E-pistle #03/12 - Macallan JOLT
Transcript by Johannes van den Heuvel, Holland
Hurray! JOLT #3 is upon us...JOLT #1 (December 2001; target Laphroaig) was a try-out. Our second JOLT
(March 2002; target Aberlour) went pretty smoothly, so we had some great expectations for our third virtual gathering, focussing on Macallan this time. Well, actually, this gathering wasn't quite as 'virtual' as the previous two. Maniacs from Canada (Davin de Kergommeaux), France (Serge Valentin), Germany (Klaus Everding, assisted for the occasion by Michael Fornalczyk), Israel (Roman Parparov) and Holland (yours truly, with assistance from Maaike and Alexander) joined forces in Amsterdam for what Mark Adams so eloquently called 'The Dramsterdam Maltathon'; three days of stiff dramming, starting and ending at my humble abode.
An awful lot of fun was had by all.
So much fun, in fact, that we in Amsterdam might have been a bit negligent when it comes to our reporting duties.
Sorry about that... When you read
log entry #118
you'll understand why things were even more chaotic than usual. As the picture at the top shows, we had a lot of bottles to investigate - and only one night to do so. The sixteen (!) Macallans on the table should allow us to form an informed opinion about this high profile distillery. And not just any opinion; with Macs being shipped in from four different countries we should be able to get a truly international perspective on Macallan.
This transcript was made a couple of weeks after the actual events.
After I had recovered from the Mac-attack and the subsequent sessions I tried to piece together a record of our e-discussions. Despite the world-wide
timezone troubles a lot of the maniacs outside Amsterdam provided virtual assistance. More than assistance actually; they saved the day. If it hadn't been for their efforts this transcript would have been very thin indeed.
Especially Mark Adams deserves a feather on his cap; like the battery-bunny in the commercial he kept on going and going. Anyway.... Enjoy the transcript of our third JOLT. Johannes van den Heuvel
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Sampled single malts:
Macallan Travellers Edition 'Fifties' (40.0%, OB, 50cl)
Macallan Travellers Edition 'Forties' (40.0%, OB, 50cl)
Macallan Travellers Edition 'Thirties' (40.0%, OB, 50cl)
Macallan Travellers Edition 'Twenties' (40.0%, OB, 50cl)
Macallan 7yo (40%, OB, 70cl, International version)
Macallan 10yo (40%, OB, 70cl)
Macallan 10yo '100 Proof' (57%, OB, 70cl)
Macallan 10yo 'Cask Strength' (58.8%, OB, 100cl)
Macallan 11yo 1988 (50%, Douglas Laing OMC, 75cl)
Macallan 12yo 1988 (43%, Signatory Vintage, 75cl)
Macallan 12yo (40%, OB, 70cl, bottled +/- 2001)
Macallan 12yo (43%, OB, 75cl, bottled +/- 2000)
Macallan 12yo (43%, OB, 100cl, bottled +/-1999)
Macallan 12yo (43%, OB, 75cl, bottled +/-1988)
Macallan 15yo 1984 (43%, OB, 70cl)
Macallan 15yo 1985 (43, OB, 75cl)
Macallan 18yo 1982 (43%, OB, 70cl)
Macallan 18yo 1983 (43%, OB, 75cl)
Macallan 18yo 1979 'Gran Reserva' (43%, OB, 75cl)
Macallan 24yo 1977 (50%, Douglas Laing OMC, 75cl)
Macallan 25yo 1975 Anniversary Malt (43%, OB, 75cl)
.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > Macallan JOLT 001 - 20/06/2002/20:45 GMT - Johannes Hi, fellow Malt Maniacs, Through no fault of his own, Davin will arrive a little late.
The four other maniacs here
are very ready to rumble, so we've (unwisely) decided to have a few drams (non-Macallans) while we wait for Davin.
Meanwhile, let me fill you in about our plans for the evening. Here's the original Amsterdam menu:
- Macallan 7yo (40%, OB, 70cl, 2001 bottling, unopened, Johannes)
- Macallan 1991/2001 'Speymalt' (40%, G&M, 70cl, unopened, Serge)
- Macallan 1990/1999 (50%, 'John Millroy Millennium Selection', 70cl, unopened, Johannes)
- Macallan 1990/2000 'Dun Eideann' (46%, Dun Eideann, 70cl, unopened, Serge)
- Macallan 10yo (40%, OB, 70cl, unopened, Johannes)
- Macallan 10yo '100 Proof' (57%, OB, 70cl, open, Klaus)
- Macallan 10yo 'Cask Strength' (58.8%, OB, 100cl, unopened, Johannes)
- Macallan 12yo (40%, OB, 70cl, 2001 bottling, unopened, Johannes)
- Macallan 12yo (43%, OB, 100cl, 1999 bottling, open, Johannes)
- Macallan 15yo 1984 (43%, OB, 70cl, unopened, Johannes)
- Macallan 18yo 1982 (43%, OB, 70cl, open, Johannes)
- Macallan 1974/1994 '24.28' (55.8%, SMWS, ??cl, open, Serge)
- Macallan Travellers Edition 'Fifties' (40.0%, OB, 50cl, unopened, Serge)
- Macallan Travellers Edition 'Forties' (40.0%, OB, 50cl, unopened, Serge)
- Macallan Travellers Edition 'Thirties' (40.0%, OB, 50cl, unopened, Serge)
- Macallan Travellers Edition 'Twenties' (40.0%, OB, 50cl, unopened, Serge)
To keep things managable, we decided to divide the proceedings into eight H2H-sessions.
But even then our research field is huge. So, we divided things even further to
allow our senses and livers to recover from the ordeal. We planned the following Standards / Specials / Independents set-up;---> The Standards
Macallan 7yo (40%, OB) vs Macallan 10yo (40%, OB)
Macallan 12yo 'New' (40%, OB, 70cl) vs Macallan 12yo 'Old' (43%, OB, 100cl)
Macallan 15yo 1984 (43%, OB) vs Macallan 18yo 1982 (43%, OB)
<Break>
---> The Specials
Macallan Travellers Edition 20's vs Travellers Edition 30's
Macallan Travellers Edition 50's vs Travellers Edition 40's
Macallan 10yo '100 Proof' vs Macallan 10yo 'Cask Strength'
<Break>
---> The Independents
Macallan 1990/2000 (46%, 'Dun Eideann') vs Macallan 1990/1999 (50%, 'John Millroy')
Macallan 1991/2001 'Speymalt' (40%, G&M) vs Macallan 1974/1994 (55.8%, SMWS)
<Drunken singing and all-round cameraderie>
Is this a fantastic line-up or what? Johannes
Macallan JOLT 002 - 20/06/2002/20:53 GMT - Mark Hi guys, I'm getting ready as well...I might even start early (it's not even 15:00 PM local time over here), so I can taste at the same time as the Dramsterdam Bunch.
