2017 release. Which means its in the classic purple box for those of you keeping score. The vaunted Macallan 18. I'd say its the second most recognizable top-shelf Scotch only after Johnnie Walker Blue Label. Of the two, I'd say this one is much more deserving of that status. Nose: Leather and chestnut. Big sherry, of course. Dark plum, raspberry, blackberry, raisin, date, fig, and dark grape. Jam and maple. A bit of pound cake in the background. Toffee and orange peel. Big oak note, as one would expect after 18 years in the barrel. A bit of heat, suprising at 43%. It's all cinnamon and clove. Not a trace of ethanol. I could nose this all day. Palate: The pound cake note jumps right up to the forefront. The date, fig, raisin, and dark grape are more pronounced, though the plum, blackberry, raspberry are still there. Orange, apple, pear, and apricot. Toffee, vanilla, milk chocolate, and caramel. Leather and oak. Top notch. Finish: Classic Macallan vanilla and milk chocolate. As usual, it hits like chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. Chestnut and almond take over, followed by the highest quality oak note. Some orange peel and a tinge of cinnamon spice. Moderate length. Dark, rich, deep, complex, fruity, oaky. The ideal iteration of a sherried-single malt Scotch. Generally, when I award something 5 stars, its a high-octane cask strength bourbon or scotch. In this case, I give the Mac 18 my highest praise for its combination of unrivaled drinkability and deep complexity. Truly a rare combination. This ran me $260. I could've gotten the new, black-box Mac 18 for a good deal cheaper, but I coughed up the extra cash to buy a dust-covered purple box version that I first fell in love with. Maybe I'm biased, because this has been a part of a couple major celebrations in my life. At the same time, I think that this is one of those whiskies that has shaped my drinking preferences--for the better. Therefore, I've got no problem admitting bias. And trust me, the whisky is damn good. Even factoring the ludicrous $260 price tag into my score, I still felt this to be worthy of 5 stars. Absolute must try for any whisky fan. Top shelf.