Macallan 25 Year Sherry Oak Cask

I took a couple of days deciding which dram was to be the subject of this, my 100th whisky reviewed on the Barreled app. I have a handful of worthy contenders but I settled on this 25 year old Macallan to celebrate the occasion. This Speyside single malt is aged for a quarter century in sherry oak casks and bottled at 43% ABV. As all Macallans are, it's natural color. This one is a deep mahogany and if I had to venture a guess I would say it is non chill filtered. My good friend Lee was generous enough to provide me with a 1 oz sample, but being that it's 1 oz vs our usual 2 (and I'm not complaining), I wasn't able to give it as thorough of run down as I normally do. Anyway, here goes. The nose is very mature, as is to be expected for a 25 year old. Warm toasted oak up front. Sherried raisins, sweet dried fruits. Oranges, red grapes, light cinnamon and apples. Aged vanilla and a mix of about 3:1 dark/milk chocolate. Plenty of honey and mixed berry/cherry pie. Lovely and elegant. The palate, again, elegant. A pop of spice, oak and wood smoke. Raisins, dates, apricots and black tea with honey. There is a little bitterness from the oak but it's not bad. Light to medium bodied mouthfeel. Silky, creamy and lightly oily. Dry on the back end. Medium length finish. Oak tannins, sherried oak, cherry syrup and a puff of smoke. This is by far the most expensive...anything...I've ever consumed. I believe Lee bought his bottle for $1300, but if I wanted to buy a bottle here in Michigan it would cost me a ridiculous $1800. It's very elegant and smooth. I was surprised by the level of smoke. It's nowhere near Islay levels, but up there for a Macallan. There is a bitterness on the finish that is a bit of a negative mark on an otherwise wonderful scotch. While this is a very good dram, I don't think it's even close to $1800 good. Personally, I think the Rare Cask Black is a superior offering. Regardless, I find myself very lucky to have even had the chance to taste such a rare and expensive scotch. Thanks again Lee. 4.75 Cheers