Macallan Rich Cacao

Overall rating
87.13/100
votes
410
Whiskybase ID
WB193606
Category
Single Malt
Distillery
Bottler
Distillery Bottling
Bottling serie
The Harmony Collection
Bottled
2021
Casktype
Sherry seasoned European and American Oak
Strength
44.0 % Vol.
Size
700 ml 750 ml 750 ml
Label
First Release
Bottle code
L0263D L10 13/08 11:21
Barcode
5010314311278
Added on
17 oct 2021 4:53 pm
UncoloredNon-chillfiltered

Average value

€ 666.17

183 × in wishlist

410 × member ratings

6352 × in collection

Whisky reviews for Macallan Rich Cacao

59 users have left 60 reviews for this whisky. Average rating is 87.13 points.

  1. krtek911 scored this whisky 91 points Member Senior

    It's not the best Macallan I've tried, but it's really tasty! Unfortunately, I only bought 2 bottles at the beginning. I don't understand exorbitant prices, it's a great drink, but I wouldn't give a thousand pounds for it on the secondary market ...
    • Nose
      91 91
      Great delicate scent.
    • Taste
      91 91
      Very pleasant taste, you really feel different tastes. I like these flavors.
    • Finish
      92 92
      Chocolate and a pleasant feeling ... I'm enjoying an evening at the movie.

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  3. EvilAFI scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    The aftertaste does remind one of a powdered cocoa, nice, inoffensive, but not one that stands out in a crowd.
    • Nose
      88 88
      Dry sweet sherry, sure I could be convinced I get cacao, but it’s a bit of a stretch. It is rich and unctuous tho
    • Taste
      88 88
      Less sweet than the nose, a nice light baking spice/ginger note, nestle quik powder does come into mind here
    • Finish
      87 87
      Drying, nice spice linger while the sweetness fades and a nice bitterness takes over

  4. I_am_not_HS305 did not rate this whisky Expert Senior

    no one believes in these blue, green and yellow high level hipster ratings... this is getting boring boys.

    It is just to push your bottle flipping... so what's the deal?

    And it implies counter ratings and this is bullying the intention of the base ratings completely. Think about f****ng this superb data base up to nonsense.

  5. Fight65 scored this whisky 85 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      86 86
      Complex serry nose with some wood, then chocolate but also fruity things like apricot and citrus notes.
    • Taste
      85 85
      IT: 86
      B: 84
      Nice round sherry note in the initial, then some bitter cocoa in the body.
    • Finish
      84 84
      Medium length, slightly peppery burning, chocolate (cocoa).

  6. Nebuchadnezzar scored this whisky 85 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      84 84
    • Finish
      85 85

  7. WhiskyWitold scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    86.5 points
    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      85 85

  8. Remu scored this whisky 85 points Expert Senior

    Not bad.
    There are definite chocolate and cocoa beans
    But! Not rich at all!
    • Nose
      84 84
      Moderate sweetness of honey, rich chocolate, half-dried fruits, a bourbon bucket of creamy sweetness, a little floral, a little sherry
    • Taste
      86 86
      There's a little bit of fruity in the mouth, very easy to drink, like fresh melon, honey, chocolate, vanilla clip, a little bit of spice and tender ginger
    • Finish
      84 84
      Finish a little dry, not rich, relatively short, dark chocolate, cask, herbs, slight spices, ginger

  9. ColumbusBigHouse scored this whisky 82 points Newbie

    Nice nose, the palate brings stewed fruits and raisins. The finish though, woody, tannic, and young spirity finish. Unpleasant. Doesn’t really improve with water. Definitely some young whisky or old worn casks. I wouldn’t purchase again. $150 usd.

  10. jim1013yyf scored this whisky 80 points Newbie

    Very mediocre .... especially at this price point.....

  11. robain scored this whisky 81 points Specialist

    All the high scores is only for investment purposes. This whisky is HIGHLY mediocre - close to bad.
    • Nose
      82 82
      Metallic nose, some fruitiness, grassy, some sweetness
    • Taste
      81 81
      bland, some oak.
    • Finish
      81 81
      oaky, flat, bland, not much going on.

  12. wizzkey scored this whisky 80 points Member Junior

    overpriced

  13. Vis2020 scored this whisky 78 points Expert Junior

    What a disappointment....

  14. Balli scored this whisky 73 points Expert Junior

    Tasted the whisky blind in a competition. To be honest, l thought it was a young grain. Wet cardboard, thin and lacking taste.

