Macallan 25
 

I need some spend on a new credit card and a bottle of Macallan 25 would put me over the required $3,000 to get 50,000 UA miles. My local liquor store had a bottle of it all boxed up when I asked a few weeks ago. What I'm wondering about is how to keep the bottle once opened. I have a vacuum pump I use for wine after I open it. Should I do the same with the Macallan 25 or would it be fine just putting the stopper back in the bottle. I expect it's going to be six months before I finish the bottle, maybe even longer. I had a 1.5L bottle of Macallan 12 that I took a while to finish and that seemed OK without vacuum sealing it. It's not a mechanical pump just a hand pump that sucks out the air.

doesnt it not matter for liquor?

Just stick the cork back in it. Liquor doesn't oxidize like wine does.

But the angels of Scotland is always taking their share via evaporation!

That's funny. Well now I have my very own bottle of Macallan 25. Was a display item from a locked display case but seems perfectly fine. Not sure when I'll open it.

I've been doing some reading and most articles I find say that air and light have the biggest impact on scotch. Maybe not as much as they do for wine but still significant.

I was reminded just a few days ago how incredibly delicious Talisker 10-yo is.

Many of the 10 year olds, such as Talsiker, Laphroaig, and Bowmore Legend are wonderful

The effects of both should be negligible for distilled spirits over reasonable timeframes.

That's reassuring. Next time I buy I'll ask for a bottle that hasn't been exposed to light but good to know that impact of light (not sunlight) is minimal.

I have no love for the Mac25. Too long in the Sherry casks. It no longer tastes like Scotch. 17 or 18 is the sweet spot IMO. Islay's are so funky they can take it though. In a Bourbon barrel I'll take every year I can get, not so with Port and Sherry.

It does oxidize, just not as quickly. My experience is that some oxidation actually improves the whisky at first. Once the bottle approaches half gone, I use Private Preserve to keep everything in check.

Well, I just returned from my 1st trip to Ireland and N. Ireland, and followed that up with a trip to Denver. I took tours/tastings of the Bushmills distillery and Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey. As a result, have added a bottle of Bushmills 12 and Stranahan's to my collection. I'm not sure why I didn't have distilleries on my itineraries before ... what a blast. tls

Have only a done a couple rum distillery tours in the Caribbean. Neither actually toured production facilities, although I did watch a lady labelling and polishing bottles at John Watlings in NAS. I have also attended many tastings at Ole Smoky Moonshine back home in TN.

How were the tours? I actually enjoy industrial tours and quite liked all the brewery tours we have taken. I assume you got a decent sampling from each. Any other high points?

what is Private Reserve ?

True--more than 18 in port or sherry casks really makes it into something un-Scotch-like. Even then, it depends on the whisky; I'm not a huge fan of a young one like Kavalan finished in port for even a short period, as it overwhelms the whisky itself.