The brand new Macallan Quest Collection will now take pride of place as it has replaced the Macallan 1824 Collection, which has been a mainstay in Global Travel Retail for the past 10 years.This new Collection of four whiskies has been available since January 2018 and is exclusive to travel retail. The Macallan Quest Collection consists of four No Aged Stated whiskies; Quest, Lumina, Terra and Enigma, all of which have been developed to showcase the Macallan story. The first whisky of the series we have had the opportunity to taste is the Macallan Lumina which is comprised of whiskies from three cask types, European and American oak Sherry casks and hogheads.
On the nose: there is a pronounced hit of dried fruits, stewed apples and cinnamon. After a second or third whiff the aromas of almonds and orange start to peak through. On the palate: you’ll firstly note that the texture of this whisky is not as rich as the nose would have suggested. The flavours of dried fruits, almonds and orange carry through, with a hint of vanilla and wood spice that clearly comes from the American oak. To finish: the vanilla spice comes through slightly more bitter than sweet, and the whisky has a medium dry finish.
The verdict: I found that the aromas displayed a variety of character and the taste to be more towards the savoury side than sweet, which leads me to believe that more dry style sherry casks were incorporated. The addition of water helps to soften the spice on the finish and draws out more sweetness. The Macallan Lumina has an ABV of 41.3%. This whisky is different from the typical Sherry bombs that Macallan is known for, but it does display their skill with cask management and what they can achieve. I look forward to tasting the others in the Collection.
The Macallan Lumina Single Malt Scotch Whisky can br found is only available via travel retail and is priced at approximately £90.
For more information on this Lumina expression from the Quest collection, visit the official Macallan website.