Speyside (M) 2008 SV

Speyside (M) is quite a step of from what the official M delivers nowadays.

Wonderful

Tasting at the Michel Reick Festival in Peiting, July 4, 2026

A raw M... to awaken the taste buds: Rancio nose, with berries, soaked raisins, and walnuts The mouth warms, the alcohol is noticeable, opening up, oxidation to be expected, otherwise it's peppery, woody, bitter on the almond shell; then oak, crushed walnut, softer, cooked fruit on the berry, redcurrant and date Woody finish, nuts, toasty and cocoa notes return, but the alcohol is noticeable, the peppery spices linger.

aroma: delicate, prunes taste: rougher, oily, dried fruit A flatter taste, but something bothers me, especially towards the end. It didn't appeal to me

This one didn't get a particularly good cask. It's too thin, the sherry is flat and closed, and too acidic for my taste. The flavor is quite pleasant when diluted, but it can't even compete with some regular 100 proof whiskies (without the "exceptional" designation). Price-wise, at under €100 for a 17-year-old Macallan, it's very fair, but €95 is simply too much in terms of taste. It'll probably just sit on the shelf until it goes on sale.

Tasting as a sample; the rating is without water. Without water: The alcohol is too dominant for my taste. Overall, the whisky comes across as intense, quite sharp, and spicy. When tasting with water, the alcohol recedes somewhat, but the sharp notes remain, making it more palatable overall. Will I open the large bottle? Yes. Will I buy a second large bottle? No.

In its basic character, this whisky is right up my alley: dark sherry fruit, dry tannins, a pleasantly oily texture, and a long finish without cloying sweetness. The 57.1% ABV is by no means too high for me. The problem isn't the alcohol strength itself, but rather that the alcohol stands out aromatically alongside the whisky instead of blending seamlessly into it. This is all the more surprising because the 57.1% ABV is probably not the natural cask strength at all. The 100-Proof series is bottled uniformly at precisely this strength; so it seems that some water has already been used to mediate diplomatically. Nevertheless, the alcohol apparently abandoned the peace negotiations prematurely. For its price, this remains a very good, robust sherry whisky and certainly an above-average dram for everyday enjoyment. However, in my assessment, it must be distinguished from the truly outstanding Signatory Single Casks. And there, it lacks the added complexity, the cohesive balance, and above all, the better integration of the alcohol. The fact that it matured for 17 years, a similar length of time to some significantly more expensive single casks, ultimately demonstrates that simply letting whisky age doesn't automatically lead to top performance. Cask quality, cask development, and the selection and combination of casks are crucial. Here you get a lot of whisky for your money – but not quite top-class.

Nicely balanced whisky, sweet yet slightly tart

gets much better with a small ice cube, otherwise its too sharp

This is great value and a “proper” MacA: so good I bought a 2nd bottle as the 1st is disappearing fast! My every day ‘goto’ dram.

Very nice, sweet sherry bomb, yummy.. definitely better then #13. Will see if 18y is on the way....

A very enjoyable, mature sherried Scotch with good complexity and a particularly appealing palate. It has plenty of raisin, dates, dark fruit and varnish, but it stops short of being truly exceptional. Delightful whisky, though not quite at the level the Macallan association might make you hope for. I think there are better in the Signatory range.

This is one of the 2 Macallan Sherry Bombs, the other being the Signatory 18yr old. This one is an beautiful balance between sweet sherry taste, but still preserving the taste of the underlying Scotch. WELL BALANCED. Really nice old fashioned. Different taste, different flavor notes compared to the other Sherry Bomb Signatory (18yrs). This is perhaps sl lighter than the 18yr old. Like a very much lighter Harvey’s Bristol Cream—-has that light flavor as an underlying/woven in taste; not unpleasant, actually quite surprisingly and refreshingly integrated. Not chill filtered, so does become cloudy when mixed with ice.

The neck pour didn't impress me at all. Despite any sign of sulphur the cask seems to be not the best one. But a few weeks of oxidizing helps this whisky a lot, bringing mainly the taste into balance. Could be recommended under €80.