I have just added the 18YO 1983 OB to my flight of Macallans, so I have 4 to taste.
Macallan 11yo 1988 (50%, Douglas Laing OMC, 75cl, sherry cask, (2nd fill?)
Macallan 12yo (43%, OB, 75cl)
Macallan 18yo 1983 (43%, OB, 75cl)
Macallan 24yo 1977 (50%, Douglas Laing OMC, 75cl, bourbon barrel - I think) Cheers! Mark.
Macallan JOLT 003 - 20/06/2002/21:05 GMT - Patrick Hi, fellers, I should be good to go!
Lots of news also! Seems Macallan is replacing the 15yo here in the US with a CS bottling!
How cool is that! Yum yum! Also got the new newletter from the whisky exchange.
I think I am going to purchase the new Caol Ila line, the 15yo F&F is being discontinued.
I was also interested in the new Glenfiddich 21yo Havanna Rum finished.
Oh yeah, and the Springer 15yo, only one bottle per person though! See you soon. Patrick
Macallan JOLT 004 - 20/06/2002/21:51 GMT - Johannes
. |
We sampled the Mac 7 in a H2H with the Macallan 10yo (40%, OB).
This is an 'international' version as well. It has been available for ages as a cheaper
alternative for the 12yo in most markets, but in the UK the 10yo seems to be the 'standard' version. The 12yo (more about that later) is only available in the export markets. The nose of the 10yo had much more depth, character and
finesse than the 7yo. Very sweet, sherried and waxy in comparison. I found the taste of sherry wood very obvious. Compared to the 7yo the new 10yo performed reasonably well, but in my mind it's not nearly as 'Macallanish' as a
bottling I tried a few years ago. That one scored 82 points, this one just 74 - at least in my book.
Most other maniacs agreed with similar scores, but Klaus liked it and gave the 10yo a solid 85 points.Impressions by Klaus:
The 7yo Mac was a disappointment. Fruity and light with some sherry in the nose but also chemistry with artificial esthers. The taste: sweet, fruity and some bitterness in the finish - not very macallanish. Those of
the maniacs who had already tried the Mac 7yo earlier from another bottle agreed upon that their earlier experience was more pleasant. The 10 yo Mac gave an impression of the typical housestyle. Fruity sweetness, with raisins,
sherry, toffee and a touch of wood in nose and taste. Nothing to get crazy upon. I have better memories on earlier tasted Mac10s. Impressions by Roman:
Nose M7: underdeveloped, sour, chemical.
Nose M10: spicy, sherried. Salt and pepper.
Taste M7: woody, medicine notes. Bitter.
Taste M10: citric notes in the sherry. Bitterness on the finish. Still salt and pepper.Amsterdam scores:
07yo (40.0%) SV=59, RP=68, DK=70, KE=70, JH=65 (new, international bottling)
10yo (40.0%) SV=75, RP=76, DK=75, KE=85, JH=74 (new, international bottling)
So, everybody preferred the 10 over the 7 by at least five points, sometimes much more.
We also did a H2H of the new Macallan 12yo
(40%, OB, 70cl) against the old Macallan 12yo (43%, OB, 100cl).
Sadly, my notes for this pairing are flimsy. I noticed that the new version didn't readily show the famous Macallan characteristics, but after a while they
appeared - sherry, burnt wood, sherry, dark chocolate, sherry, toffee... This seems to be another Mac in decline; everybody rated the new version at least 2 points lower than the old one. Impressions by Klaus:
When first poured into the glass the 40% unfolded a very strong aroma but with unpleasant edges. Waiting several minutes smoothed the edges but there was still
something which should not have been there. The 43% Mac 12yo behaved like I know him - the typical aroma, no need to describe it again. The differences in the nose
could best be detected in Johannes' big cognac bowls.
In the taste the differences between the two bottles were only marginable. Fruits, sherry, raisins, toffee, chocolate and wood in both.
All maniacs present rated the 40%
bottle at least 2 points lower than the 43%. This might confirm Craig's warning. But there is also another possible explanation.The 40% bottle was fresh opened whereas the 43% had some air for several weeks. I never experienced the
necessity for breaking in with Macallans but maybe that has changed. Impressions by Roman:
Nose M12 new: sherry, tender. Hints of apples.
Nose M12 old: just about the same notes, but more soundly pronounced.
Taste M12 new: chocolate, then citric elements. Very sherried
Taste M12 old: sherry all over. Hints of sherry and citrus. Tingly, exciting.Amsterdam scores:
12yo (40.0%) SV=82, RP=80, DK=78, KE=86, JH=80 (new, 70cl)
12yo (43.0%) SV=84, RP=82, DK=82, KE=88, JH=86 (old, 100cl) We'll take a little break now, while Serge pours us a blind dram he brought from France.
More reports to follow,Johannes
Macallan JOLT 005 - 20/06/2002/23:07 GMT - Craig
Wow, awesome range! Serge's face is gleaming with obvious satisfaction.
It's 7.00am here and as much as I'd like to dram with you, I've still got to go to work and then drive
160miles off into the Country. Keep a list of what you try and tell everyone who couldn't make it what each of the attendees Top 3 malts where - be very interesting to see if a consensus emerges plus being useful 'shopping'
information.I think Dramsterdam as a name for Malt Manicas Mission Central is just wonderful.
Have fun - I'm feeling depressed about not being part of it, believe me! Slainte, Craig
Macallan JOLT 006 - 20/06/2002/23:18 GMT - Patrick Hi, Dramsterdammers,
Thanks for bringing that up, about the new version of the Mac 12yo.
Was that just a change for Europe?
I believe that I bought my 12yo earlier this year and it is 43%.
And I am impressed, this is really good!
Coming up next, the soon to be extinct Macallan 15yo 1985. Pat
Macallan JOLT 007 - 20/06/2002/23:30 GMT - Louis Hello Everybody,By luck, I can participate in real time for a little while; I have some quality time by myself.
