Macallan Tasting

Can someone please tell me about the Macallan Tasting event that is offered onboard?

I'm interested in knowing the years offered and the cost of the event. My husband is interested in taking part in the event as he loves Macallan but is not interested in doing it if the tastings are mostly 12 year and below. Any info you can offer or pics of the event would be much appreciated. Thank you!

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They’re “no age statement” whiskies. So basically duty free only. They’re good, but it’s nothing spectacular. There was some coaching through the tasting, but I’d be iffy to recommend it to an actual Scotch lover.

I agree with markeb. As a McCallan lover myself, I was very disappointed in the tasting. It was restricted to the McCallan available for sale on board, with no age distinction. I thought the ‘tutorial’ was amateurish. I would suggest your money is better spent on your husband enjoying a couple of glasses of 12 year old McCallan from the bar.

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Ooohhh...so sorry your experience was a disappointment.

Thank you both for your honesty and for saving another scotch lover from disappointment.

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Not sure which ship you're on, or if you have a drink package, but the World Class Bar typically has a pretty decent selection of whisky. If you're husband likes MacAllan 12, the WCB normally has Oban 14, which is a great whisky well worth trying. It was covered by the premium package in March. They also typically have Lagavulin 16, a totally different animal, which was an upcharge over the premium package.

There are some decent whiskies onboard. Many if not most are within the premium package limit...

Can someone please tell me about the Macallan Tasting event that is offered onboard?

 

I'm interested in knowing the years offered and the cost of the event. My husband is interested in taking part in the event as he loves Macallan but is not interested in doing it if the tastings are mostly 12 year and below. Any info you can offer or pics of the event would be much appreciated. Thank you!

 

 

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It is purely a marketing gimmick.

Not sure which ship you're on, or if you have a drink package, but the World Class Bar typically has a pretty decent selection of whisky. If you're husband likes MacAllan 12, the WCB normally has Oban 14, which is a great whisky well worth trying. It was covered by the premium package in March. They also typically have Lagavulin 16, a totally different animal, which was an upcharge over the premium package.

 

There are some decent whiskies onboard. Many if not most are within the premium package limit...

(To anyone) Any hope for a similar whisky selection on an M-class ship, with no WCB?

Can someone please tell me about the Macallan Tasting event that is offered onboard?

 

I'm interested in knowing the years offered and the cost of the event. My husband is interested in taking part in the event as he loves Macallan but is not interested in doing it if the tastings are mostly 12 year and below. Any info you can offer or pics of the event would be much appreciated. Thank you!

 

 

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On our Millie sailing last year Alaska Southbound, I was reluctant to sign up for this tasting and was very very very happy I did.

Not only did they taste out the 12 yo, but a 20, 25 & 30, with several comparisons between the sherry cask and oak cask in the 20 yo and 25 yo. Seven (7) bottles in all were tested that night.

This is not to say that it will happen on your sailing, only letting you know about ours. We were so fortunate to have three (3) individuals in our tasting group of seven (7) who belonged to a Scotch Tasting group which meets in Vancouver and NYC several times a year and they are collectors as well... taught me a great deal about a beverage I thought I knew a lot about.

It may be a roll of the dice as to which years will be taste tested, but I believe it will NOT be only 12 yo's.

In fact we were fortunate enough to have a half (1/2) bottle of the 30 yo to which the leader told us to finish it up and we did not even blink on the request.... amongst seven (7) of us, it was savoured to say the least.

At any rate, I trust this helps in the decision, yes or no, but there is nothing stopping your DH from stopping by to see what is being taste tested.

bon voyage

On our Millie sailing last year Alaska Southbound, I was reluctant to sign up for this tasting and was very very very happy I did.

 

Not only did they taste out the 12 yo, but a 20, 25 & 30, with several comparisons between the sherry cask and oak cask in the 20 yo and 25 yo. Seven (7) bottles in all were tested that night.

 

This is not to say that it will happen on your sailing, only letting you know about ours. We were so fortunate to have three (3) individuals in our tasting group of seven (7) who belonged to a Scotch Tasting group which meets in Vancouver and NYC several times a year and they are collectors as well... taught me a great deal about a beverage I thought I knew a lot about.

 

It may be a roll of the dice as to which years will be taste tested, but I believe it will NOT be only 12 yo's.

 

In fact we were fortunate enough to have a half (1/2) bottle of the 30 yo to which the leader told us to finish it up and we did not even blink on the request.... amongst seven (7) of us, it was savoured to say the least.

 

At any rate, I trust this helps in the decision, yes or no, but there is nothing stopping your DH from stopping by to see what is being taste tested.

 

bon voyage

Bo,

That is so different from my experience that I can't believe it's the norm. All of the whiskies we tasted on Equinox in March were "no age statement" duty free specials. Your tasting would have been great; ours was not. (And as I recall, we did have a bar owner who actually bought whisky for resell who agreed.)

I guess the advice for the OP is to ask what they're tasting before committing, and try to get a read for who's doing the tasting. But I could not recommend the event I participated in for a serious whisky fan at all. I could recommend what you're describing.

Bo,

 

That is so different from my experience that I can't believe it's the norm. All of the whiskies we tasted on Equinox in March were "no age statement" duty free specials. Your tasting would have been great; ours was not. (And as I recall, we did have a bar owner who actually bought whisky for resell who agreed.)

 

I guess the advice for the OP is to ask what they're tasting before committing, and try to get a read for who's doing the tasting. But I could not recommend the event I participated in for a serious whisky fan at all. I could recommend what you're describing.

m - WOW, just WOW... I do not know how I would have reacted, as this was my first Macallan tasting on any sailing, even though I had seen the activity posted in the daily.

Normally, we only do the wine tastings, of which there are at least (2) during a sailing including the Riedel and wines of the world.

Personally, at that time, I would not have known any more after the tasting than before had we only had the types which you had, alone.

I, most likely would not have attended were it not for a friend traveling with us who wanted to do it and not alone... and it was held a bit late in the evening, 8.30p when there were a number of other activities going on as well.. almost skipped for that reason alone.

As stated earlier, it would not hurt to go take a look and ask which ages/barrels are being tasted and if space is available, ask to join in if acceptable.

bon voyage

On our Millie sailing last year Alaska Southbound, I was reluctant to sign up for this tasting and was very very very happy I did.

 

Not only did they taste out the 12 yo, but a 20, 25 & 30, with several comparisons between the sherry cask and oak cask in the 20 yo and 25 yo. Seven (7) bottles in all were tested that night.

 

This is not to say that it will happen on your sailing, only letting you know about ours. We were so fortunate to have three (3) individuals in our tasting group of seven (7) who belonged to a Scotch Tasting group which meets in Vancouver and NYC several times a year and they are collectors as well... taught me a great deal about a beverage I thought I knew a lot about.

 

It may be a roll of the dice as to which years will be taste tested, but I believe it will NOT be only 12 yo's.

 

In fact we were fortunate enough to have a half (1/2) bottle of the 30 yo to which the leader told us to finish it up and we did not even blink on the request.... amongst seven (7) of us, it was savoured to say the least.

 

At any rate, I trust this helps in the decision, yes or no, but there is nothing stopping your DH from stopping by to see what is being taste tested.

 

bon voyage

Bo- you were very fortunate. I went to this event on Summit and it only had limited selection available in the ship's store - which of course they tried to sell to us.

Bo- you were very fortunate. I went to this event on Summit and it only had limited selection available in the ship's store - which of course they tried to sell to us.

t - Indeed I see that we were very fortunate, as it was Sr. Crew Member who did the tasting and there were NO sales pitches at all, just the tasting.

bon voyage