I never imagined it would be this good. This Macallan 21yo Fine oak has destroyed all my previous paradigms about this renowned distillery. An incredible, out of this world dram, that i managed to obtain a sample. Later, i found out the price of the full bottle and immidiately knew i might never drink this jewel again. But i am so glad i have had at least a sample to write this review.
Bottled at 43%abv, tawny color.
On the nose, the most fruity, elegant and perfumed aroma ever. Starts with blackberry marmalade, sweet plums, gooseberries. A dim, surrounding sawdust; Very fruity. Dehydrated fruits. Berries. Red fruits rise after a minute. The fresh gooseberries have monopolized the aroma. After a first sip it released the most incredible dates notes ever. A thick honey. After two sips, a fancy home-made toffee appeared. Simply amazing.
The palate was one of the most enjoyable i have ever found in a whisky. Dulce de leche. Some white chocolate notes. Marvelous red wine; raisins. Typical macallan sawdust. I love the honey and the white chocolate on it. Some dehydrated fruits and dim saltiness. It is very well made. Third sip was incredibly sweet, the toffee here is not your regular whisky caramel, this is a top craft.
Some mixed feelings about the aftertaste. Dry woody finish. Oaky. A Paper sheet. Long lasting peppery and ginger spice. Very elegant. For lovers of oaky finishes, this is the most perfect one ever, sadly i am not a very fond fan of overly oaked finishes, but i have to recognize how good this one is. The spiciness is lovely. I have to leave my own preferences aside, this is actually incredible.
Overall, this is not only going to be on my top ten this year, it most certainly will be at the podium. I am not a Macallan fan, i am actually a Macallan Skeptic, but this one blew my mind. I don't believe you can achieve this greatness in a whisky for a bottle that costs less than 400, maybe at that price some Glendronachs, Lagavulins, or Taliskers might achieve it. Absolutely breathtaking, my score for it is 100 over 100.