*Score* 85 *Color* Deep copper, cherry oak. *Nose* The oak jumps to the forefront. I don’t want to say “overwhelming,” but this masks anything else. I picked up on a little wood. *Palate* Middle of the road – not particularly thin or too dense or oily. *Finish* Rather strong initial burn. A little too much for 43%. It leaves you with a little dry red wine and berry fruit flavors. *Notes* I’ll admit I’m a little biased against Macallan 12 because of its commercial popularity. Just the mere mention by someone that they like Macallan introduces pretense and “welcome to amateur hour.” In addition to what I believe is an inflated price yields a deflated score. If I see it in a bar as the only option, I won’t be mad but I won’t be happy. A few drops opens the nose and introduces a touch of vanilla and honey. Some faint smoke lingers in the background and vanishes quickly. The burn virtually disappears with water and seems to add a bit of complexity, but these are just whispers with minimal depth. For something this sweet I’d prefer a bourbon at half the price. I’ve also found Macallan 12 to be wildly inconsistent from bottle to bottle, and I’m thinking it might be due to the mass production.