Macallan Fine Oak 15 Year

This review is about 10 months old that I posted on the Barreled app before I met all you fine people. Sample was from Lee This Macallan is 43% ABV and is aged in a combination of ex bourbon and sherry casks. I do not know if this is chill filtered or not. It is a brilliant yellow gold in color, but I'm not sure if it is natural color or not. The nose has an initial blast of strong oak. It develops into raisins and orange peel. Dried fruits and sherried fruits are there. There are strong floral notes as well. More oak and some vanilla. I think the best word to use to describe the nose is sharp. Not an unpleasant sharp, but it definitely cuts through your senses. The oak dominates everything else. The palate is pretty light, again with the oak in the foreground. Orange oil and some sherry sweetness. There is some nuttiness in the background. What really surprised me was the mouthfeel. Lightly oily and it coats the mouth. This carries into the finish. This one sticks around for a while with the oiliness just leaving you wondering how long it will last. In a good way. Overall this is a quality scotch, but it seems like it's relying more on the Macallan name to warrant its price rather than its intrinsic qualities. I was expecting more from this and I have to say I'm scratching my head as to why Macallan has as high of a reputation as it does. I did a side by side with the 17 YO fine oak. I think I prefer the 17 overall, but the mouthfeel on this one wins between the two. Given that the quality of the oak is the selling point of the fine oak series I grabbed my bottle of Glenlivet 15 French oak reserve to compare. I have to say the Glenlivet had a warmer nose and smoother, fruitier palate. All for half the price of the Macallan 15. 3.25

КИБ 5033.45

Beautiful floral honey, vanilla cream candy, white cake, agave, sherry, mead, liquor, candle, light orchard fruits.

More like The Macallan 15 Just Fine. This dram reminds me of a Broadway show using the same cast for 15 years. Capable? Absolutely. Talented? No doubt. Provide entertainment? Sure. Passion and soul within that performance? That’s where this one seems to get lost. It just seems kind of soulless. That’s disappointing from a scotch of this caliber. The elements are there. On the nose, rich vanilla with subtle citrus, dried fruits and candied notes. It’s smooth on entry with a medium mouth feel. However, that smooth entry morphs into a bolder heat that is simultaneously calming and harsh at times. This scotch isn’t terrible. In fact, what’s here, makes for some fun discussion. Sadly, it feels like this one is phoning it in or distracted and that keeps it from reaching its full potential. This leaves you feeling short changed for the price of admission. (OOtB September)