But I'm not that fool.

7th May 2018

This a joke. NAS at over $200 from a distiller that up until a few years ago prided itself on value and quality of its age-statement scotch. WAKE UP people!! Macallan is running out of good stock because they are over bought. So they try to sell us this NAS swill and stamp their name on it hoping that their logo will carry them though. Even Glendronach 12 is a better value than this at a fraction of the cost and its non-chillfiltered.

15th April 2018

I bought a bottle of the estate reserve at Munich airport whilst between flights and really enjoyed its intensity and flavour. Having read the reviews, I decided to try the rare cask and find that even more to my liking. Both are incredible if rather expensive bottles and I plan to carry on drinking these exceptional whiskies whenever I have the opportunity!

7th March 2018

I had a person knowledgeable in Scotch highly recommend the Rare Cask. I tried it, and thought that it was very light bodied, with an acceptable aromas. The flavor had some sherry flavor but it was very weak for my taste. To my taste this is very different from the string sherry taste most commonly associated with the old classic Macallan taste. Obviously I would not recommend this due to the cost.

4th March 2018

Despite typically basing a rating on value (dollar-to-flavor) I'll make an exception here. I didn't buy this, but was offered a dram by a generous host who opened the bottle for me. I am into single malts and I've had Macallan Gold prior to this (another NAS, but not as overpriced). While I found this to be very enjoyable, I didn't think it was $200+ better, actually about the same. I didn't take the stars away for the price and I am not jealous. I could afford a bottle, but I choose not to - I'd rather buy a number of malts to try for the same money. I am not in the habit of comparing single malts in terms "better/worse". Aberlour is not better or worse than Macallan, just different. And just as delectable. So are Arran, Craigellachie, Glenmorangie Nectar D'Or, Highland Park, etc. Realize that most people reviewing this will be those with more money than taste, people who are into labels and "prestige" (whatever that means). Macallan IS overpriced, while it remains quality and delicious whisky.

30th January 2018

Opened this bottle with my 2 sons and we loved it! Would highly recommend!!! I seen a couple one stars based on price because they can't afford it..lol..buy a bottle and make some people jealous 😬

13th January 2018

Why are you giving a one star review when you're not even taste a dram yet?! Review should be base on the quality of the appreciation of the juice that come from the bottle not the price!

8th December 2017

love the taste and smoothness

29th November 2017

Luscious, perfect for late October-Christmas

3rd November 2017

Why so expensive??? Macallan 18 sherry MUCH better

5th August 2017

An exceptional scotch, hands down a favorite of my collection. I save my bottle of Macallan rare cask for only the most special of occasions.

2nd March 2017

I would love to have one of expensive

4th January 2017

Very nice !!

14th November 2016

Smooth and complex with well integrated vanilla in the front and middle. Some candied orange rind and dried mango fruit present in the front as well. The sherry dominates the middle for me and makes a smooth transition to the finish. A little chocolate, macerated dark cherry, and a hint of malt come through, but it is a little weak. However, for a sherry aged whiskey it retains some complexity and depth that is nice. The finish is sweet and too fat for my taste. It leaves me wanting a sip of water to get the lingering feeling of oil out of my mouth. It lacks grip and acidity. Overall a pleasant dram with interesting flavors.

5th October 2016

I read somewhere else that this whiskey was like an orchestral performance that ebbed and flowed in the glass. I could not agree more. As the whiskey opened up, the nose became butterscotch while the mouth became chocolate and smoke. It was truly an enjoyable experience. I hope to be fortunate enough to have it again.

23rd June 2016

Rich and warm. Multi faceted with cherry vanilla along with right amount of bite.

17th June 2016

It comes in a really nice box, a cool shaped bottle, and a heavy cork top. It smells lovely of vanilla and sherry. Sweet on the initial taste like port. Ok in the body but nothing to write home to mom about. And then it finishes way too spicy and the oak takes over from the sherry. Add a couple of drops of water to open up the finish. It's a better than average Scotch, but for the price, you can do so much better. Buy only if you're a completist and have to have all things Macallan. Else, you'd be better off spending your money elsewhere.

22nd May 2016

Wow. The most Amy nose of orange zest and nutmeg with warmth and complexity to excite. Fabulous 😄

7th May 2016

Very complex whisky. For those tastebud who is not refine yet should go for Glenfarclas.

1st March 2016

Not to go after anyone's scotch tasting talent, but clearly, if you can't appreciate this rare cask, you simply can't afford it! After 45 years of scotch tasting, this is a really good scotch. This scotch will be worth a small fortune in a very short period of time. Have fun with your taste buds🔮

10th February 2016

Very, very good! Highly recommend

24th January 2016

I must say this Scotch surprised me, smooth with nice depth when served neat as all fine scotches should.
Thoroughly enjoyed this and would recommend.
I certainly cannot disagree with the Glenfarclas 25 comment since I find that to be an outrageous scotch value for a 25 y/o malt.

15th January 2016

I like the taste but wont buy again due to its price. I rather go for something cheaper which tastes better.

12th January 2016

Even the glendronach 12 has more depth. I'm seriously questioning the people commenting on this scotch. If you want to enjoy a smooth sherried whisky, try the glenfarclas 25. Not only is it better, but you'll save 100...

11th January 2016

I love it , and will not drink anything else.

6th December 2015

Its like drinking liquid candy. I brought this to my favorite scotch drinking friend and she had never tried it before. We both came to the same conclusion - the best scotch that has ever passed over our lips. The nose has a heavy caramel sweet scent. on the pallet its as if your drinking a liquid, chocolate nutmeg candy. The finish is a heavy syrup chocolate flavor that lasts a very long time. This Macallan is fit for Kings. Well Done Macallan.

22nd October 2015

This was quite the surprise. Very complex, first sip was a bit overwhelming, then smooths out after the 3rd or so. Well worth the price. The chocolate notes are very nice. Hits you hard up front and seems to keep going and going with a drawn out complex finish that is just pure delightful.

21st October 2015