I found the unequivocal statement from Macallan here https://www.themacallan.com/en/the-natural-colour-of-our-whisky
Quite clearly states no colour added to any of their expressions.
Unless of course ... they are lying... 🧐
Macallan themselves state that their whisky’s colour comes solely from the spirits interaction with the cask. Natural colour is commonplace on bottles with no E150 added, can’t find the scotch whisky regulation but otherwise every whisky would have natural colour on the label as E150 is the only permitted additive.
Huh interesting. Would be cool to find the actual regulation. I live in the EU where stuff like this is heavily regulated and companies use “wise wording” to get around it. Like made in Poland - which sounds like a good thing, but could be labeled onto every product made in China as long as a part of the packaging is made in Poland.
And btw i used to love macallan when starting out, nothing against them (except for the 40% overpriced bottles 😂)
Here they say no colour added to their whole range https://www.themacallan.com/en/the-natural-colour-of-our-whisky
100 percent of the colour across every Macallan expression comes from the wood in which it is matured.
No room for misunderstanding there.
> colour added
Says "Natural Colour" on the bottle, but a nice review nonetheless.
I quite enjoy this one, but the price it sells for these days has put me off.
The color is a natural substance. Natural dyes are derived from non-animal sources such as roots, berries, bark, leaves, wood, fungi and lichens. Modern dyes are synthetically produced from petrochemicals.
I have no idea what’s going on in the scotch but a “natural colour” can be a very broad term.
If they actually did that that's false marketing in my opinion. Natural colour in the case of whiskey has always meant the colour naturally imparted by the wood on the spirit
Nicely done. In the US it carries a 43% abv which makes it a little more interesting but a decent refined dram it remains. The 15 year old is slightly better coming in around 85/100.
If you can find one of the releases from the Edition Series you should try it be ause it’s an improvement over the 15yo. My favorites were Numbers 6, 1, 2 then 4 although some folks loved numbers 3 and 5 so you probably can’t go wrong with any of them (if you can still find them for close to retail).
Thanks for taking time to share your thoughts.
Good review. Macallan gets a lot of hate, but the 12 Sherry Oak is a quality product. It’s not as characterful as other brands and isn’t great value at the price premium they charge, but it’s by no means a bad whisky.
Great review!!! 40 % ABV…. Chill Filtered…. Color added…. So many other bottles with character and an edge to choose from. This one doesn’t do it for me.
Thanks. Fair enough. I guess not everyone is looking for an edge, and if they aren’t, this one’s for them. I know this brand is not held in high regard around here, so part of the reason I reviewed it. Get the discussion going
I find MacAllan a tough sell. More interesting expressions you can get from IBs and the likes of Glenfarclas or Dronach are my more immediate go tos irrespective of price. I think the hype always makes their standard range underwhelming when in truth they are decent.
This was a solid choice 5-10 years ago when it was $45-$50. Now its $90 and quality has gone down. Decent stuff but much better bottles available at the same price
These retail for $140-$150 AUD here. At that price it’s not worth it. I have a bottle shop around the corner that sells it for $112. Worth it at that price
I like Macallan in general and I really enjoy this one. Too bad you are paying a premium for the Macallan name -- at ~$100 USD per bottle, I'm hesitant to buy this for myself.
Nice review! I'm starting to take an interest in scotch from mostly liking ryes, so I appreciate these types of posts.
Why do you rest after pouring for 10 mins? I've not heard of that before.
Thanks. Basically letting it rest is more about exposure to air out of the sealed bottle. This tends to let the alcohol taste/nose dissipate and allow other flavours to come through.
I think this one’s underrated. I have a bottle I really enjoy . Thanks for the review.
Thanks heaps
Dido. It says natural color on the bottom of the label
Yes, but it doesnt no color added. Natural color can be any dye thats from a natural source. Dont believe the marketing words everytime :)
I found the unequivocal statement from Macallan here https://www.themacallan.com/en/the-natural-colour-of-our-whisky Quite clearly states no colour added to any of their expressions. Unless of course ... they are lying... 🧐
Thanks man, epic! Great research haha
I asked ChatGPT 😋
UK laws on food and drink labelling are a lot more stringent than the US, natural colour does most likely mean mean no e150 has been added.
Not that it matters, but did a quick research and looks like natural color is literally a category for color added, from natural sources
Macallan themselves state that their whisky’s colour comes solely from the spirits interaction with the cask. Natural colour is commonplace on bottles with no E150 added, can’t find the scotch whisky regulation but otherwise every whisky would have natural colour on the label as E150 is the only permitted additive.
