Macallan Classic Cut (2018 Release)

Smooth and good age for a 2018 bottle. Matching that of the 18years

Not dissimilar to my review on 5/6/22. Clear burnt orange. Noticeable sherry influence, which is expected. In addition to the brown sugar and strawberry preserves, noticeable Chinese five spice, tangerine, caramel, and graham cracker. Some disjointedness with noticeable ethanol (51.2% ABV) lacking integration; knocked down half a point as a result. Penultimate pour from this bottle; tasted in a Glencairn glass.

Nice. Love the prominence of the sherry

Crystal clear burnt orange. Unmistakable sherry nose, with other elements: brown sugar, strawberry preserves, thyme, creosote, lemon custard, a whiff of butterscotch, and iodized salt. Has some of that Springbank peanut brittle, which in a blind tasting might fool me, absent the clearly higher ABV. More brown sugar on the palate and some very fine tannins. 51.2% ABV is well integrated, marrying well with the unapologetic flavor profile. Tasted in Glencairn glass.

A pretty good representation of my preferred profile: quintessential musty, malty, sherried scotch, but Macallan’s ego and/or prestige business model means many similarly enjoyable bottles are available for half the price. Lemon. Dates. Butterscotch. Hint of mace. Glazed scone or maybe some Irish soda bread. Hazelnut. A bit peppery and dances on the palate initially, but this settles out pretty quickly with air. Some vanilla and oak. Very creamy with a pillowy soft lemon curd initial finish that sneaks back up for some lingering nutmeg and Szechuan pepper. Some chocolate - more milk than dark. A bit more assertive than the 12 and also more complex. Definitely more assertive than the 18, but I think this bottle lacks some of the layers and nuance that I find in the very enjoyable but astronomically overpriced 18. I think there is room for this in the portfolio. Not sure how much this changes year to year as it’s the first I’ve tasted. I know Macallan catches well-deserved flak for its price, and potentially-deserved flak for being “not as good as it used to be”, but this one checked the box for me. Flavor is probably 4.25+ to me, but knocked down due to value. Still a quality pour in my book.

Good but 2017 is slightly richer more complex tastier. Would try 2019 which is sherry maturation only. 2020 is the year this distillery started mixing in ex bourbon juice which they’re bad at and the 2020 expression is awful. Not even worth $20