Macallan 12 Year Old Sherry Oak
Worth it
8 386
Review by @markjedi1
- Nose~
- Taste~
- Finish~
- Balance~
- Overall86
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Ah, the classic 12 years old Macallan on sherry oak… who does not long for the days when this was just a standard whisky? And the flagship of the distillery. Affordable and very good. The malt on which the distillery built its reputation. Tasted many times, but never put my thoughts to paper. Why? Thanks to my whisky buddy Patrick, I can now rectify that situation.
Silky soft nose with an intense fruitiness on all kinds of dark and overripe fruits. Try as you might, there is no way you are not going to like this.
More of the same on the palate. Good body, soft and sweet, almost feminine. Intense sherry notes, as if a drop of PX was added to my glass. Good balance, nice spiciness (vanilla, ginger) and great taste. Yes, this is actually complex indeed.
The finish… could have been a bit longer though. I accuse the ABV. But nice on cloves, orange peel and soft caramel. Mildly drying.
While 95 EUR is quite steep for a 12 years old whisky, this one is worth it. If it were bottled at 50%, I’d even pay 120 EUR for it. Thanks for the generous sample, Patrick!
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I’m only kidding. My notes are similar to yours on the nose, but I found the palate watery and disappointing after the lovely nose. And I believe the version I tasted was 43% abv. The finish was drying, but the sample I tasted also had a really off-putting bitterness on the finish. Oh well, nothing can please everyone, right?
Thanks @markjedi1 The classic 12 is about the only drinkable and affordable Macallan left, and it's getting hard to find. The 12 year old Double Cask they introduced last year pales by comparison.