  15. Funtik scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

  16. markjedi1 scored this whisky 85 points Connoisseur

    Jordi Roca

    In 2021, Macallan launched a new series 'The Harmony Collection' in which they collaborated (again) with Jordi Roca, the dessert artist of El Celler de Can Roca, the famous Michelin-starred restaurant in Girona, Spain. And while in the meantime the second expression Fine Cacao has already appeared on the market (and very quickly disappeared to yield triple on the secondary market), in my glass is the first expression of the end of 2021: Rich Cacao.

    The nose shows mainly notes from the sherry casks. Cinnamon, roasted malt, vanilla, candied ginger and caramelized orange peels. Cocoa? With a little good will, I'll get that out of there too. But I would like to add that this is a very pleasant nose.

    Mouthcoating. Sweeter than the nose announced, so here it does live up to its name. Now I get cocoa, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. Yes, this is quite spicy and therefore also a bit drying. Apart from some orange, I barely get any fruit through. Maybe a dried apricot? But it's tasty.

    In the finish some bitter oranges come through and even the white flesh of a pink grapefruit, but the spices do have the last word.

    Actually, I found 145 EUR a bit expensive when I bought this bottle. But in the meantime you can easily pay 500 EUR for it. Incomprehensible. Someday that bubble has to burst, right? And how am I going to get a sample of the Fine Cacao? Oh, well...

  17. dory0103 scored this whisky 95 points Newbie

    Good value

  18. Igor_Gudimov scored this whisky 85 points Expert Senior

    Too much sour flavors for but overall good sipper
    • Nose
      84 84
      Vanilla, sour citrus, light white pepper, some apricot and milk chocolate
    • Taste
      85 85
      Sour-sweet citrus, sherry rum raisins, milk chocolate, creaminess
    • Finish
      85 85
      Sour-sweet, cream, cocoa, ginger

  19. olegborgol scored this whisky 81 points Connoisseur

    Quite young and mediocre. The aroma is its best side - milk chocolate, vanilla, plum cake, but youth and alcoholiness are clearly visible. The taste is bitter oak, spices, wine notes. The finish is short, tannic, indistinct. I don't even make an adjustment for the price, but I'm not sure that I want to buy a bottle more expensive than 50 euros. 21-20-20-20
    • Nose
      82 82
    • Taste
      81 81
    • Finish
      80 80

  20. Dionysus scored this whisky 82 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      81 81
    • Taste
      83 83
    • Finish
      82 82

  21. alex..w..fan scored this whisky 81 points Connoisseur

    21 20+ 19+ 20 81

    Not bad in the nose, but modern sherry, so .. sour, bitter ... In general, the Nose promised, but then it's easier, worse, harmony? do not make me laugh....

    after such whisky, I want to look for the anti-wishlist button (((

  22. Heemhoeve scored this whisky 92 points Expert Senior

    Wonderful dram, what a taste experience!!

  23. vlad78 scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    Harsh, spicy spices are felt, cinnamon and cocoa appear at the end. It is as if sherry is not a component of the drink, but a fresh addition that did not have time to merge and become a single whole.
    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      86 86
    • Finish
      86 86

  24. DramALife scored this whisky 80 points Expert Senior

    Can’t believed I got tricked into drinking another overpriced Macallan… It takes big imagination to locate that cacao note, and just like many other have already said, too watery, too simple, too young, not worth the price and the expectation.

  25. Echson scored this whisky 83 points Expert Junior

    Like all Macallan in the special series, it is clearly too expensive and more for those who want to sell it again
    I see a fair price around 180-200€
    • Nose
      Balanced and light sweetness, cocoa notes are noticeable
    • Taste
      Round , a little weak , delicious slightly sweet note
      It's good to drink away
      No complex whisky
    • Finish
      I miss the length even if it's delicious

  26. pyrotukker scored this whisky 83 points Member Senior

    Great nuanced nose, mouth is like a 15£ bottle.
    • Nose
      90 90
    • Taste
      75 75
    • Finish
      83 83

  27. Andytka3 scored this whisky 85 points Connoisseur

    1708) The Macallan, The Harmony Collection, Rich Cacao, Bottled 2021

    Sold out like a hot muffin from the oven, and price soared like a rocket overnight.
    • Nose
      N- It took awhile to revealed the richness, but worth the patience. Aired out the initial pepper, lay the sherry seasoned American oak nuances. Breezy chocolate, new leather and apricot at the heart, spine-d with spice candy and toffee. Much alike their core line up of double casks. (86/20)
    • Taste
      P- Along with the rhythm and release name, amber rum and raisins chocolate is how I would describe it. Well measured creamy texture, flows with perfect tinges of sweetness that glaze over the palate. A modern, fun and delicious dram. (88/22)
    • Finish
      F-Long, lasted well to quintessential elegant ginger mouth-coat. Easily relatable to the spectrum of cacao , cafe latte and fine patisseries. (88/22)

      B/B- 87/21 Well worth and a bargain at its official launched price.

