Macallan Flight Experience: Questions

[st5310]

DW and I are sailing Summit in a couple months.  We are interested in the Macallan Flight Experience, a paid event tasting of Macallan single malt scotches.  Very little information is offered on the Cruise Planner site other than price and a VERY brief description.  The site gives no details on which types of Macallan are tasted and which day (or days) the tasting takes place.  Macallan produces many kinds of single malt, so before signing up it would be nice to know.  If you have participated in this event, please share what you remember.  Thank you!

[StillLooking4Adventure]

I understand the Macallan Flight Experience ✈️  is only good if you're flying first class.  😅

Edited March 4, 2023 by StillLooking4Adventure

[hawkesbaynz]

I did this on the Silhouette on a round UK cruise September 2021. I was the only participant. The guys doing the Bourbon tasting were sat next to me. Unless doing the tasting with a group it would be a disappointment. I had been in Islay a couple of months prior and the barman had a 1/100th of the knowledge of the guys in Scotland.

[markeb]

It’s the duty free no age statement Macallan whiskies. It’s not bad, depending on who’s doing it and how many people. We probably had 30 (they oversold and admitted as much) and it was OK to meh.  
 

It will be the afternoon of a sea day. It was Craft Social on Equinox. I had OBC…

[Moby Jones]

it will be the Travel Retail bottles (Quest and Lumina etc). These are all NAS expressions and really not the best bottles Macallan has to offer. 

[dcbiker97]

Agree with the other folks. It won’t be the stuff you see in your stores, but rather what’s in duty free.  It’s not a bad way to try them since you may not be used to the duty free kinds. (Especially if you have OBC to buy them with). But, generally the bartenders don’t really know more than if you do your research.  

[JintyGirl]

My husband did this on Connie last year. It was at 9pm one evening. We are from Scotland and have been to a fair few distilleries in our time.The barman’s knowledge was very very limited. He read from some cards and a lot of it just wasn’t true (eg they only make whisky in the summer in Scotland because of the weather!! Eh??) He then read from the bottle. The whisky was good but the “experience” wasn’t. We gave feedback the next day and received a full apology, refund, and 2 tickets to a wine tasting on the next sea day. An explanation was given that the “expert” wasn’t available and another staff member stepped in. In my opinion, it’s not worth it. Just go the bar, order some whisky yourself, and save up for a trip to Scotland. 

[DaKahuna]

3 hours ago, st5310 said:

DW and I are sailing Summit in a couple months.  We are interested in the Macallan Flight Experience, a paid event tasting of Macallan single malt scotches.  Very little information is offered on the Cruise Planner site other than price and a VERY brief description.  The site gives no details on which types of Macallan are tasted and which day (or days) the tasting takes place.  Macallan produces many kinds of single malt, so before signing up it would be nice to know.  If you have participated in this event, please share what you remember.  Thank you!

 

 I did this onboard the Silhouette last April.  We had shots of four different Macallan's provided to us, iirc there were four of us, not counting the Macallan expert who was our host (a senior bar tender).

Of the four bottles, only two were served on board but one of the others was being sold in the Ports Merchandise (liquor) store. 

 

All I can say is the experience reaffirmed for me that I prefer rum and bourbon over scotch. 

 

OBTW, here is a photo of what we were served. 

 

[st5310]

Thank you all for your replies and to DaKahuna for the pics.  

[zitsky]

I’m signed up but based on these replies I may cancel.  As said I could just check out a bar with my premium package.

[teetoppz28]

22 hours ago, zitsky said:

I’m signed up but based on these replies I may cancel.  As said I could just check out a bar with my premium package.

agreed. I was thinking the same. They’d have the same scotches, but would be free (or nearly free) to drink. I can Google anything I’d like to learn about any of them…

[NutsAboutGolf]

Not sure if there's been any 2023 changes to this but if you booked AI/have the classic drink package, you pay the prorated per night amount if you upgrade to the premium drink package.  So what one could do is keep the classic package until the last couple of night

 

Additionally, you can put a sealed bottle of scotch/alcohol in your luggage and per the rules, they'll confiscate it but they'll deliver it on the last night

Edited March 9, 2023 by NutsAboutGolf

[DaKahuna]

On 3/7/2023 at 8:04 PM, zitsky said:

I’m signed up but based on these replies I may cancel.  As said I could just check out a bar with my premium package.

 

When I did the Macallan tasting only two of the four were served on board and covered by the Premium package. Those were the Quest and the Lumina.  The Terra and Bingham were not available onboard except in bottles in the Ports Merchandise store. 

 

[DCPIV]

It's overpriced.  If you have a classic drink package, it's highly overpriced.  If you have a premium drink package, it's absurdly overpriced. 

 

You are at least as good buying yourself a neat pour of each and reading Macallan's description on their website.  You are better off buying yourself a neat pour of each and reading a review on the web.

 

Unfortunately, the whisky tastings on board are very much like what is described above--someone reading or reciting prepared information that may have a good number of inaccuracies.  You might get lucky and get someone who knows a great deal, but the very stiff price isn't worth taking that risk.