It's a little early (5:20 PM) for heavy drinking, but I opened my Macallan 12yo 1988
(43%, Signatory Vintage, 75cl). Decent enough, with a strong family resemblence. Clearly filtered (darn), which it must be at 43%. It seems to lack maturity. Maybe the cask was not first rate, or perhaps it was refill, rather than first fill. I'll be sampling it over the next few months, to see if breakin helps any. This bottle was from a cask bottled for Park Ave. Liquors (one of the top tier SMS retailers in the US), so you'd think that they would have done a better job with cask selection.
The Macallan 12yo (43%, OB, bottled circa 1988, 75cl) is a bit darker, with more body, richer nose, etc.
So for once the distillery trumps the independent, and for less money as well (the Signatory set me back $40).
Of course, this observation won't be finalized until allowing for breakin for the Signatory. That's it for now, I'll do a follow up with some other Macs tomorrow night. Cheers. Louis
Macallan JOLT 008 - 20/06/2002/23:49 GMT - Serge Hi Craig, all,
Here is the infuriating French ostrich in Amsterdam :-)
Obvious satisfaction - yeah, yeah, fantastic lineup here. Anyway, the Mac 7yo was very bad.
The 10yo was so-so, the 12yo 43% was good, the 12yo 40 was OK, the 15yo was very good...
And now, we are wondering whether the 18yo 1984 is better. Sorry, I am not used to the non-French keyboards...
More to come, from a much more skilled maniac-typist. Serge
Macallan JOLT 009 - 20/06/2002/23:58 GMT - Patrick Hi, guys,Well, the structure is very different for this JOLT.
Doesn't have the same feel as the Aberlour one.
Probably being cuz a few of you guys are together in Amsterdam.
Pat
Macallan JOLT 010 - 21/06/2002/00:27 GMT - Johannes
Ah yes, Patrick Sorry about the absence of frequent & fluent reports from Amsterdam, but it's just very hectic here - in a good way. Don't forget most of us here in
Amsterdam have never met before in real life, so we have a lot to talk about. One of the things we're talking about right now has to do with something you brought up earlier - the differences in availability between Europe and the
US. Strangely enough, some new bottlings seem to reach the US before they reach Europe - the Mac 15yo 1985 you described as 'soon to be extinct' has just arrived on our
shelves. I haven't heard about the 'no age statement' cask strength replacement you mentioned yet. Quite frankly, I would be surprised if this other version would replace the 15yo altogether. A cask strength NAS malt would probably
appeal to a slightly different audience and the disappearance of a 15yo version would leave a 'gap' between the 12yo and 18yo - a gap that competitors like Aberlour or Glendronach would be happy to fill. What's more, after the
recent release of a 10yo Cask Strength version Macallan would have two different cask strength malts in the range - rather unusual, if I'm not mistaken.Meanwhile, we've sampled the Macallan 15yo 1984 (43%, OB) and
Macallan 18yo 1982 (43%, OB).
Once more, my notes are very sketchy. Bothes noses showed smoke in the nose and more fruit than the younger versions. I both rated them at 89 points, which means I enjoyed them immensely. This
is the really good stuff - the kind of stuff that earned Macallan its reputation in the first place, I guess. That's all the notes I have on the matter, but here are some other impressions: Impressions by Klaus:
15 yo: Nose - much sherry and fruits, beeswax and woodpolish, some smoke - very close to the c/s
Macallans. The 18yo: Sherry, wood, smoke, charcoal, wet earth. Both are very nice. Just put your nose over the glass and dream of fruitmarkets and dark woods.
The taste of these Macallans offers more nuances than the 12 yo.
Strong and earthy sherry taste illuminated by toffee and a tingling flash of mint and citrus fruits for the Macallan 15 yo. Pronounced woody notes, gentleman like discretion not to boast whith the bouquet and a fine balance are the
aspects of the18yo additional to the Macallan house style. For me the winner is the 15yo malt. It is a little more agile and so it catches the winning point but just by a whisker. Impressions by Roman:
Nose M15: sherried, iodine breaks later in and dominates. Very developing nose.
Nose M18: sherried, stable iodine, hints of lemons.
Taste M15: sherried, peaty. Iodine breaks in pleasantly. Toffee. Taste continues to develop.
Taste M18: sherried, stable iodine, less peat. Toffee, grapes.
Amsterdam scores:
15yo: SV=88, RP=87, DK=86, KE=92, JH=89
18yo: SV=88, RP=85, DK=87, KE=91, JH=89 Everybody agreed both malts are very similar.
I thought the price of the 15 was pretty steep when it was introduced, but compared to the 18 it offers good value! Next, we will tackle the four new 'Travellers Editions' Serge
brought from France.Johannes
Macallan JOLT 011 - 21/06/2002/00:42 GMT - Patrick Hey guys, sounds like your having fun, you should take more pics!Here are my notes for the Macallan 12yo (43%, OB, 75cl)
Nose: sherry, oranges? some spice, resin, fresh and fruity
Palate: sweet, sherry, toffee, spices again, subtle wood
Finish: sherry wood, cork, some heat, cherries? medium-long
Comments: I'm surprised, this is much better than I remember. I remember it being harsher and a lot more woody.
There isn't as much heat which I definitely remember from before. Perhaps my palate is evolving or something. Nice
complexity in the nose, good taste and feel on the palate. I like the cherries in the finish, sort of reminds me of A'buadh (but not as good as, of course). I also remember that in previous tastings I could find more cork, but not
this time. The fresh and fruity notes are so pleasant. A nice refined complex malt, good flavors and well balanced indeed. Each facet is balanced very well, one doesn't overpower another, they all work very well together.
This is very good. I wish I could keep on drinking this as opposed to moving on to the others, but then again I can't wait to get to the 18yo. So anyway, wonderfully balanced, complex, good flavors, all elements work tog!
ether in harmony. If this malt is consistantly like this, it score will rise.
So good, so pleasant!
