Macallan Edition No.2 48.2% NV

Professionele reviews

Serge Valentin (87)

When you have no age, you ought to come up with a name, and a number’s just easy to find, isn’t it. It’s strange though that they wouldn’t have called it ‘The Spanish Edition’ or something, as this NAS vatting was done in collaboration with some Spanish chefs. And why not? Now I’ve been to some of those restaurants (such as the Rocas’s), and I can assure you that they’re totally great. Colour: gold. Nose: malt and sherry, obviously. Ovaltine, raisins, oak, vanilla, barley, toffee, chocolate, and a little mocha, then rather tangerine jam and fruity cornflakes. Fruity Loops, that’s their name if I remember well. Well done so far. Mouth: okay, this is very good. Big malty arrival, totally in sync with the nose, then many full-flavoured pastries, cakes, and certainly some ginger cake. A spoonful of thick ale, or perhaps Guinness (I know that’s a little un-diplomatic). Finish: long, firm, rather thick. Ginger cake and raisin rolls and some welcome lemon in the aftertaste. Comments: I like it that Macallan would collaborate with chefs and starred restaurants. That’s good, worthy content (as long as the chefs have something to say and enjoy their whisky). More about all that on Monday, stay tuned!

Whisky Notes (87)

Nose: quite complex. It’s a drier, “forest-like” style of sherried whisky, mostly characterized by European oak. Crushed peppercorns, gingerbread and cinnamon. Then the typical baked apples, orange peel and berries. Golden syrup. Milk chocolate and a hint of coffee beans. Just a hint of green oak. A bit light and floral for Macallan, but nice.

Mouth: raisins, cinnamon and coffee. A generous peppery warmth. Not the usual prunes and dates, but a vague chocolate sweetness and a hint of blackberries. Toast. Treacle. Liquorice, vanilla and sweet ginger. Some earthy and grassy notes as well.


Finish: medium length, still on ginger and cinnamon, with a hint of lemon peel.Being spicy and earthy yet fairly light, this is slightly atypical for The Macallan (although they are betting on European oak a lot lately). But the result is really good and not overpriced, better value than most of their core range these days.

BOW (88)

A creative collaboration between Bob Dalgarno, our master whisky maker and the three Roca brothers, co-founders of El Cellar de Can Roca, twice named best restaurant in the world, Edition No.2 unites these four masters in one spirit.

The distinctive and dynamic character of Edition No.2 has been shaped not only by the use of seven exceptional oak cask types from four different bodegas but by the creative spirit of each of the four collaborators; combining flavours to reflect each of their distinctive personalities in the resulting whisky.

Drawn from European and American oak casks, this limited edition is a characterful single malt that showcases our extraordinary commitment to sourcing and selecting only the very best oak casks for The Macallan.

Note by Macallan

For the event Josep Roca commented;

“The Macallan has personality and character in its whisky, but there is a nice balance. The different oaks and barrels can be spicy, fruity or floral with varying intensities but always balance – which made each dish open to possibility,”

“Both worlds speak the same language. The main link comes from the aroma and flavors. Making whisky is an art itself; taste, smell, textures are all seen in The Macallan.”

For the creation of this expression each contributor has handpicked a cask;

*Joan Roca, head chef, picked 1st and 2nd fill Diego Martin casks for its rich green wood and toffee flavors.

*Jordi Roca, pastry chef went with 1st and 2nd fill Vasyma American Oak casks to include light vanilla and citrus notes.

*Joseph Roca, the sommelier, selected 1st fill Jose Miguel Martin casks with spicy ginger notes.

*Bob Dalgarno picked 1st fill Tevasa cask, which conveys dried fruit and sherry notes.


Master Distiller Bob Delgarno stated that;

“The collaboration embodies the spirit of The Macallan. Edition No.2 reflects the personalities of the Roca brothers and me, represented by our personal cask selection.”

The result was a unique master piece with warm and spicy, complex character. It is a whisky created by the uncompromising creative spirit of the four collaborators who came together to curate this special single malt.