[DaKahuna]

2 hours ago, DCPIV said:

Unfortunately, the whisky tastings on board are very much like what is described above--someone reading or reciting prepared information that may have a good number of inaccuracies.  You might get lucky and get someone who knows a great deal, but the very stiff price isn't worth taking that risk.

 

Luckily ours was not.  The host for ours did not use notes, did not read anything and was really good at explaining the subtilities of each of the pours.  I believe he said he was a Macallan Master Sommelier or something like that.  He was on his last cruise before going home and we first ran into him at the Ensemble Lounge.  He was also the primary host for the Mixology Class we had a couple of days later. 

 

 

[talljules1]

We did it last year. It was late at night at the bar in the Ensemble lounge, and it was disappointing.

 

And the whisky wasn't great.

[zitsky]

On 3/8/2023 at 11:54 PM, DaKahuna said:

 

When I did the Macallan tasting only two of the four were served on board and covered by the Premium package. Those were the Quest and the Lumina.  The Terra and Bingham were not available onboard except in bottles in the Ports Merchandise store. 

 

 

"Ports Merchandise store".  Is that the ship liquor store, I suppose?

 

I am conflicted about doing it.  I like the scotch and might buy it on board if I like the tasting.  I only have experience with the 12, 18 and 25.  I prefer Sherry cask.  I have no experience with these "no year" scotches.

[markeb]

50 minutes ago, zitsky said:

 

"Ports Merchandise store".  Is that the ship liquor store, I suppose?

 

I am conflicted about doing it.  I like the scotch and might buy it on board if I like the tasting.  I only have experience with the 12, 18 and 25.  I prefer Sherry cask.  I have no experience with these "no year" scotches.

 

If you can pay for it with OBC, and aren't sure what to do with you OBC, go ahead. Just go in aware that it may not be a great experience. I guess the one advantage to the tasting versus just getting a whisky on your drink package is you try them together with small pours. If they offered a flight (you'd have to pay probably, even with a package) they'd be tasting sized. Four full pours is a lot of whisky in one sitting, and you'll burn out your taste buds before the last one!

[markeb]

On 3/9/2023 at 12:49 PM, DCPIV said:

It's overpriced.  If you have a classic drink package, it's highly overpriced.  If you have a premium drink package, it's absurdly overpriced. 

 

You are at least as good buying yourself a neat pour of each and reading Macallan's description on their website.  You are better off buying yourself a neat pour of each and reading a review on the web.

 

Unfortunately, the whisky tastings on board are very much like what is described above--someone reading or reciting prepared information that may have a good number of inaccuracies.  You might get lucky and get someone who knows a great deal, but the very stiff price isn't worth taking that risk.

 

I'm not a fan of the tasting, but at least you can do a side by side. If you're cruising with your 4-5 good friends, all on a package, and can share, you can definitely build the tasting. But a series of full, neat pours is going to dull the senses (and the brain!). If they offered a flight (don't think they do), then I'm there with you for most onboard staff.

 

Or just enjoy them one at a time. Still not my favorite whisky, but...

[DCPIV]

17 hours ago, markeb said:

 

I'm not a fan of the tasting, but at least you can do a side by side. If you're cruising with your 4-5 good friends, all on a package, and can share, you can definitely build the tasting. But a series of full, neat pours is going to dull the senses (and the brain!). If they offered a flight (don't think they do), then I'm there with you for most onboard staff.

 

Or just enjoy them one at a time. Still not my favorite whisky, but...

 

No one says you have to drink it all. That's a bit of of the beauty of having a package. 

[C-Dragons]

16 minutes ago, DCPIV said:

 

No one says you have to drink it all. That's a bit of of the beauty of having a package. 

What? Waste Whiskey?

Surely you jest! 😁 🥃

Edited March 11, 2023 by C-Dragons

[DCPIV]

2 minutes ago, C-Dragons said:

What? Waist Whiskey?

Surely you jest! 😁 🥃

 

Hey, I don't make the rules, but I will play by them. If the bartender will not (or is not allowed to) pour it as a flight, then I'll take what the world will give me. 

 

Nice use of "waist," by the way. Having been off a ship for less than a week, I'm rather conscious! 🤣

[C-Dragons]

6 minutes ago, DCPIV said:

 

Hey, I don't make the rules, but I will play by them. If the bartender will not (or is not allowed to) pour it as a flight, then I'll take what the world will give me. 

 

Nice use of "waist," by the way. Having been off a ship for less than a week, I'm rather conscious! 🤣

Thanks for catching that. 😉

I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. 😊

Edited March 11, 2023 by C-Dragons

[zitsky]

Am I doing it wrong, putting ice in my scotch?  I’ve been trying water.  I drink the better stuff neat.

[C-Dragons]

7 minutes ago, zitsky said:

Am I doing it wrong, putting ice in my scotch?  I’ve been trying water.  I drink the better stuff neat.

It's always “neat” for me. Why dilute a perfectly good drink? 😉

Edited March 11, 2023 by C-Dragons