Score: 85 Next: the Macallan 15yo 1985 (43%, OB, 75cl)
Nose: big initial whiff of sherry, soft, citrus, orange, toffee, subtle ginger
Palate: soft, sherry, toffee, spice (cloves or nutmeg), very smooth
Finish: spicy, sheryy, yes orange! slight dryness, medium-long
Comments:
Initially there is more sherry in the nose than in the 12yo, it is also softer. For a second I thought I smelled lemon. The nose is also more refined than the 12yo. The palate is very, very good, nice and soft and very
smooth. Upon the first sip, it was somewhathard to keep up, it seemed like everything hit me all at once. The orange in the finish is just spectacular. There now seems to be something in the nose that is offsetting the
balance. The palate may be better than the 12yo. It's hard to say which I like better. I love the refined, soft, smooth, and orange notes of the 15yo, but the balance of the 12yo was just incredible, as perfect as perfect can get.
Like I said about the 12yo, if the 15yo consistantly does this well, Macallan will defintely be living up to its expectations in my eyes. Maybe these sherry malts are starting to come around on me.
What a difference three years can make.
Score: 85 I guess I am a little girl today.
I need to give my palate a break, it's getting a little exhausted.
I just got done tasting the 18yo and it wasn't as good as the others.
But like I said my palate is fatigued because I am a wuss or something.
But I also remember the 18yo 1979 needed some time to break in.
The 12yo and the 15yo though were spectacular. Have Fun, Gentleman! Patrick
Macallan JOLT 012 - 21/06/2002/01:19 GMT - Michael Hey folks,
I dusted off a few bottles let me have a crack at it. I warn you now - I'm not really a "ratings" kind of person.
But I am familiar with the MJ school of ratings so I can use that for now.
Macallan Gran Reserva 18yo 1979 (43%, OB, 75cl)
Color: Deep red amber
Nose: Sherry dominance in the fore, with fruit emerging. Citrus tones. Oranges. Nutty. Spicy
Palate: Sherry. Sherry. Sherry. Fruity- the orange follows through and very spicy. Oily mouthfeel.
Finish: Long and oily
Rating: 87 (For a sherry lover) Macallan 25 yo (43%, OB, 75cl)
Color: Mahogany
Nose: Slight smokiness here, fruity and herbal, the smokiness overlaps the ester tones.
Palate: Herbal and picy- waxy all in front of a backdrop of the slightest smoke and woozest
Finish: Long and zesty
Rating: 90 Friends, I envy you all and I raise a dram in your name. Slainte ! Michael
Macallan JOLT 013 - 21/06/2002/01:32 GMT - Johannes Hello, maniacs,It's getting late here in Amsterdam.
The discussions are getting deeper and the spirits are getting higher.
Serge brought 'The Whiskygame' with him and we played it - lots of fun.
We've just finished two H2H's with the 'Travellers Editions' Serge brought with him.
Like most of tonight's bottles, we opened them especially for the occasion.
Here's our dancecard: Macallan Travellers Edition 'Twenties'
(40.0%, OB, 50cl)
Macallan Travellers Edition 'Thirties' (40.0%, OB, 50cl)
Macallan Travellers Edition 'Forties' (40.0%, OB, 50cl)
Macallan Travellers Edition 'Fifties' (40.0%, OB, 50cl)
We sampled them in two flights; the 20's against the 30's and the 40's against the 50's.
Meanwhile, my notes were getting increasingly vague - partly because I'm the one typing the real-time messages to the rest of the team. All
I wrote down on this occasion was a strange little detail; all bottles have corks, except the 40's that has a screwcap. Odd. Fortunately, Klaus and Roman kept proper notes. Impressions by Klaus:Macallan Travel Twenties vs Macallan Travel Thirties (both 40%)
It
is said that Macallan tried to imitate the taste and style of Macs from earlier decades with these special bottlings.
The bottles contain 0.5 litre and look very nice. The price is reasonable too - 35 Euros here in Germany.
Nose: Twenties: very agile sweet and fruity. Thirties: more cautious, organic sherry.
After some time in glass the two malts get a more and more similar nose.
Taste: Twenties: starts a little bit limp, sweet fruitiness then sherry. Thirties: Sherry and bitter chocolate, not very complex.
I can't say that I was very much impressed by these malts. Let's see what the other two decades will bring.Macallan Travel Fourties vs Macallan Travel Fifties (both 40%)
My tasting notes become even more
sparse. Nothing about the nose of Fourties. I guess this means that there were no surprising impressions like. gunpowder, blood and steel aroma (remember this malt should resemble the world war 2 decade). But the taste is
really special. Lots of peat and some fruity sweetness. Have they composed it of a medium Islay and an below average Macallan? I don't like it. In the fifties the house style must have improved. A big c/s like sherry nose in the
Travel Fifties and also an above average amount of sherry in the taste. Summary on the Travel Series: I think we all had expected amazing discoveries and were slightly disappointed. "What have you expected? They can't have
chosen excellent malts", said Serge and pointed at the bottle's price. He is right. And so I will pronounce my harsh judgement: A clever Macallan marketing trick supported by Michael Jackson ratings which are definetely too
high. If you like Macallan 10yo/12yo or older then keep drinking these malts, provided you can tame your curiosity.
The Travel bottlings will not reach that standard. Impressions by Roman:Macallan 20s vs. Macallan 30s
Nose M20s: flat, mostly sherry. Slight hints of iodine.
Nose M30s: sherried, winery at the beginning. Then iodine increases like in Macallan 15.
Taste M20s: sherried. Lots of bitter chocolate, hints of iodine.
Taste M30s: sherried. Lots of iodine, hints of bitter chocolate, citrics.Macallan 40s vs. Macallan 50s
Nose M40s: sherried. Cocoa and a bit of mint. Rather flat.
Nose M50s: sherried, a bit of iodine. Same cocoa and mint, but richer.
Taste M40s: practically only sherry. Flat. Leaves a bit of not so nice afterburn.
Taste M50s: sherried, hints of iodine. Quite minty, again afterburn.
Amsterdam scores:
TE 20's SV=75, RP=75, DK=74, KE=82, JH=74
TE 30's SV=77, RP=82, DK=78, KE=85, JH=82
TE 40's SV=73, RP=73, DK=75, KE=73, JH=72
TE 50's SV=78, RP=77, DK=77, KE=78, JH=77 After the pretty excellent 15yo and 18yo, the TE's were downright disappointing.
