Macallan 1851 Inspiration 41.3% NV

Avis professionnels

Serge Valentin (86)

Colour: gold. Nose: again, it’s close but maybe a little wilder, with a little more tannins than the WMS and faint traces of what could be peat – or something phenolic, at least. It’s also a tad more floral (dandelions) and a little more honeyed for a while, but it gets just as grassy as the WMS after that, with also a little parsley. Very ‘1851’, I agree (pfff…). Mouth: extremely close to the WMS now, it’s almost the same whisky on my palate. Maybe the same, in fact, so please read above. 86 points. (Why not do a Cerrutti-sponsored bottling and call it ‘1881’ next time?)

BOW (80)

Angus MacRaild;

I'm sure you don't need me to tell you the story behind this rather amusing/ludicrous/embarrassing (delete as you prefer) series? Colour: orangey amber. Nose: a kind of halfway house between the 10 and the No 6 in some ways. There's a lovely tropical edge here but it's also more dominated by a nutty sherry profile. Peanut brittle with milk chocolate, praline, pipe tobacco, mushroom powder and this general impression of all things 'old library' - which I'm sure the Macallan directors of the time would have approved. Mouth: a little flat and flabby on arrival. There's a big dollop of marmalade-heavy sherry but it feels rather sweetish and confected. Sugary cafe latte, cheap madeira sponge cake and a touch of leather. Finish: medium, a tad short, not a whole lot going on. Feels like we've travelled a long way from the nose, some after notes of burnt caramel and fudge. Comments: Not sure what to say really. I had high hopes from the nose but the palate kind of went in its own, rather unlikely direction. I know other folk rate this higher, including Serge who had a version of this one at WF86 back in 2007, so it could be the bottle or just me most likely. Anyway, who cares!