Mac Na Mara Rum Finish

Mac Na Mara is Gaelic for "son of the sea", and is bottled by the Gaelic Whisky Company (who also bottles Poit Dhubh and Te Bheag). This blend (featuring mostly West Coast malts) was first bottled in 1992 and is most popular in France. This rum finish expression is non chill-filtered and finished for a further 12 months in Guyanan rum casks. I should note that my bottle has been decanted for many months.

The colour is a medium caramel. On the nose, sweet toffee, milk chocolate, creme brûlée and toasted oak. Buttered croissants. Definitely a light rum quality to it, but that seems to just add sweetness to what already seems to be a sweet scotch. Water doesn't add anything to the nose or palate.

Silky smooth on the palate, again with very light rum characteristics. Light caramel, a hint of vanilla and marzipan. Quite sweet and otherwise fairly nondescript. Easy to drink but quite one-note.

The finish is Mackintosh toffee, clotted cream and rum raisin, with a hint of spice at the very end. Jim Murray inexplicably scores this a 93 but to me, it's just a cloyingly sweet scotch with very little body and character. Pleasant enough to drink, but immediately forgettable.