Macallan 18 year old Sherry Oak review

Macallan 18YO Sherry Oak is an okay whisky but it was bit of a small disappointment for me. That’s because I tasted it very early, while starting my “whisky tasting career”. Nowadays I already know, what kind of whiskys I might like. Back then, when I tasted this, Macallan 18 yrs was just a famous brand and a old supposedly great single malt.

Macallan 18 yrs Sherry Oak is smooth like a whisky that old should be. But for my taste, it is a bit dull. And the same thing has happened with other Macallans as well. It’s weird how all of their sherry oak range is just too plain, but distilleries like Glenfarclas or GlenDronach offer much more with their sherry finished drams.

AVATAR in a sherry cask

This Macallan experience was like the movie Avatar. Which was great in a silver screen in 3D, but when seen on TV, not that exciting. Macallan 18YO looks good and even feels good at first, especially tasting it in a whisky community, like I did. That’s where all the brand hype gets even more exciting. But the lack of character makes it fall short. Kinda like Avatar lacked in the script.

Too bad, but this dram is inside-outside Avatar.

Nose: Toffee and sherry offer the main event. Hints of alcohol saturated dried fruits.

Taste: Very soft with bit of a creamy palate. Wee spices and dried fruits on the background.

Finish: Fruits and spices with some oak. Smooth and medium length.

Balance: Smooth, nicely in balance but no character. Easy to drink but lame. Continues my bad “track record” with Macallan. It just isn’t a distillery for me.

Colour: Young Sauternes
Nose: 20 | Taste: 20 | Finish: 19 | Balance: 20
Overall score: 79

Distillery: Macallan
Region: Speyside
ABV: 43%