The Macklowe
Black Label 13 Year Old Single Cask No. 119

EYE

Color: Metallic gold/lion mane.
Clarity: Pristine, unblemished purity.

Nose

Dryness/sweetness scale 1 (dry) to 10 (sweet): 2
1st 2 minutes: Upfront, there are direct, assertive aromatic notes of maple syrup, cigar tobacco and wrapping paper, bay leaf (laurel), carob, and a whisper of coffee bean.
5 minutes: Second stage inhalations introduce tightly woven and slightly drier/acidic scents of ginger, parchment, and lemon peel.
10 minutes: It’s here, with more aeration, where the various olfactory elements meld into a seductive aromatic message of elegantly spicy, vanilla bean-like oak barrel (vanillin) and dry, unsweetened breakfast cereal.

Mouth

Dryness/sweetness scale 1 (dry) to 10 (sweet): 2-3
Entry: Right from the first taste, I find the mature suppleness of the gustatory composition lean, squeaky tight and crisp (adequately acidic), and more than moderately oaky.
Midpalate: There’s an intriguing expansion at this juncture in the oak-driven sweetness that makes itself known at first blush and it’s this aging vessel development that pushes the flavor intensity and density forward.
Texture: Medium weight/moderate degree of viscosity-grip.
Finish: No question but that it’s right at this point in the savor moment where this whiskey shines brightest as the understated sweetness of the oak underpins all other gustatory aspects, bringing it home with style, concentration, and elegance.

overall

A lovely, moderately mature single malt whose best virtues are its restraint, gradual build-up of character, and pure elemental harmony. 46% is the ideal abv.

Rated