A pretty good representation of my preferred profile: quintessential musty, malty, sherried scotch, but Macallan’s ego and/or prestige business model means many similarly enjoyable bottles are available for half the price. Lemon. Dates. Butterscotch. Hint of mace. Glazed scone or maybe some Irish soda bread. Hazelnut. A bit peppery and dances on the palate initially, but this settles out pretty quickly with air. Some vanilla and oak. Very creamy with a pillowy soft lemon curd initial finish that sneaks back up for some lingering nutmeg and Szechuan pepper. Some chocolate - more milk than dark. A bit more assertive than the 12 and also more complex. Definitely more assertive than the 18, but I think this bottle lacks some of the layers and nuance that I find in the very enjoyable but astronomically overpriced 18. I think there is room for this in the portfolio. Not sure how much this changes year to year as it’s the first I’ve tasted. I know Macallan catches well-deserved flak for its price, and potentially-deserved flak for being “not as good as it used to be”, but this one checked the box for me. Flavor is probably 4.25+ to me, but knocked down due to value. Still a quality pour in my book.