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The Macallan
Released as part of Macallan’s ever-wonderful Sherry Oak range comes this 12 Year Old. It has spent its entire maturation in sherry-seasoned oak casks from Jerez, and is bottled at 40% ABV after its 12 years of ageing. It’s full of all those hallmark dried fruit and marmalade notes we’ve come to know and love from a sherried Macallan.
Well, this is my first taste of a Macallan. I have a bottle of Macallan Rare Cask that I've not yet opened (as it was bought for my birthday) and bought this as a kind of test to see what delights I'm in for. My palate and smell isn't the most honed, and although I have a very sensitive sense of smell, I can rarely pick out the different flavours that get mentioned - I just like what I like. 'Sherry Bomb' is a phrase that's bandied around a lot at the moment if you watch any whisky videos on Youtube, with dried fruits and raisins cropping up a lot with sherry-casked whiskies. Well, with this Macallan even I can smell the fruits, the nose doesn't so much fill the glass as whack you round the face with a bunch of grapes, it's almost too much (but not). the nose is actually more potent than the palate for me and makes for a whiskey that defies it's 12 years of age. Never had anything like it. I tried it alongside a Glenlivet 18 - just for random comparison - and The Glenlivet 18 is quite bland next to the Macallan (For 'bland' read 'more subtle'). I feel I need to drink a lot more to really form a true opinion, but for the moment it's delicious and a world away from my other Speyside whiskies (not better or worse, just different). Is it worth twice the price of many other 12-year-olds? Yes. Yes, it is...if you like this sort of thing. It is VERY sweet on the nose, more like an actual sherry than a whisky. It's still strong on the tongue, but far less sherry and more like you'd expect from a good whisky, and very smooth. Is it worth £70? Depends on your taste I'd say. I think it's too expensive myself and will try the Double Cask next...
I have always thought Macallan survives more on it's legend and hype than the true nature of it's product, that's why they can charge the prices they do. That's not to say this isn't a fine scotch (it is) but it's not what i personally want out of a whisky that uses 'sherry cask' as it's selling point, so if it's your thing, enjoy, but it's likely to be a while before i pay this amount for another bottle.
After a break in the sherry cask whisky's in Australia, it's nice to see this 12 YO offering back. Lovely spiced fruity notes on the nose from those Oloroso casks - that medium dry construct. But there are still malty & peaty characters with great appeal. Beautiful brassy/bronze colour. The palate is sweet, spicy, lively, long & soft. It's like drinking a lovely old Barolo or Rioja.... just plain sexy
Picked this up for about 35% cheaper than the listed price (thank you Taiwan). Only tried a non age statement macallan before, this is the first I tried with one and I like it. I don't think the Sherry flavor is super strong, but is detctable. What I really like about this is the spiciness, like an oak spiciness, on the palate that lingers in the after taste. It gives it a different dimension and makes it pretty tasty. For the price is paid I feel fine, for the price listed here however I would have to say that it's just too much, and that there is better on the market for such a price. Overall though a nice whisky.
This is a fairly nice one. On the nose you can pick up the sherry. As you sip its quite hot, and you get a little burn, soon fades and you get a loverly sweet aftertaste. It is very sweet I'm finding. It's a nice one but I do feel it's overpriced. If this was cheaper I would give better stars but for value I can't help but feel there's better out there.
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