McClelland’s
- INDEPENDENT BOTTLER
- OWNER: BEAM SUNTORY
McClelland’s is the archetypal bottom-shelf single malt: of unknown origin, bottled at the lowest possible proof. McClelland’s has four expressions, each oriented around one of Scotch whisky’s main regions.
McClelland’s
Lowland
- PRICE $ · RATING NR
- AGE No age statement
- ALC/VOL 40%
- NOSE Wet moss, butyric acid, ash, cabbage, and radishes; water adds a varnish note.
- PALATE Bland and thin, with ash, bitters, and a vague cinnamon note. Water underlines the ash and cinnamon. The finish is nonexistent, save for a lingering pepper note.
- GENERAL Avoid this whisky. There’s a wide range of alternatives available for a few dollars more.
Highland
- PRICE $ · RATING NR
- AGE No age statement
- ALC/VOL 40%
- NOSE Varnish, oak, stale raisins, wet hay, stale gym bag, and butyric acid; water does nothing.
- PALATE Thin, with stale grain, bitters, ash, and an abundance of wood; water adds a cinnamon dash. The finish is quick.
- GENERAL Like the Lowlands, this is one to avoid.
McClelland’s
Islay
- PRICE $ · RATING
- AGE No age statement
- ALC/VOL 40%
- NOSE Sweet barbecue sauce, charred meat, cigar ash, cleaning solution, and engine oil; water underlines the ashiness and calls forth rubber tires.
- PALATE Thin and feinty, with match heads and cigarette ash, but also a surprising, hoppy, citrus sweetness. Water tamps it all down. The finish lingers with anise and ash.
- GENERAL It tastes worse than it sounds—the cigar and cigarette ash dominates the nose and palate. But if you’re looking for a smoky whisky as a mixer, this will do.
Speyside
- PRICE $ · RATING NR
- AGE No age statement
- ALC/VOL 40%
- NOSE Green apples, pencil graphite, wet cardboard, sulfur; water underlines the funky wetness.
- PALATE Thin, with cocoa powder, cornmeal, ash, and wet barley; water adds a bit of citrus and white pepper. The finish is long, ashy, bitter, and vegetal.
- GENERAL Even for a budget whisky, this is bad—likely the result of subpar barrels and poor barrel management. Aside from everything else, it’s not representative of “Speyside” at all.