Not everybody agreed about which one was 'best' or 'worst', but this range didn't
manage to impress anyone - most scores were in the mid-seventies. Serge wondered aloud if Michael Jackson was crazy for rating these malts so high? Nah, probably paid for, I suspect. On average the 30's made the most friends, while
the 40's mirrored the wartime years of conflict and poverty. So, you can safely say we had mixed emotions about the TE's. Most of us felt these malts couldn't be much older than ten years, a suspicion fuelled by the fact that our
average ratings were close to that of the 10yo - and structurally below those for the 12yo, especially the old batch. Some people might argue that this introduction is nothing more than an ill-begotten ploy to profitably get rid
of some inferior casks. Isn't marketing great? Slap a fancy label on a not-so-fancy malt, replace the age statement by a foggy story about 're-creating historic styles' and you will be able to unload huge quantities on the less
discriminating part of the population at a nice premium price. Serge convinced Klaus that the price wasn't very high, but I have to disagree. First of all, the variation in price of these bottlings is amazing. I've heard of prices
of 25 Euro's at Edingburgh airport, while Van Wees / Whiskyworld in Holland asks 120 Euro's for it! And let's not forget we're dealing with 50cl bottles here. 'Only' 35 Euro's per 50cl bottle translates to almost 50 Euro's per 70cl
bottle.
And that cash could just as easily be used for a litre of Macallan 10yo Cask Strength!
But then again, maybe they ARE accurate replications and Macallans just weren't very good in the old days...
Roman was pretty exhausted from his flight, so he had to retire for the night.
The other maniacs are preparing themselves for a cask strength H2H.
That should get the smile back on our faces... Johannes
Macallan JOLT 014 - 21/06/2002/02:57 GMT - Mark Hello, all,I have returned home with the Macallan 18yo & have cleaned the glassware.
I am ready to start the festivities. Slainte!!
Since my range tonight is quite narrow, here is the legend:
'the 11' refers to the Macallan 11yo 1988 (50%, Douglas Laing OMC, 75cl, sherry cask, (2nd fill?)
'the 12' refers to the Macallan 12yo (43%, OB, 75cl)
'the 18' refers to the Macallan 18yo 1983 (43%, OB, 75cl)
'the 24' refers to the Macallan 24yo 1977 (50%, Douglas Laing OMC, 75cl, bourbon barrel - I think)
I think I will group my tastings like this:
1. 12, 11, 24
2. 18, 11, 24
3. 11, 12, 18 (all sherry wood)
4. Best of sherry wood & 24
5. Favorite -- solo
12 drams ... I can handle it, right?
As the dramming goes forth the typing and reading of mails gets a bit random, or at least somewhat ambiguous.
Considering who is AmterDramming, I think it is a good idea to keep things readable. Getting things started ...
I have poured the 12. Very nice. Good sherry, vanilla & fruitcake on the nose.
Great palate, nice & beefy mouthfeel. Lots of maltiness. Sherry & vanilla (toffee?) immediately in the finish.
Finish took an early turn toward bitter. One more sip: More tongue invovement this time ... longer, more rounded finish.
Score : 85 points.
Gotta turn on some music ... Diana Krall Love Scenes, "All or nothin' at all" is the song.
Working nice with the late tast of the 12. Now the 11.
This is lighter in color than the 12, but it is uncolored. Not as
light as a white wine, but I would say it is the same degree lighter than the 12 that the 12 is lighter than the 18. Okay, enough on color. More heat on the nose, due to it's higher ABV. Otherwise, the nose is similar to the 12.
The palate is maltier than the 12, and sweeter too.
Almonds ... there are almonds in the palate that weren't in the 12.
The finish also has a bitter tinge to it, but it sweetens up after a few minutes.
The song for this dram is "Peel me a grape", which has the line "send out for scotch ..." -- nice line from a great sexy voice.
Score : 86 points (might change with other parings tonight).
Perfect ... my only new bottle gets opened to the tune "I don't know enough about you".
Couldn't be better. The 24. My oldest Macallan yet.
Is anyone else as hopeful as I am when opening a new bottle? Nothing
better than pulling the leaden tab, removing the lead sheath, and pulling the cork. That is when most malts are at their best. Riight then, at the moment that my expectation is at its highest, and before I have been disappointed at
all. The emfatuation stage ... Aaah. While I am still rambling, the lyric on the tune (I miss you so) now is: "Those happy hours I spent with you ... that lovely afterglow ..." Nice lyric, eh?
This bottle is green ...
the 11 came in a clear bottle. Do you think they might be trying to hide how light yellow this is? Still a touch of amber, but there are darker white wines. This is definitely the lightes whisky of this age for me. I get no sherry
or vanilla on the nose. Some florals. I'll need to add water to bring those out a bit. Tasted neat there is a lot of malt here, and some peat. Yeah ... water brings that peat out nicely, but it also makes the whisky a bit watery
for me. I doubt any of the 12 Apostles (even Craig) could identify this one in a blind tasting. The water brings out a bit of a citrus element in the nose, and some mintiness ... green grape peels? Sounds funny, I know. But the
grape peels are there. The finish is nice, long, maltiness then some late middle-tongue burn. This one hardly fits with the others, but it's still family. I'll be interested to see how it does later, with another grouping.
Score
: 85 points. I won't take points off for lack of sherry influence. The wood is good, the character is different, but good. I'd be interested to hear some other thoughts on this one, but, alas, I am alone tonight ... hence, the
LoveSongJazz. Happy tasting ... JOLT!!! Mark
Macallan JOLT 015 - 21/06/2002/03:10 GMT - Johannes Hi, maniacs,We're starting to get into shutdown mode here in Amsterdam.
Roman is already snoring softly and now Davin is dropping off too. All in all, it's surprising we've lasted this
long. Klaus, Michael and Serge drove more than 500 kilometers today, so it's understandable they are getting sleepy as well. And let's not forget that by now most of us have enjoyed 16 stiff drams - 12 Macs, Serge's mystery malt
and 3 'appetisers'. Maybe, if we had stuck to Macs we would have been able to sample the four remaining independent bottlings on the table too.
But it's no use crying over spilt milk.
Or malt, for that matter. That leaves just our report on the H2H of the old Macallan 10yo '100 Proof' (57%, OB) Klaus muled over from
Germany (after picking it up in Amsterdam about a year ago in the first place!) against it's successor, the Macallan 10yo Cask Strength
(58.8%, OB). All I could pick up this time is that the 100 Proof seemed more sherried than the C/S, which appeared more balanced in comparison. Impressions by Klaus:
It was already late at night when we came to the heavy weights. Two cask strength Macallan OBs.
