Macallan Fine Oak 18 Year

This pour was part of a free store tasting by Petite Cellars. Over 100 bottles of whisky were on offer for free. No brand representatives. Nobody trying to sell you anything. Just let the liquid speak for itself - awesome. With my wife, we ended up trying: This bottle Glenrothes 18 year OB Ardbeg 13 year Chieftains cask strength Bunnahabhain 29 year John Milroy cask strength Kilchoman OB private single bourbon cask Compass Box The Spaniard Glen Scotia 15 year OB On the nose, I can tell it’s trying to be inoffensive. It is very light, and I can’t really pick out any notes. I bury my nose into the glass until my wife tells me that my nose is not supposed to be all into the glass. I take a deep sniff. And I smell the fried corn from the Tostitos being served behind me. So, very clearly, whisky is diverging. There is whisky that is bottled to be enjoyed, and we must protect this branch. And then there is whisky for Instagram, where the liquid does not matter. This branch serves a purpose, and I can’t be mad at Macallan anymore. It is very clearly sacrificing itself to absorb the attention of people who like exclusivity more than they like whisky. Macallan is not for drinking, at any level in their core range. It is made for taking pictures and marketing. They made a 12 year double cask that was clearly worse than their 12 year sherry oak. Then, they made a new 12 year sherry oak that is worse than the double oak. They made this 18 year old “fine oak” that smells less mature than their previous 15 year old. I never had their 17 year old fine oak, but I loved a 2011 bottling of their 21 year old, and loved older Macallans from Douglas Laing that are exclusively bourbon matured. So, I am not only looking for a Macallan sherry bomb; I am looking for something that is more assertive than Tostitos. Ignoring price, and ignoring brand recognition, my impression of Macallan’s new core range is that it is obviously bottom shelf. Macallan is not drinkable because it is 1) bad, and 2) worth so much. So, I didn’t drink this. Even though it was for free, I did not want to use any of my alcohol tolerance to accommodate fake luxury. My wife had the entire sample, and her comments were, “This isn’t even Macallan. I don’t taste sherry. I don’t taste anything.” She was the biggest Macallan fan, and if these new bottles disappoint her, that says it all for me. Rating: 0 / 5 (price factored)

This product matches my tastes for whisky perfectly. I would say i'm in love with this. When i think about having a nice drink this is what i have in my mind. Very expensive unfortunately but so good. My next savings will go into the 21 years for sure.