Anthology
Macallan 18 Year Sherry Oak Cask
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed
August 28, 2020 (edited October 14, 2020)
Dusting off another long overdue review that’s been sitting in my draft folder. You know me. I taste, I write down initial impressions. Then I ponder, and if other tasting opportunities presents itself, maybe some new hidden notes. Then I post. So some of my reviews tend to lag a bit behind the actual date of taste. That’s my process and I’m sticking to it...for now. Heads-up/spoiler alert...lazy imitation attempt at old Shakespearean english coming up!
Backdrop: In ATL for a leadership conference. Wrapping up team dinner at a fine establishment (aka another opportunity to try some “pricey” drams on the company’s dime). I was looking for a “legitimate” night cap to close out a great night before heading back to the hotel.
Oh ye Macallan 18, thou reputation dost precede thee...to no avail, in my book. Thou art been greatly lauded doth far by imbibers across the spectrum. Dost thy perceived greatness deserved...or fallacy? Tis thy chance to astound me. In case you were wondering, I was bit of an old English nerd in high school...possibly ONLY when it served my purpose. I’m partial on Shakespeare. Nonetheless, enough with the “contrived” Elizabethan english . Take this review for what it’s worth given it wasn’t in a controlled environment and was after tasting other alcoholic bevs that evening. To be fair (and if it makes you feel any better), I did take out my phone there and then to jot down my tasting notes. My colleagues probably thought I was crazy. So without much further ado, let’s indulge shall we.
Nose (4) vanilla galore, low fat caramel, [reminiscent of bourbon notes], light sherry. Good, balanced nose. Didn’t pick up a lot of oak. Some sweetness. Pineapple?? Banana foster. Banana Candy? Can’t tell exactly but defintely some tropical fruits coming through.
Palate (3.75): Follows the nose very closely. The sherry flavors are more pronounced here but not overwhelming. Good balance.
Finish (3.75 ) - Medium. Sherry, vanilla. Ending with Star anise / bitterness/oak tannins. Not unpleasant.
Overall (3.75 stars). To buy or not to buy? That is the question. I went in expecting at least a 4-star dram, and it came close. But alas, given subpar vfm + Macallan self-imposed atmospheric standards, it wasn’t not flawed (I know, double negative. Sue me). I guess what I’m trying to say is, for a well-aged Macallan at the $250+ price point, I expected near perfection. Maybe it was the environment, maybe my taste buds were off that day. Whatever it was, it didn’t quite live up to the expectation. Still a nice dram. Would NOT turn it down if offered but will not likely add to my collection...unless maybe as a gift (wink wink). Upon this dram I proclaim 3.5 - 3.75⭐️
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@Anthology - Edition 1 didn’t come to my state, and I won’t pay the silly prices on the secondary market to get a bottle. Just hope Edition 6 is priced reasonably.
@claptonfan756 Ditto mea culpa. I have a pair of each except 5 (just one). Also didn’t pay more than $100 for any of them except #5. $120 @ Costco. I think it had something to do with the scotch import tax B.S. What’s your fave so far for the ones you have? Maybe go a step further and rank all four 😉
@Anthology - I have to plead mea culpa on the Macallan Edition releases. I have editions 2, 3, 4, and 5. However, I never paid more than $105 for any of them.
@CKarmios L😂L. And Bobby Axelrod only drinks Michter’s. The really expensive kind.
@Anthology You're darned right about that. Secondary markets for whiskey are out of control. It has to stop at some point...I hope.
@claptonfan756 Agreed. It would appear Glendronach is widely accepted as a better vfm alternative to Macallan (see @Soba45 + others in the Distiller community’s comments). I wonder why Glenfarclas is not as often mentioned as such given their commitment to sherry cask aging, as well their above-average vfm, especially in the well-aged statement categories (20yr +) Thoughts?
@claptonfan756 Yeah, I think the general consensus these days is that for sherried scotch you need to go with Glendronach or Glenfarclas.