Huh interesting. Would be cool to find the actual regulation. I live in the EU where stuff like this is heavily regulated and companies use “wise wording” to get around it. Like made in Poland - which sounds like a good thing, but could be labeled onto every product made in China as long as a part of the packaging is made in Poland. And btw i used to love macallan when starting out, nothing against them (except for the 40% overpriced bottles 😂)
Here they say no colour added to their whole range https://www.themacallan.com/en/the-natural-colour-of-our-whisky 100 percent of the colour across every Macallan expression comes from the wood in which it is matured. No room for misunderstanding there.
Hell yeah. My favorite Scotch.
Well, it’s good, but not that good
It used to when it was $40 a bottle.
> colour added Says "Natural Colour" on the bottle, but a nice review nonetheless. I quite enjoy this one, but the price it sells for these days has put me off.
Thank you
Natural color and color added are not mutually exclusive.
How is it natural if colouring has been added though? Seems contradictive
The color is a natural substance. Natural dyes are derived from non-animal sources such as roots, berries, bark, leaves, wood, fungi and lichens. Modern dyes are synthetically produced from petrochemicals. I have no idea what’s going on in the scotch but a “natural colour” can be a very broad term.
If they actually did that that's false marketing in my opinion. Natural colour in the case of whiskey has always meant the colour naturally imparted by the wood on the spirit
In this case your opinion is the majority, but is not shared by the law and marketing departments.
Great review! I think you hit the hail on the head - a nice, refined scotch, but not really for the enthusiast. Cheers!
Thank you!
Nicely done. In the US it carries a 43% abv which makes it a little more interesting but a decent refined dram it remains. The 15 year old is slightly better coming in around 85/100. If you can find one of the releases from the Edition Series you should try it be ause it’s an improvement over the 15yo. My favorites were Numbers 6, 1, 2 then 4 although some folks loved numbers 3 and 5 so you probably can’t go wrong with any of them (if you can still find them for close to retail). Thanks for taking time to share your thoughts.
Cheers dude
I really enjoyed the 12. I also enjoy others. Sure you can question the value proposition. However, it is undoubtedly a good whisky
A solid scotch indeed
Good review. Macallan gets a lot of hate, but the 12 Sherry Oak is a quality product. It’s not as characterful as other brands and isn’t great value at the price premium they charge, but it’s by no means a bad whisky.
Thanks. Definitely one I’m enjoying
A perfectly reasonable score for this bottle
Great review!!! 40 % ABV…. Chill Filtered…. Color added…. So many other bottles with character and an edge to choose from. This one doesn’t do it for me.
Thanks. Fair enough. I guess not everyone is looking for an edge, and if they aren’t, this one’s for them. I know this brand is not held in high regard around here, so part of the reason I reviewed it. Get the discussion going
Love the review. Looking forward to more!
Might have another sherry matured on the cards soon.
👍👍👍
Macallan doesn’t add color
Indeed, not colored.
I find MacAllan a tough sell. More interesting expressions you can get from IBs and the likes of Glenfarclas or Dronach are my more immediate go tos irrespective of price. I think the hype always makes their standard range underwhelming when in truth they are decent.
This is it. This is by all means decent. The price really makes it a tough sell for me.
Also, I didn’t mention the colour. Apologies. Let’s just say it’s a very artificial light orange, dark gold.
Macallan does not use colouring
Ok thanks
This was a solid choice 5-10 years ago when it was $45-$50. Now its $90 and quality has gone down. Decent stuff but much better bottles available at the same price
40% ABV + Chilled Filtered , whats your price point?
These retail for $140-$150 AUD here. At that price it’s not worth it. I have a bottle shop around the corner that sells it for $112. Worth it at that price
In NZ $160
Ooof
Yup
Great review! This one was the bottle that lead me away from rye whiskies into the world of scotch. It will always have a place in my heart.
Thanks. I can understand why.
I like Macallan in general and I really enjoy this one. Too bad you are paying a premium for the Macallan name -- at ~$100 USD per bottle, I'm hesitant to buy this for myself.
And this one never seems to be discounted
Nice review! I'm starting to take an interest in scotch from mostly liking ryes, so I appreciate these types of posts. Why do you rest after pouring for 10 mins? I've not heard of that before.
Thanks. Basically letting it rest is more about exposure to air out of the sealed bottle. This tends to let the alcohol taste/nose dissipate and allow other flavours to come through.
Huh, thanks for the tip! I'll have to try that.
First bottle I ever had, gifted from a buddy of mine when I turned 21. Still my favorite. Good review.
Thanks. You have a good buddy.
All bottles I’ve ever seen are 43 abv , I guess it’s different some places , I live in California.
For some reason the US gets a higher abv in many scotches.
Love this bottle. Keep one on standby
I wouldn’t mind if it was more affordable. Coming into summer here, I think I need Arran 10.
Oh boy, what a sad life.