Macallan Classic Cut (2018 Release)

Nose: iodine, faint maple, faint fresh strawberries, and a distant whiff of glue Palate: brown sugar, fresh red berries, mild white pepper, iodine Finish: hard fruit candy, slight vegetal essence...maybe celery? A hint of peat?, mild cinnamon, apple skin, leather A surprisingly mild malt given its proof. Decent...but probably won’t buy again.

51 abv, strong but hits it right.

I believe that the "Classic Cut" name of the bottle comes from Macallan's Marketing strategy of their six pillars and all that stuff, but it should be about Macallan's really classic flavors and aromas. I have seen this bottle a lot of times and never picked it up, since i am not a Macallan Hardcore fan, but now i know i should have done it, specially because this one is the most "Macallan" Whisky Macallan has ever made. If you want to teach people on what a Macallan can offer, a classic Macallan profile, this is the bottle. It checks all the boxes in the "Macallan profile" form. Bottled at 51.2%abv, thick amber color. On the nose: sawdust and chocolate. Maraschino cherries. Cocoa butter, cookie dough, red fruits and more chocolate. Sherry, good old plain sherry. A little soap. Hazelnut, coffee. Second sip reveals some cheap citrus notes, like air freshener. More cherries. On the palate, it is delicious, full, powerful, full of flavor. Starts pretty sweet like chocolate and dulce de leche. Cocoa butter. Then it becomes very mineral. "Crazy dips" effervescence feeling on the palate; pepper, a strong oak spice bomb. Second sip reveals toffee; cinnamon and apples. Very nice. Aftertaste is a textbook Macallan on the first sip. Sawdust, minerals and sulphur, very oaky/ woody. Second and third sip gives you tobacco leaf and hints of a fancy smoke. Beautiful. Overall, i really liked this one, and i would recommend it. I believe it is worth the 118$ they ask for it. A solid, balanced dram, 92 over 100.

Strong oak initially on the nose which disipates to reveal nutty sherry, rich sherry on the palate, spicy long finish. Kinda one note, but each sip gets better than the last.