The Macallan 100 proof was a
bottle which Johannes had organized for me at my second visit at Amsterdam and I had been disciplined enough not to consumed it all by myself in the month that lay behind. Now it served as a benchmark for the new Macallan
c/s. 100 Proof: An overwhelming punch of sherry, beeswax, furniture polish and wood. The nose drifts slowly into direction Macallan 12yo when you add water. The new c/s with an equal interesting nose but woody sherry not so
pronounced. This gives fruits, raisins and toffee a chance to pop up. The taste equivalent to the nose. Very interesting and multi-layered. Sherry, Toffee, Wood, late fruits, - delicious. I go for the 100 Proof as the winner
because that heavy wood and sherry aroma is really unique. But the new c/s is also a really delicious. Go and get it. With less than 50 Euros for the 1 litre bottle it will be very hard find an equivalent malt in that region.
Amsterdam scores:
10yo 100 Proof (57.0%) SV=89, KE=92, JH=89
10yo Cask Str. (58.8%) SV=87, KE=92, JH=88 OK - That's it from us in Amsterdam This is Johannes signing off.
Macallan JOLT 016 - 21/06/2002/04:16 GMT - Mark Well, with Matti, Craig, and Louis down for the count, and the Dramsterdam Crew sleeping on the job, the posts have been very slow. I will plug along though, and hope that sooner or
later someone in Holland will wake up for a late night dram : )Grouping #2
The 18. This is the most heralded of the malts on the piano bench beside me. I don't have a digital camera yet, so you can't see the whiskies
sitting nicely atop two of my Schubert Lieder books, but there they are, and a pretty picture too. I've switched off the music for a few minutes while I catch some of the evening news on TV. If I am awake late enough I will raise a
dram to Klaus during the US/Germany futbol match. Music isn't the only accompaniment to malts! Back to the 18. By far the darkest of the four Macs on the bench. There is sherry in the nose, but I thought it would have been much
stronger than what I just tasted in the 11 and 12. I've covered the glass to see just what happens next. If that doesn't bring more sherry I'll uncover it for a few minutes. If the sherry is still hiding at that point I'll just
continue with the tasting and see what I see. Ahh... there it is! But there is something else too... raisins. And more vanilla essence than the 11 or 12. Cotton candy. Not sure if you in Europe know what I mean by that, but I think
someone in your midst does.
Palate. I'm not sure that it is immediately 3x the palate as the 12, but is surely 2x the cost. Good maltiness here. This may not be one of the best of the 18s, but I wouldn't be able to say. It is
the only one I have performed a tasting on. It is more similar to the 12 than I would have thought. The raisins come through in the finish, but in their caramelized, slightly bitter form, not as the full juicy fruit in the nose. No
hint of the cotton candy sweetness in either the palate or the finish. Fish has good maltiness too.
Score : 85. Same as the 12 and 24 in point value, but there is really no reason at this point to rate it either higher or lower.
I want to see how it does later against only the sherry casked Macs. Now, for the 11. I want to bracket the cask strength malt with the two OBs for two reasons. I want to see how it compares with the house style, and I want to
break up the 12/18 similarity in my mind right now. Next time you have the 12 and 18 together try them blind. I think they are more similar than we usually think.
Back to the 11. I'll keep it to differences this time, since I gave detail earlier.
I really like the nose on the 11. It doesn't have any raisiny odor like the 18 (I like raisins, and I am only pointing out a difference, not a
preference). There is a fruitiness though. Possibly a hint of cooked banana. The palate and finish are still solid. Something spicy mixes with the banana when some water is added. I'm adding even more water now to bring the ABV
down to about 35% or so, to see if I can eke out more of these elusive scents. Well, that was so watered down I could smell the perfume of the young woman who bottled this malt. Lovely! I'll keep visiting this one until I nail it
down better.
Score stands at 86. Hello, 12. Let's take another ride! I am not sure if I will buy another bottle of the 18YO 1983, but I *am* sure that I will continue to purchase the 12. It is a wonderful dram, and most
definitely worth its price at the shops! I just caught a hint of wild rose in the nose of this one ... twice! Yes! That was what was eluding me earlier with this one. Wild rose. I get some of that raisin from the 18's nose on the
palate in this one. I think there may be more sherry in the 12, but the 18 wins out in roundness and smooth transition from palate to finish ... I think. I'll revisit that view later! Long time, no news!
I feel like I am tasting all by myself here!
Let me know how you are doing!!!
Off to MacJOLT Grouping #3!Mark
Macallan JOLT 017 - 21/06/2002/04:28 GMT - Krishna Hi, maniacs,My first JOLT! How long I had waited for my maiden JOLT!
The Mac 25 obtained with much difficulty and the bottle un-opened for so long (with more difficulty) is being opened at last. Stage I
The stuff: The Macallan 25yo 1975 Anniversary Malt (43%, OB, 75cl)
The packing: A neat oak wood box with a sliding panel on one side.
(Bottle neatly nestled in oak hay inside the box.)
The colour: Very deep amber or dark honey? Stage II
I summon my son (a 15yo) to open the seal.
I am nervous - he might drop the bottle.
The cork is now out.
I tell ask son to smell the stuff and describe it.
He takes a deep breath and out comes the spontaneous reaction -
"a mint chocolate?"
I ask him to exit and settle for a more serious business. Stage III
I pour the first dram, about 40 ml into the Lagavulin glass (a momento from the Lagavulin distillery in Sept 1998). This is a small, squarish whisky glass with wide round mouth. A gentle swirl leaves the walls of the glass oily.
Nose: My son is absolutely right. A definite mint. Grassy. Smoky. Flowery?
Perhaps more consumption would reveal more later?
Palate: Aggressively complex. Can not really describe.
One more sip. Smoky? The stuff is really strong. Should I add a little water? Perhaps later.
Finish: For a 25 years old whisky it does not go down smoothly. Rough? Dry?Stage IV
Play some Mozart CD? Good idea. Start with Oboe Concerto - K 314
Pour another dram and repeat the process.
Definitely more smoky. Quite unlike the 18yo or the 12yo I had tasted before. The most surprising aspect is the Mac 25
y.o is quite unlike the usual Macallans which are normally associated with their sherryness. The smokyness overpours the sherryness. Overall observation after consumption of 5 pegs: Score 87 points.
A complex, bold whisky- not for ametuers. This whisky would overpower you. Krishna, Coimbatore, India
Macallan JOLT 018 - 21/06/2002/04:45 GMT - Mark I need a referee! Wake up guys!!!I just realized that I set up the wrong 3 malts for the 2nd grouping.