@ContemplativeFox Fair point but have you seen what’s happening with Macallan’s Edition series on secondary? Edition No.s 1 - 3 are siiillly money! It seems no one can escape the secondary market scourge. And we, the well-intentioned consumers often get to bear the brunt. “Lord, grant me the strength to accept the things I cannot change...” Serenity now, serenity now...
@Jan-Case I believe @Anthology is talking of the uncounterable Triple-B approach: baffle, befuddle and bamboozle. @claptonfan756 You could also go the other way to illustrate the madness. These are similarly priced: Macallan 15 Triple Cask, Glendronach 18 Allardice and Glencadam 21. Then again, Harvey Specter only drinks Macallan.
Macallan 18 is good whisky - maybe very good whisky, but the price has been going up like an elevator in a skyscraper. When it was $150 it was expensive but within the realms of fair value. Once it hit warp drive and started jumping up by $10 every time I visited my local liquor store, it no longer represented fair value. At $300+ the only time I try it is at my whisky club meetings. Your’re better off buying Glendronach (IMO).
@Jan-Case Thanks! Your question cracks me up. I’ll only answer with one word. Girls! I’ll leave the rest to your imagination lol
@Ctrexman The only thing that makes me feel good about Macallan's pricing is that at least it's going to the distillery rather than the secondary market. I find it extremely frustrating that BT's stuff is impossible to find because everyone snatches it up to sell for 5x in secondary.
@Anthology Nice move on getting this one then! Just one more reason I can't wait for WFH to end.
Nice review. Always good to read about this distillery so I don’t have to taste it myself :) Because I haven’t found one proper review that said the prices it comes with is justified and fair. But a question still stands - in what situations did old English served your purpose? What purpose could that have been?
Very entertaining review. Im a Macallan fan but would not drop the $ for an 18 with the other choices out there. The overpricing is clear but you gotta give it to them people buy it so they have clearly built the brand and ask what the market will bear
@Scott_E Haha thanks! Also appreciate helping me know I’m not alone with the notes taking. The things we do for whiskey...
@ContemplativeFox Haha yup. Covid really put a damper on a lot of things. Had to get “freebies” when you’re wfh ☹️
@Soba45 Thanks. I had my eye on the Oscuro at one point (saw it at Minnesota dutyfree for $900). Thought it might be similar to the Reflexion based on packaging and color but not sure (as in, Oscuro is the dutyfree version of Reflexion?). Also had my eye on the Rare Black ($450 at LAX dutyfree). Might still go for it if I can get the 10% off with RED by Dufry app on my next international trip. And yeah, the bitter taste at the end was a surprise.
@WhiskeyLonghorn That’s a fair question. I would say it depends. Like @ContemplativeFox I often start by judging drams on the merits of their flavors (smell and taste) before factoring in cost/vfm. However this was a bit unique, in that I went in [partly based on the high review scores for this Mac18] expecting a knockout dram on taste, and didn’t feel like I got that. So not sure if a lower price would have made a difference. Hope that makes sense.
@Scott_E That's my MO too! My friends know what to expect by now. It's especially difficult while wine tasting since it's possible to go through 2 dozen in an afternoon 😱
Nice review. Laughing because I have many-a-time jot notes down when I find a pour when out with my friends. They know me now, lol. Never tried Mac18 but have always wanted. It’s just too costly for me to justify a pour or a purchase.
@WhiskeyLonghorn Yeah, Macallan is tragically way overpriced. I certainly will not say that they produce the best drams at all age statements, but theirs are substantially better than average (at least at 12 and 15). Better enough to warrant the price difference? No.
Hot damn, did you get the company to pay for this?! If so, I'm super jealous.
Nice review :-). Yeah a Glendronach 18/21 beats it hands down on price and quality. I was lucky to be given a sample of the Oscuru and tried the Rare Black. Both were brilliant. The Oscuru amazing but the pricing at $1000 USD and $500...pft nothing is worth that. Every other one i tried 3.5 to 3.75 including the Fine Oak 18. There is often a bitter astringent aftertaste which is mild at first then by the end really irritates me.
If this were more in the $150-$170 range, would that change your rating? I feel like Macallan’s silly pricing keeps a lot of people from enjoying their whisky.