      Weighted Rate- 85pt

  28. Gregorsky scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      86 86

  29. antyloop scored this whisky 87 points Expert Junior

    Macallan The Harmony Collection Rich Cacao, 44% abv., NAS

    Category: Single Malt
    District: Speyside
    Distillery/Brand: The Macallan
    bottler: OB
    Bottled: 2021
    Age: N.A.S.
    Strength: 44%abv.
    Cask type: Sherry seasoned European and American Oak
    Filtration: YES
    Colour: natural color

    Color: dark amber-copper (in the original description, roasted cocoa beans)

    Conclusion: a very worthy application... both the sherryness and the genetics of The Macallan are evident, a very worthy NAS... I would advise you to buy it, but you won’t find it in the daytime with fire (at an affordable price)... it was so hyped )) )

    Points: 87-88
    • Nose
      88 88
      Aroma: here the aroma is denser... a lot of creamy dark chocolate, sherry motifs (dried fruits and spices), dark berries, cocoa powder, citrus zest, ginger in the undertones...
    • Taste
      87 87
      Taste: rich... chocolate, tannins, ginger, lemon zest, light honeyness... well, sherry motifs are naturally felt quite clearly...
    • Finish
      87 87
      Finish: astringent aftertaste, longer than average duration... filled with tannins, bitter chocolate, roasted cocoa beans... (as a child, I lived next to a confectionery factory, so there was something exactly like this in the air)

  30. Dcorporaal did not rate this whisky Newbie

    A delicious whisky. Although I do not taste the cocoa…

  31. DistiLesha scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    Too much ado about nothing.
    Quite a simple and sometimes repulsive profile with animal tones. Sherry is readable, but in a modern and not natural reading.
    Youth is felt, but the price is sky-high for such a level.
    There is a lot of bitterness that needs to be cut with barrels of the second and third filling for a long time.
    N:22 T:21 F:22 B:21
    • Nose
      Fresh green apple, dusty grain, barley porridge, prunes, rough oak board, barnyard, mutton fat, dry burnt straw, let it be cocoa :)
    • Taste
      Light apple sweetness and bitterness of oak tannins, sourness more grainy than lemony, lollipops, rather than skin, but animal fat, salty, burning and warm young spirits.
    • Finish
      Bitterness of oak tannins, grain sourness, spirits burn with youth

  32. Achany scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    the nose was promising, full of sherry, hints of chocolate and cacao, sweet, full and complex. taste was much better after the bottle was open for some days. the first sip was too spicy, too much oak but that got better a lot. finish is all right, sweetness, oaky notes and the dark cacao chocolate mingle quite nicley.
    • Nose
      89 89
    • Taste
      86 86
    • Finish
      87 87

  33. Mapl scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      86 86

  34. Robinzon25 scored this whisky 85 points Connoisseur

    Unusual, very original whisky, memorable, but did not produce a “wow” effect.
    • Nose
      Cocoa (“very strange”), milk chocolate and honey cake. Spices, perfumery and floral nuances come through deeper.
    • Taste
      Creamy chocolate cake sprinkled with cocoa powder, spices, oak and a touch of menthol.
    • Finish
      Medium length, rich notes of vanilla, chocolate cream, honey, mango and spices, with oaky notes at the very end.

  35. ConvalRen scored this whisky 70 points Connoisseur

    Flippers are like "Its the best whisky in the world, 94 points cos I ain't got time for a review to make it 95 points ++"

    Poorly done whisky, lackluster, and lack of care from those money-hungry goblins under the Speyside shire.

    Jokes aside, but in reality, it is what it is. A poorly made joke of subtle sweetness, some spices here and there. But what's the point? You have completely different ended spice notes that clash against one another, why does tarragon mixed with curry leaves come to mind?!
    • Nose
      70 70
    • Taste
      69 69
      I'm severely confused here, what was the goal of the master blender? Clashes in a symphony, where there's no harmony.
    • Finish
      70 70

  36. Petitcham scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    faint cocoa, macallan's spice subtlety, sweetness,Not a drink to buy for a resale price

  37. Jackson05 scored this whisky 73 points Connoisseur

    95%+ of the cost that went into this product, is packaging and marketing.

    The cost of this is absolutely hilarious to me; in relation to quality. We are told to assume NAS means 3 years old, but in this case I don’t feel the truth is far off. If this was the same price as JW black and I’m about to die, I’m taking JW black.

