ABV: 40 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. At first there’s a layer of honey and vanilla sitting on top of fresh red berries. When it settles both cinnamon and a hint of sweet liquorice arrive. There’s a nice balance between the sweetness and the fruitiness. It’s mild and not especially complex. After some time in the glass the fruitiness shifts towards dried assorted fruits with Raisins as well as dried coconut flakes. This is a straight forward nose with a lot of nice things within.

Mouth: It starts out a bit flat for a second or two before a mild spicyness builds up. The oak is present in the background from the get-go as well. The fruitiness is much darker compared to the nose with a heavy emphasis on raisins and overripe plums. There are still notes of cinnamon and vanilla and it feels very dessert-like. There’s a fresher fruitiness peeking through from behind but it takes a few seconds before it’s noticable. It doesn’t feel as balanced as on the nose and it feels like the different components never interacts with each other.

Finish: The sherry fruitiness starts out around the edges and the center part feels sort of empty. The fruitiness then moves towards the center to make room for the oakiness around the edges. There’s a hint of orange marmelade coming through as well as raisins and figs. It’s a fresher fruitiness than before. The oakiness is a bit indecisive, with a mix of fresh vanilla and sligthly nutty and bitter oak. There’s a slight spicyness coming from the oak as well. This is a good whisky but it lacks power and feels a bit unbalanced to the taste.

Additional information
This expression from Macallan is matured in a combination of American and European oak for at least 12 years. The american oak casks are also ex-Sherry and haven’t contained any bourbon.