The Macallan M

Nose: Oak casks that have been quietly resting for a very long time. It's a complex and elegant woody and earthy aroma more like a bodega than a single cask. Notably soft and mature - rounded - a chocolate and raisin note with candied orange zest. A classic 100% sherry cask Macallan nose with fruitcake and orange notes - it's like the Christmas puddings grandma used to make in a pudding cloth and hang in the kitchen to age for 6 months. Palate: Orange marmalade and chewing tobacco arrival - fresher than expected - and there is a sudden honeyed note as it progresses into the development. Dark fruitcake with slightly bitter/sour citrus peel and a good deal of of subtle, dusty tannin. I can't help but be reminded of a very old cognac or armagnac with that almost over-stewed oak presence. The texture is full, leathery and rich. It's a really good palate but something makes me hesitate. It has depth, but it's also a narrow profile. Finish: Long. Cigars and baking spices. Hefty with agreeable tannic notes. Well, yes - this is a pretty good Macallan when all is said and done. Real old-school character and nothing like the modern bourbon-heavy expressions. The nose is outstanding but the palate does not rise to those heights. The price is simply extortionate and a part of me says we shouldn't be encouraging them (I wonder how much of the price is for the Lalique crystal decanter?). I could certainly never afford something like this and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to taste it. I didn't think it is worth more than 4 stars. I certainly don't think it is worth 98/100. Even if this whisky was reasonably priced (I'd pay maybe US$400, tops) there are other whiskies at that price I'd buy in preference, and many much cheaper whiskies that I think clearly outclass this. It's very good, but primarily a status symbol. "Very Good" : 4 stars