    I have absolutely no issue with people flipping this garbage, if someone is dumb enough to buy it. Boom roasted.
    • Nose
      75 75
      Fake orange (orange oil, chemical). Youthful spirit (grain, ethanol, plastic). Vanilla. Ya, sure maybe a dusting of cocoa, but you could find it in any young dram if you try.
    • Taste
      73 73
      Orange oils, vanilla, pretty weak and watery. The youth is clear.
    • Finish
      70 70
      Ethanol, grain, vanilla. Fake orange and a little ‘green’.

  38. patrick.wicki scored this whisky 93 points Member Senior

    I don't understand the negative reviews here. This excellent Macallan brings everything I mean by "Rich Cacao".
    Well, Macallan does a lot of marketing. But the product is really well matched to the story. Nice cocoa butter notes, dark chocolate, roasted coffee notes and stunning oak aromas in the background. Everything is very harmonious and well balanced.

  39. axaer scored this whisky 90 points Newbie

    Compared with Macallan 18 (2019), it is richer comes with rich chocolate and bitter taste. Finishing is long.

  40. Kerttu scored this whisky 83 points Member Senior

    Nothing special, for a 50,- this would be good dram. But for a 137,- as it was in retail.. hell no.
    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      79 79
    • Finish
      82 82

  41. Binh77 scored this whisky 89 points Newbie

    Its flavor is typical traditional Macallan profile like Macallan 18 sherry. It is not so thick but rich and delicious with elegant sherried notes and pleasure dark-chocolate bitterness. Its delicious flavor lasts long and stable in your mouth until you can stand to swallow it.

  42. XaPeaky did not rate this whisky Newbie

    Disappointed by this bottle. One of the most expensive Whiskys I have ever bought. Already knows that Macallan is no more itself except the same helty price, but thought the Harmony collection can still worth its name.

    As some other said, you really need some imagination to recognize the cocoa note. To be honest in the end you won't know if you find the cocoa note only because of its name.

  43. Nuts1 scored this whisky 96 points Member Senior

    Beautiful subtle hints of chocolate as macallan often has

  44. MarcinCh scored this whisky 85 points Connoisseur

    Dark amber color. Thick and oily in a glass.
    • Nose
      84 84
      Dessert chocolate. Cocoa, but a little sweet. Then milk chocolate. Instant cocoa for children. Traces of fresh fruit. Baked apples sprinkled with cinnamon. With another nose of herbs.
    • Taste
      87 87
      Dessert chocolate. Sweet soluble cocoa. Milk chocolate. A pinch of spices. Ginger. Maybe cinnamon.
    • Finish
      84 84
      Dessert chocolate. Cocoa. Caramel. A pinch of spices. Long finish.

  45. Tommms scored this whisky 87 points Member Junior

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      85 85
    • Finish
      89 89

  46. Isabell scored this whisky 77 points Member Senior

    Does Macallan now completely suffer from aberrations in taste ?! Perhaps the marketing community there also believes that the end consumer can simply buy anything for 200 EUR if only the name “Macallan” is on the bottle. I'm pretty upset. This bottle is, in my humble opinion, not even worth a third of the price. Only the name cannot forever replace the quality, at some point the end user will give the receipt - sooner or later.
    • Nose
      76 76
      Maybe an idea from cocoa. Minimal fruitiness, musty, artificial, effervescent tablets, some leather.
    • Taste
      77 77
      Strongly alcoholic, oily, pepper, honey, subtly fruity, slight bitterness, some citrus peel, where is the cocoa?
    • Finish
      77 77
      Which finish? Very short finish, distinct barrel spiciness, a little honey and orange peel, disappointing.

  47. Larry411 scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    Nutella on lightly toasted white bread, Big Turk, ginger, and Terry's chocolate oranges. This one needs to stay in the mouth longer for the oils to cling to the mouth and deliver its full flavours. It's pleasant, easy going, stuff. I tried it with chocolates, and they work well together (granted, most sherry-cask whiskies do). Still, it could use more oomph to it - the flavours aren't terribly potent, and it comes off as a bit too young. Solid, but not worth its msrp or hunting.

  48. LDB scored this whisky 82 points Connoisseur

    Very generic sherry malt that has relatively little to offer at 44%. Not entirely bad, but far from good either. In terms of price, it's even a galaxie away from reality: tastes like a mediocre sherry blend, for which you would perhaps spend a maximum of 35€ - but please not hundreds of euros?!?!? I'm glad to have had a free sample, otherwise I would have just been annoyed.
    • Nose
      84 84
      Forest honey, sherry fruit, homemade cocoa. A very appealing melange.
    • Taste
      82 82
      Relatively thin, but pleasant taste, dark chocolate (approx. 55%), cane sugar, a little hint of honey mead, that's it.
    • Finish
      80 80
      Quickly fades into obscurity with a little furniture polish and Nesquik flavors. 'Rich Cacao' looks different...

