Macallan 25 Year Sherry Oak Cask

I took a couple of days deciding which dram was to be the subject of this, my 100th whisky reviewed on the Barreled app. I have a handful of worthy contenders but I settled on this 25 year old Macallan to celebrate the occasion. This Speyside single malt is aged for a quarter century in sherry oak casks and bottled at 43% ABV. As all Macallans are, it's natural color. This one is a deep mahogany and if I had to venture a guess I would say it is non chill filtered. My good friend Lee was generous enough to provide me with a 1 oz sample, but being that it's 1 oz vs our usual 2 (and I'm not complaining), I wasn't able to give it as thorough of run down as I normally do. Anyway, here goes. The nose is very mature, as is to be expected for a 25 year old. Warm toasted oak up front. Sherried raisins, sweet dried fruits. Oranges, red grapes, light cinnamon and apples. Aged vanilla and a mix of about 3:1 dark/milk chocolate. Plenty of honey and mixed berry/cherry pie. Lovely and elegant. The palate, again, elegant. A pop of spice, oak and wood smoke. Raisins, dates, apricots and black tea with honey. There is a little bitterness from the oak but it's not bad. Light to medium bodied mouthfeel. Silky, creamy and lightly oily. Dry on the back end. Medium length finish. Oak tannins, sherried oak, cherry syrup and a puff of smoke. This is by far the most expensive...anything...I've ever consumed. I believe Lee bought his bottle for $1300, but if I wanted to buy a bottle here in Michigan it would cost me a ridiculous $1800. It's very elegant and smooth. I was surprised by the level of smoke. It's nowhere near Islay levels, but up there for a Macallan. There is a bitterness on the finish that is a bit of a negative mark on an otherwise wonderful scotch. While this is a very good dram, I don't think it's even close to $1800 good. Personally, I think the Rare Cask Black is a superior offering. Regardless, I find myself very lucky to have even had the chance to taste such a rare and expensive scotch. Thanks again Lee. 4.75 Cheers

Continuing on my exploration through some Macallan releases, next up I have a sample of their 25 year 2020 release that was bottled at 43% ABV. The nose is a rich yet velvety soft mix starting with powdered sugar dusted cherries jubilee, sweet lemon lime custard and dusty leather-bound books then blonde espresso, dark chocolate covered hazelnuts, caramelized figs, musty cavernous minerality and sweet pipe tobacco followed by pear tarte, mango and persimmons that transitions to ginger, cloves, cardamom and polished antique furniture with low ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with a mix of sweet creamy tropical fruits, cherries jubilee, lemon lime custard and dusty leather-bound books then a mild bitter spice that quickly fades to dark chocolate spicy mocha, caramelized figs, hazelnuts, cavernous minerality and sweet pipe smoke followed by pear tarte, sautéed mangoes and persimmons that transitions to ginger, cloves, cardamom and freshly lacquered antique furniture with low ethanol burn. The finish is long with creamy tropical fruits, persimmons, figgy pudding, cavernous minerality, spicy dark chocolate mocha, sweet pipe tobacco, dusty leather-bound books and freshly lacquered antique furniture. This is a hell of a dram that has aged gracefully over the 25 years with an exceptional balance of creamy citrus, well-aged sherry, dusty old oak and minerality that all flow harmoniously together with an ever so slight bitter spice found on the palate that quickly fades and finishes long and lingers for minutes after each sip. At a price of $2500+ for a bottle, this likely won’t be a bottle that will ever find a spot in my liquor cabinet, but it certainly is a very high quality and masterfully crafted dram that was a bucket list pour for me that I can now happily scratch off the list.

Raisiny nose, the sherry influence is obvious. Sherry, lots and lots of sherry. Raisins and spice. Oily texture, rich spicy flavor. Nuts - almost chewy. There is some tannic influence from the wood and aging - a bit herbal. I found a bit of vanilla as I worked my way through the glass. Dry wood in the finish, some smoke. I bought this for $250 back in 2002. It goes for well over $1,000 these days. It's good. Maybe it's worth $250, but definitely not $1,000+ good ;). I could buy 15-20 solid, delightful bottles for what I'd pay for just this one. It is delicious, but there are things that I'd rather drink, and things I'd feel less guilty drinking.

Got sample of this from a friend. 2018 edition. Indicates this was distilled around 1992 1993ish, meaning it was made just before Macallan reduced golden promise barley ratio in 1994. Nose: Raisins, Prunes, Cherries, Dates, Chocolate Oranges, Apples, Flowers, Cinnamon, Pepper, Meats, Vanilla Palate: Raisins, Toffee, Cherries, Chocolate, Oak, Pepper, Meats, Figs Finish: Flowers, Oak, Raisins, Chocolate, Pepper Great stuff but feel it is underwhelming compared to its potential and price. Had this side by side with Glengoyne 25 and found the Glengoyne 25 to be better.

I tasted this blind (THANK YOU LEE!!)...and my original guess was " over 15 years of age, probably 20-25, because it's so silky smooth. Either a Speysider or Highlander. Stewed fruits, red fruits. Port finish because of the color". I was dead wrong on the port finish...little did I know I was tasting a rarity. ( and to think I was having this casually while playing Ticket to Ride with my 8 year old). Just sheer elegance from start to finish...incredible experience. I wouldn't have the means to buy this, so it makes it that much more memorable, thanks to Lee!

This whiskey truly is a piece of history. I was waiting for a special occasion to drink it and it turned out to be a regular night at the house. The nose pits off sweet, spicy citrus at first with a little vanilla and some other fruit. Add water and the nose opens up with heavy raisins and oatmeal. The palate was chewy and fruity with most notes of raisins and slight spicy wood and vanilla. The finish was oh so smooth and the chewy, sweet raisin-oatmeal remained.