Nothing to do about it now. And, I think, upon further reflection, that since the 24 is so very different from the others, it really makes good sense to change the 3nd group as I did. In place of the 24, I had the 12.
So, that was really Grouping #3, then, wasn't it? What do do now ... I think I'll set up another flight of the sherry guys, taking the 12 first, then the 18, then the 11.
So, posting MacCali.3 will be the 12, 18, and 11
So, now that I have completely revamped my groupings for this JOLT, I guess I should continue.
On to Grouping #3, the sherry caskers, in decending order of age.
The 18 - revisited: at this point let me say 'quite nice', and
leave it at that. I think that with more time, and more bottles I might be able to find more differences in the 12 and the 18, but for now I will let them share the rating of 85 points. The 12. Still some aftertaste of the 18 in
my nose and mouth. This should confirm my comments earlier, and above. Well ... yes ... they certainly are not different enough in nose/palate/finish to warrant the price difference. Nevertheless, they are different. The 12 is
larger somehow, and edgier. The 18 is more subdued and even more refined. I like them equally well at this juncture, so the shared 85-point rating stands.
Now for the stronger whisky with the great nose, directly after 2 great OB drams.
This might lend more opinions on this one; let's see. The 11. Wow ... this nose! I picked this one up for $62 US -- turns out that was a good
buy. It comes directly between the 15YO OB and the 18YO OB in price. Of course, I haven't tried the 15YO, and I should soon, since it is being discontinued. Anyway, I might try to pick up another of these 11s before buying another
18, or the 25, or the GR, or any of the $100+ IBs.
Based on the aristocratic nose, and the complexity of palate/nose combined, I will bump this up a few 'I like this a lot' points.
Final score for the 11 : 90 points.
Now, I am supposed to have Group #4, and Group #5 follow this.
I think I will instead change the groupings yet again.
I have had 9 drams at 20 mL each. That totals about 180 mL for the night ... so far.
I want the next
grouping to be done 'in the glass'. So, I will measure equal amounts of the 11, 12, 18, and 24 together in a rather special Home Vatting of the 2002MacJOLT expressions I've tasted tonight. It will be a rather fat dram, around 15-20
mL each (the measuring thimble I am using might not be to accurate, so I will fill *above* the line), for a FatDram of around 60-75 mL or so. Then, if I can still keep my head on, I will have a 20 mL dram of something fairly
neutral, but tasty, like Longrow 10YO Bourbon Wood, or HP 20YO Coopers Choice, or maybe the 15YO Glenfiddich CS. What I am looking for is something to buffer against all the sherry, and then I can give the 24 another shot ... all
on its own, for the final fling. I think that all the sherry influence has been clouding my vision a bit with this oldster. Another observation ... I *ALWAYS* get salt as a taste element if I will hold the whisky in the hollow of
my tongue for a good length of time. Always. So, sometimes I use that method, and sometimes I avoid it. I don't bother to write it down, because it happens each and every time, regardless of the distiller, age, bottler, or strength.
Cheers! -- Mark. PS: You guys age dead ... no doubt about it.
WAKE UUUUUuuuPP!
: )
Macallan JOLT 019 - 21/06/2002/05:51 GMT - Mark Hi, gentlemen,I have just vatted all of tonight's offerings. I am hoping that this will be a spectacular dram! I
opted for 10+ mL for each malt, making the dram a healthy 40-45 mL or so. The ABV of this vatting is 46.5%, and the age must be declared as 11YO. This is truly a great mix. The nose is a mix of the dryness of the 24 and the
raisins from the 18, and the palate is all 11 and 12. Who'da thunkit? I can detect some of that wild rose trying to raise up through the sherry floor. The maltiness is great, and the strength too. I might have this mix again ...
very nice. I wonder if this is anything like we will get in the US Cask Strength release due this fall. Hmmm, could be a good Christmas! An ommission from my previous Epistolary Writings on the MacJOLT: I must thank my friend,
David, for 'lending' me his 18YO Macallan for tonight's tasting. David was originally going to host this event at his house, but a backpacking trip he had planned for the weekend got moved up a bit. In a great show of friendship
David offered me the use of his awesome bottle for this JOLT. Thanks, David! Well, folks, I am going to get some dinner, and maybe a bit of ice cream, then some sleep.
I will wake up for the soccermatch with Germany later, and I'll take another look at that 24.
If I don't like it much, or if the US is winning, I will toast Klaus with a dram of the 10YO Laphroaig. G'nite, all! Mark
Macallan JOLT 020 - 21/06/2002/09:55 GMT - Johannes
Top of the morning, maniacs!It's the morning after the night before here in Amsterdam.
Klaus and Roman are watching the worldcup match England-Brazil on the telly, Davin is trying to stay awake at a conference right now (he
had to get up at 6:00 AM!) and Serge should be waking up in his B&B right about now. A hearty 'Sorry' from us here in Holland. Amsterdam. Posts were very erratic last night and things ended slightly after 3.00AM before we got
to sample the independent bottlings. Things went pretty well actually, when you think about the timezone troubles we're dealing with here - the USA is six hours behind Europe and Craig and Krishna have even bigger problems joining
us on-line during drinking hours. Here's a mini-matrix of our ratings for the twelve official Macs we got to sample.
I've added the 'unweighed' average scores (one decimal point) to the list.
76.0 TE 20's (40%) SV=75, RP=75, DK=74, KE=82, JH=74 (new, 50cl)
80.8 TE 30's (40%) SV=77, RP=82, DK=78, KE=85, JH=82 (new, 50cl)
73.2 TE 40's (40%) SV=73, RP=73, DK=75, KE=73, JH=72
(new, 50cl)
77.4 TE 50's (40%) SV=78, RP=77, DK=77, KE=78, JH=77 (new, 50cl)
66.4 07yo (40.0%) SV=59, RP=68, DK=70, KE=70, JH=65 (new, international bottling, 70cl)
77.0 10yo (40.0%) SV=75, RP=76, DK=75, KE=85, JH=74 (new, international bottling, 70cl)
81.2 12yo (40.0%) SV=82, RP=80, DK=78, KE=86, JH=80
(new, 70cl)
84.4 12yo (43.0%) SV=84, RP=82, DK=82, KE=88, JH=86 (old, 100cl)
88.4 15yo (43.0%) SV=88, RP=87, DK=86, KE=92, JH=89 (1984, 70cl)
88.0 18yo (43.0%) SV=88, RP=85, DK=87, KE=91, JH=89
(1982, 70cl)
90.0 10yo (57.0%) SV=89, RP=XX, DK=XX, KE=92, JH=89 (old, 100 Proof, 70cl)
89.0 10yo (58.8%) SV=87, RP=XX, DK=XX, KE=92, JH=88
(new, Cask Strength, 100cl) Check out the MMMatrix for more details, including ratings from other maniacs.