  49. MarcinCh scored this whisky 85 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      84 84
    • Taste
      84 84
    • Finish
      84 84

  50. FCBayernMuenchen1900 did not rate this whisky Member Senior

    Is this whisky ever gonna become available from the distillery directly again ? An absolute joke. Is Macallan just surviving because they have such a famous name ? They used to produce very good whisky such as the Edition series. Then they tried to repeat this with the Concept series which you could not compare to the high quality of the Edition series. Now the first edition of a new Series is not even available at a normal price any more and does not seem to be good quality. The problem of Macallan is that they are pushing marketing and spending a lot of money there just trying to maintain their legend instead of investing in good casks and producing good whisky like Glenallachie for example. Seems like they have to make money to pay for the newly built fancy hobbit distillery. Very sad but true.

  51. Eule9114 scored this whisky 78 points Expert Senior

    All these high ratings are a joke and are just to push prices.
    This whisky is bad. There is nothing to discuss. Even a Glendronach 12y is better than this. Macallan is laughing silently about all the people that buy these whiskys on the secondary market.
    Single Casks are really great but in the last couple of months/years every NAS Macallan is just bad....

  52. dram-drinker scored this whisky 79 points Photo Moderator

    Seriously? The quality is going down with new Macallans but not the prices.
    • Nose
      81 81
      Very vinous, sultanas, rum soaked cherries, little butterscotch, hints of rubber and leather, spices, nuts
    • Taste
      79 79
      Oily, subtle sweetness, spices, pepper, little vanilla, raisins, sultanas, honey, leathery notes, even a bit sulphury, cocoa
    • Finish
      77 77
      Medium long, warm, spicy, raisins, leathery, flat sulphury, tad bitter

  53. WantsWhisky scored this whisky 84 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      86 86
    • Taste
      85 85
    • Finish
      81 81

  54. thijs100 scored this whisky 82 points Connoisseur

    A decent single malt.
    • Nose
      Opens up on hot chocolate, slivers of orange zest as well as a whiff of honey and muscovado sugar. There's also some gingerbread, sandalwood and just the quietest whisper of coffee grounds and copper coins.
    • Taste
      Plenty of nutmeg and cloves, with a touches of raisins, cocoa powder and dates, but also plenty of charred oak. Finally some marzipan and cinnamon.
    • Finish
      Lingering wood spices with a touch of honey and cocoa butter, with finally some orchard fruits.

  55. DT0829 scored this whisky 72 points Member Senior

    I am very disappointed with this one, not well integrated and nothing special except unbalance flavor. Of course, you can hypnotize yourself to find out the cocoa flavor. Very watery. I won't pay more than 49.9Euro to get another one for drinking. Leave it for the investor.

  56. Wolf68 scored this whisky 83 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      83 83
    • Finish
      82 82

  57. fdlarry scored this whisky 80 points Member Senior

    Actually (very) disappointing. Definitely not worth the money. Leave this whisky for the investors. A Glenfarclas Famlly Cask for the same money is so much better.

  58. TheNose scored this whisky 71 points Expert Senior

    Disappointing and crazy prices!
    Is it a bad whisky, no. Is it a good whisky also, no.
    As mentioned by others it is flat and watery. For rich cacao you really need a very big imagination. It would make an okay daily dram for around 50 euro's.

  59. Eun1 scored this whisky 83 points Expert Senior

    The nose is really appealing with sweet fruit notes, subtle oak and fine spices; and indeed there is a clear cocoa note that integrates well into the overall picture.
    Unfortunately, the taste is rather flat and not very differentiated. Apart from a continuous sweetness, only slight hints of sherry fruits can be made out.
    The finish is short to medium long.
    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      82 82
    • Finish
      80 80

  60. Baanaanaabob scored this whisky 80 points Connoisseur

    Maybe there is a hint of cocoa in this if you really try to convince yourself, a bit watery, alcohol not very well integrated must have spent quite a short time in the wood or maybe the wood wasn’t very active, some expected sherry notes as in dark fruits and sweet spices, boring

  61. WiltChamberlain scored this whisky 82 points Connoisseur

    Better than many other Macallans, but not worth the outrageous secondary market prices called out.
    • Nose
      83 83
    • Taste
      82 82
    • Finish
      82 82

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