The Macallan Edition No. 6 Scotch Review

By Emma Briones

Rating: A

The Macallan Edition No. 6
(Credit: Emma Briones)

If there’s a range of whiskies that have fascinated me, it must be The Macallan Edition range, a series of limited-edition whiskies chosen to represent the distillery pillars. The collection has come to an end, with the last chapter: The Macallan Edition Nº 6.

Each whisky of this range was developed to represent one of the bases that give Macallan its character. From the use of wood and barrels to the nose evolution or even the whiskies’ natural color. The Macallan Edition Nº 6 closes the range, inspired by the River Spey, which goes through the distillery’s property.

To create The Macallan Edition Nº6, Macallan has selected five different barrels styles inspired by the river and its natural environment. The closing chapter of The Macallan edition is a combination of American and European oak sherry-seasoned barrels (hogshead and butts). This is a NAS scotch, bottled at 48.6% volume.

The Scotch
As with any other Edition whisky, Nº 6 comes in the classic Macallan bottle, but with a turquoise packaging. On the glass, the whisky is old gold.,

It is intense on the nose, with toffee, dates, and caramelized almonds. A bit of fresh fruit. Quite spicy, it has cinnamon cookies aromas, with a touch of nutmeg. A souvenir of vanilla and oak. On the palate is classic fruity Macallan: oranges and plums. But the caramelized notes come to the foreground: caramelized almonds, hazelnuts, and chocolate. Those are followed by cereal and oatmeal cookies, blended with cinnamon rolls. A touch of nutmeg and pepper, accompanied by creme brulée and roasted coffee. The finish is medium, with chocolate notes.

My relation with Macallan dances continuously between love and hate. “Oh, it is quite a Scotch” and “too expensive, feels like they are robbing you!”. But, The Macallan Edition range always gets me. I’ve tasted them all except for number one, and year after year has become a whisky I bought with my eyes closed. Again, pricing is a bit higher than it should, but it is a limited edition that always sells out.

Edition Nº6 is maybe the sweetest of them all. It highlights the intense chocolate notes instead of the usual sherried ones. Though my favorite will always be number two, It would be rude not to catch this one if you can, you won’t regret it.

The Price
The Macallan Edition Nº6 is available in specialist retailers worldwide in limited quantities. It is retailed at €125 / $120, but you will hardly find it below $200.