Macallan 25 Year Sherry Oak Cask

94 points. A great scotch, yet the burn kills its complexity a bit. Enjoyed at Maccallan estate.

Continuing on my exploration through some Macallan releases, next up I have a sample of their 25 year 2020 release that was bottled at 43% ABV. The nose is a rich yet velvety soft mix starting with powdered sugar dusted cherries jubilee, sweet lemon lime custard and dusty leather-bound books then blonde espresso, dark chocolate covered hazelnuts, caramelized figs, musty cavernous minerality and sweet pipe tobacco followed by pear tarte, mango and persimmons that transitions to ginger, cloves, cardamom and polished antique furniture with low ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with a mix of sweet creamy tropical fruits, cherries jubilee, lemon lime custard and dusty leather-bound books then a mild bitter spice that quickly fades to dark chocolate spicy mocha, caramelized figs, hazelnuts, cavernous minerality and sweet pipe smoke followed by pear tarte, sautéed mangoes and persimmons that transitions to ginger, cloves, cardamom and freshly lacquered antique furniture with low ethanol burn. The finish is long with creamy tropical fruits, persimmons, figgy pudding, cavernous minerality, spicy dark chocolate mocha, sweet pipe tobacco, dusty leather-bound books and freshly lacquered antique furniture. This is a hell of a dram that has aged gracefully over the 25 years with an exceptional balance of creamy citrus, well-aged sherry, dusty old oak and minerality that all flow harmoniously together with an ever so slight bitter spice found on the palate that quickly fades and finishes long and lingers for minutes after each sip. At a price of $2500+ for a bottle, this likely won’t be a bottle that will ever find a spot in my liquor cabinet, but it certainly is a very high quality and masterfully crafted dram that was a bucket list pour for me that I can now happily scratch off the list.