Giovinetti & Figli was Macallan’s importer for Italy (Milan) in the 1980s. They had all kinds of bottlings, for instance a 7 year-old and this standard 10 year-old at 40% which are both “relatively affordable” if you fancy buying one now.
There was also a 10 Years Full Proof (better and much, much more expensive nowadays) and of course the rather legendary series of 18 year-old vintage releases.
Macallan 10 yo (40%, OB for Giovinetti & Figli, +/- 1985)
Macallan 10 yo (40%, OB for Giovinetti & Figli, +/- 1985)Nose: the classic Macallan profile, with lots of chocolate, toffee as well as some liquorice and coffee. Rum & raisins, some oranges. Hints of old oak and herbs in the background. Hints of old parchments and used leather too. Some people find sulphur in these bottlings, I can’t find it here but of course there are many batches.
Mouth: quite full-flavoured. Initially sweet dried fruits. Dates, prunes, with caramel. Roasted nuts. Smoky wood. A light salty touch. A lot of coffee now. Loud sherry with a good balance between sweetness, dryness and slightly bitter herbal notes.
Finish: medium long, certainly not too dry.
Classic stuff and still a benchmark for the sherry releases of modern distilleries. Around € 250-400 in auctions.
Score: 89/100