Macallan SMWS Jazz Pack, 5x2.5cl

A selection of 5 miniature Macallan jazz bottlings.

Refined and sophisticated
The nose is subtle, refined and sophisticated - hints of shoe boxes and new corduroys, honey, barley sugar and lucky bag sweetness, with very pleasant orange notes (orange fondant, orange oil, orange blossom). The texture is beautifully smooth - a very easy - drinking, quaffable dram - mainly sweet (Edinburgh Rock, apricot Danish pastries, honey, cherry jam) with subtle shades of cinnamon toast and leather. The reduced nose becomes more perfumed and floral, with some toasted coconut and mango - a sheer delight. The palate - pot-pourri, candied orange dipped in dark chocolate and Ruffle bars (raspberry, coconut and dark chocolate). A wonderful example of well-matured whisky.

Distilled: 12 March 2002
1st fill barrel / ex-bourbon
Aged for 16 years

Engaging Warmth
Sweetness hits the nose first - honeyed Baklava, puff candy and rainbow drops; then comes tangerine, red apple, raspberry and cloudy lemonade, followed by spring flowers, laurel hedge and hints of pepper. The palate is also sweet (jelly beans, Battenberg cake), with some tangy orange zest and kiwi and a really spicy finish (pepper, chilli chocolate, aniseed gobstoppers). The reduced nose presents an even more attractive perfumed sweetness (petits fours, mango, melon balls, Berwick Cockles, Oddfellows sweets), while the reduced palate has engaging sweet and spicy warmth - pastries and cakes straight from the oven; clove rock, ginger snaps and sugary espresso dregs.

Distilled: 12 March 2002
1st fill barrel / ex-bourbon
Aged for 16 years

A dark allurement
A resinous, mineralic sherry leaps at you from the glass. It evolves into camphor, dates, pomegranate molasses and aged cigars. There's cough medicine as well, alongside sour cherries and cured game meats. Reduction brings a sense of long-aged medicines, shoe polish and pine resin. A dense, hugely syrupy texture arrives on the palate, full of salted almonds, white truffle, dunnage earthiness and dried herbs. With water there are more nutty qualities, notes of dry cereals, buttery brown toast and expensive liquorice. A fading, rancio-rich finish follows. After 20 years of maturation in an oloroso puncheon this whisky was transferred to a 1st fill olorosso hogshead.

Distilled: 27 June 1996
1st fill hogshead ex-oloroso
Aged for 22 years

An opulent temptation
The PX sherry strikes first with a dense cloak of aged walnut wines and cured meats rising from the glass, followed by raisins stewed in cognac, ancient rhum agricole and sweet sultanas. water brings complexity; a sense of menthol tobacco and aged chines tea cakes. Immediately on the palate there is raspberry jam, quince dark chocolate-covered prunes, date compote, black pepper and a rich note of damp hessian sack cloth. With reduction comes an acidity, aged strawberry wine and soda bread. The finish melts into a chocolatey, darkly fruited smog. transferred to a 1st fill PX hogshead after 20 years of maturation in an oloroso sherry puncheon.

Distilled: 27 June 1996
1st fill hogshead ex-px
Aged for 22 years

A sweet seduction
Orange-flecked gold hints at this whisky's sherry cask origins. Nosing reveals a gentle abundance of gingerbread, spun sugar and precious nectars. Luscious fruit syrups linger in the background alongside peppery spice, grated nutmeg, cinnamon bark and ground allspice. Water reveals green fruits and warm, custard-drizzled gooseberry tart. To taste; runny honey, aged herbal liqueurs and a kind of sticky rancio all make themselves felt. Water unveils assorted citrus rinds, pink grapefruit and truffle oil, followed by a lingering finish that balances sweetness and drying earthy qualities. Matured for 20 years in an oloroso puncheon before moving to a 2nd fill bourbon barrel.

Distilled: 27 June 1996
2nd fill hogshead ex-bourbon
Aged for 22 years