trader joe's macallan

[jinenjo]

Has anyone tried this version of Macallan? I believe it's 12 years old--could be 10, currently available at Trader Joe's. I'm thinking of picking up a good sherried monster, and based on the $25 price tag, thought I'd take a chance. Judging by the looks of the bottle, it seems quited red and nicely sherried

It's been available for some time now. I know in the past they've had different single malts available--Bowmore 18, Macallan 18 (IIRC), and then generic regional styles (i.e. Highland, Lowland, Speyside).

[sku]

I wouldn't. Last fall, I did a review of the TJ's Bowmore 18 and Glenlivet 15 and both were quite disappointing.

The TJ's single malts are bottled by a company called Alexander Murray that also bottles Macallan for Costco but doesnt' seem to do any other business. I have seen other reviews of the TJ line, (as you note they have, over time, issued a variety of different malts) and have seldom read a positive word.

Here's my review: http://recenteats.blogspot.com/2007/09/whiskey-wednesday-trader-joes-scotch.html

[Jono]

Are these products different from the parent company line? I am surprised these distillers would put their name on a lesser quality whiskey.

[sku]

These are independent bottlings. That is, bottling companies which have bought casks of Macallan, Glenlivet, etc. and then bottled under their own label. It's similar to, say, Black Maple Hill which buys stocks of Bourbon and Rye and releases it under their own label, except in the Scotch world the bottlings usually (though not always) name the distillery that made the whiskey.

There is a long tradition of independent bottling in the Scotch world, such that you can choose between buying original distillery bottlings and a wide variety of independents.

I did a more extensive article about the phenomenon, related to my TJs reviews, here: http://recenteats.blogspot.com/2007/09/whiskey-wednesday-indie-scene.html