That's it for now - gotta get some breakfast!Johannes
Macallan JOLT 021 - 21/06/2002/18:35 GMT - Mark Bunch of lightweights! : )Well, I'm still up.
12:30am here, and
Eng 1, Braz 1 at halftime. At some point I'll start to fade and go sack out, hoping to catch at least some of the US/Germany match, but that one starts at 4:30am my time, so ... who knows?
BTW, I haven't ever felt so good after so many drams of whisky!
Perhaps that is a final statement in favor of The Macallan? Cheers! Mark
Macallan JOLT 022 - 21/06/2002/21:45 GMT - Patrick Hi Johannes,
I did end up tasting the 18yo 1983 but my palate was shot so the rating wasn't a very good one.
Here is what my ratings ended up being:
12yo = 85
15yo = 85
18yo = 84. I didn't even dare go onto the Gran Reserva.
Hope you guys have a blast at the Midsummer night event! Pat
Macallan JOLT 023 - 25/06/2002/23:40 GMT - Louis Hello everybody,Since I only participated in the JOLT with a measly 2 Mac expressions, I did a follow up on Friday night.
Dug out from the far corner of my cabinet was my ancient bottle of the Macallan 18yo 1978 (43%, OB).
When I opened it several years ago, it was syrupy, with a huge, somewhat peppery finish. While it certainly deserved a
high rating, I gave it 90 on the matrix, I didn't really lock in to the overall effect, much preferring the 12. At some point, I re-sampled the 18 and thought that it had fizzled out, so it went straight to the back corner of the
cabinet, where it has been living for a couple of years. Well, with a little bit more perspective, it seems that this was simply a case of a long breakin period.
Compared to the un-filtered, cask strength bottles I'd been
purchasing, the Mac 18 certainly seems a bit watery, but it's no worse than any other 43% offering. Since the bottle was only a third gone, it held up quite well, in fact. At this point, it was clearly superior to the 12, the extra
years having been put to good use. But once again, I would love to see an unfiltered version at 46% ABV or greater. Both the 12 and 18 were a dark and rosy. My other contestant was the Macallan-Glenlivet 16yo 1978/1995
(56.5%, Glenhaven, distilled 12/1978, bottled 3/1995, matured in plain oak wood). The color was medium-dark amber, very close to the Signatory 12. Taste-wise, it wasn't that far from it's sherried distillery counterparts. Although Glenhavens are long sold out, it pays to keep an eye open for this one while shopping in out of the way liquor stores.
Just after the JOLT, there are a whole bunch of new Mac's, at least in the US. They include:
- A new distillery Cask Strength, no age statement, but said to contain 10-15 year old whiskies.
- Murray McDavid 11yo
- Scott's Selelction 1973
Maybe we should see if some of us can get hold of these? Louis
Macallan JOLT 024 - 30/06/2002/23:30 GMT - Johannes Hi, maniacs,When I started work on this transcript I had planned to
organise a big Mac Re-JOLT, because I somehow got the impression we didn't really get to the bottom of the case during the JOLT. Well, as it turns out, that might have been a case of projection. After finishing the transcript, I
discovered that the team produced much more useful data than I first realised.
So, no need for a Re-JOLT. But maybe we could do with a quick look at some conclusions to properly wrap up our third JOLT.
I haven't fully digested all of last week's results, but I think we agreed on a number of things.
First of all, we discovered that most of the 'Traveler's Editions' weren't spectacular - to put it mildly.
The new International version of the 7yo didn't make many friends either. Not as good ad the Italian version.
The latest batch of the 10yo is so-so and the new version of the 12yo scores lower than its predecessor as well. Based
on these bottlings, it looks like Macallan is slipping on a slippery slide towards the bottom shelf. We're not in the dangerzone yet, but when Macallan keeps releasing bottlings like these it could easily lose its top 10 ranking on
my list of 'Bang-For-Your-Buck' distilleries.' So, bad news all around then?
No, not really. Macallan is still going strong when it comes to their older and cask strength bottlings.
The ones we sampled were very fine malts
indeed. The 15yo 1984 is definitely in the same class as the 18yo 1982 - maybe even slightly better, while the street price in Holland (around 50 Euro's) is almost 20 Euro's below that of the 18yo. Yes, the 15 was a pretty good
bet. So, that's a bit of very good news from Macallan. The new 10yo Cask Strength is almost as good as the 10yo 100 Proof as well and comes in a big 'bang-for-your-buck' litre bottle.
So, I'm a bit ambivalent when it comes to an 'overall conclusion'.
At the lower (= cheaper) end of the spectrum the solid Macallan reputation is under threat, but for those who are willing to spend 50 Euro's or more on a bottle
are in luck. It seems Macallan manages to maintain the quality levels we've come to expect from the distillery in the 'DeLuxe' (50-100 Euro's) echelon of their range, while prices are dropping. Good news indeed - let's hope they
keep it up. In post #5, Craig asked about a 'Top 3' for the evening.
Looking at the averages I calculated for the mini-matrix in post #20 that's an easy one:
1 - Macallan 10yo 100 Proof (90.0 points)
2 - Macallan 10yo Cask Strength (89.0 points)
3 - Macallan 15yo 1984 (88.4 points)These were some of the 'conclusions'.
Time to finish this transcript.
Although we collected lots of information and impressions, I still feel the need to investigate Macallan in more detail. I will have a big 'Sherry Speyside Showdown' on September 21, sampling the six remaining Macallans on my
shelves against the seven Aberlours in my collection. I'll a write a log entry about my private investigations and publish it in the liquid log. Sweet drams,Johannes
- - - - -
Click HERE
to read the rest of Malt Maniacs #3.Overview of available JOLT Transcripts:
December 2001 - Laphroaig
March 2002 - Aberlour
June 2002 - Macallan
September 2002 - Springbank
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|