The Macallan's Harmony Collection has drawn to a close with its sixth release, Inspired by Coconut, and we got a taste.
The annual limited release has been on an eclectic flavor journey, including coffee, tea, chocolate, and… Cirque du Soleil. While the whiskies have varied from forgettable to fantastic, it’s most memorable for its extraordinary secondary market performance when first released in 2021.
Those heady days are well behind us now, and Inspired by Fresh Coconut will be readily available to anyone with £140 ($185) to spare. Another release, Inspired by Toasted Coconut, will be available for the same price at travel retail.
With drinkers firmly in mind, let’s talk about the merits of the liquid. First of all, no coconut was harmed in the making of this whisky. All the coconutty flavors that may or may not be in this release come from oak lactones in American oak and ex-bourbon casks (The Macallan refers to these as ‘casks that previously held bourbon’).
The Macallan uses plenty of American oak, but very little of it is ex-bourbon. It lives and dies by its sherry-seasoned casks, with its premier range relying solely on European oak. So already, The Macallan is promising something different with this release, which is exactly what a one-off limited edition should do.
Inspired by Toasted Coconut, which we haven’t tried, goes further. It uses predominantly new American oak casks and bourbon casks. That, in Macallan terms, is indeed coconuts.
A combination of bourbon barrels and sherry casks is the gold standard for any blender, getting the best out of both while smoothing out their less-desirable characteristics. But lean too far towards bourbon, and you lose The Macallan’s signature style. Lean too much towards familiarity, and you lose the coconut. A fine balance to strike for a global release.
Kirsteen Campbell, the master whisky maker, said: “We have carefully guided coconut notes to the forefront of the whisky through precise cask selection and maturation. The result is two beautifully balanced expressions that showcase both the natural influence of oak and the skill of our team, where each element has been carefully shaped to achieve a harmonious and distinctive character.”
Have they done what they say they’ve done? There is absolutely coconut in the Inspired by Coconut Release, although not as much as we hoped, considering it’s printed in block caps on the label.
There are, however, plenty of other aspects to enjoy about this release. For one, it’s cheaper than previous releases. Second, at 46.3% ABV, it’s strong, and presumably non-chill-filtered (although the label neither confirms nor denies). Its luscious viscosity certainly suggests the liquid was left sufficiently non-chilled.
We’ve got the full review for you over at Tasting Notes, which can be accessed below, or you can buy a bottle here.
