I had the good fortune of sampling this one very early in my whisky drinking days. At that time, this stood out as a sort of gold standard for Scotch. Fast forward a couple years and exposure to a host of comparable options, and I’ve got a bottle at my disposal to put this highly-touted malt to the test. Nose: Very sweet. Heavy honey and floral notes. A tad oily. There is also orange and citrus. White grape that is reminiscent of white wine. I’m no expert here, but it reminds me a bit of a Sauvignon Blanc. Caramelized apple, pear, apricot. Golden raisin. Toffee. Sherry is detectable but for less than in any other Macallan I’ve had. Some oak spice in the background, as well as white pepper, clove, and nutmeg. Damn good nose. Palate: Initially it is very creamy and buttery; however, it quickly becomes dry. The orange and citrus are still present, now accompanied by plum, raisin, and vanilla. True to its name, oak is prominent throughout. White grape, apple, pear, and apricot. Chestnut and toffee. Upon pouring a second glass, I detect some chocolate in the background. Cinnamon, oak, and white pepper. Solid plate. Finish: This is the highlight of the Macallan 15. Here, the whisky best delivers on the promise displayed on the packaging. The finish begins with orange zest and rich milk chocolate before a sharp but welcome transition into oak spice and cinnamon in what amounts to a moderate-to-long finish. There is chestnut and plum skin mixed in as well. With hindsight, I can understand why I thought so highly of this one. I still do. It is above average at every turn and boasts a superb finish that makes a lasting impression. It certainly is well-balanced. It is rich and complex and so I have no complaints with this one. I will say that it is a bit overpriced at $100. Furthermore, it does not truly excel until the finish. I'm back to add to this 2 and a half years later. Ironically, this bottle is one of the older-style 15s, while the one from my first review donned the same packaging the 15 has today. Whether it's that I have a more refined palate now or the fact that Macallan was better before the adoption of the modern packaging (and the advent of the Double Cask Series,) I'm getting a much better balance between nose, palate, and finish. I also detect more sherry than I did back then. Chalk it up to 2 and a half years of extra whisky-drinking experience, or the fact that the product of the past may simply have been superior; either way, I feel strongly about boosting this from my original score of 4 flat to an improved 4.25.