OB 12yo 43% sherry matured - Macallan

[Ganga]

This is a newer bottling bought in early 2008

Glass: Glencairn

Nose: toffee, nuts, oranges, some apple pie wafts by *
Palate: oranges, caramel, cinnamon, sulfate gives it a sort of flat spot in the palate
Finish: long warming, with cinnamon caramel covered fruits

Still a favorite.

* After awhile of sitting here, the apples are more like freshly sliced apples with some rising dough.

[Ryguy]

Glass: Large Snifter

Nose: Sweet fruit and some spice.
Palate: Oranges with some spices too.
Finish: Fruity, spicey, oranges and a whisp of wood smoke in the finish.

[TheTross]

Nose: Heavy sherry and dark mint-chocolate. Malty and spicy. A little earthy? Definitely a little sulphur. Honey and faintly creamy. Also a touch grassy and herby (basil). Blackcurrants and coffee. The sulphur disappears after a while.

Palate: Slightly oily. Not as sherried as the nose suggests, but it still makes its presence felt. Honeyed. Malty, with some citrus. Spices and dark fruit. A little chocolate.

Finish: Very spicy (cinnamon, aniseed) and well-sherried, with some malt, grass and herbs and a little caramel.


Beautiful. Everything about this is just beautiful, with a hugely complex nose, well-balanced palate and an incredibly spicy finish that lasts for ages. Most will be glad that the sulphur on the nose soon fades, but I actually like it there... in either case, this is just brilliant whisky.

[roadrunner]

color: dark amber.

nose: intense sherry, rich wood; spicy fruit, cinnamon. a citrus note working in the background. slight sulphuric note, but not unpleasant.

palate: mellow sherry with hints of wood in the arrival. spices in the development; spiced fruits (apples and pears). the finish is sherry, fruit and wood, almost like a quick recap of all the flavors.

this macallan is very smooth and drinkable, as expected. you can smell and taste the age of this whisky, as well as quality. all of the components work well together. this is a damn good whisky if one is looking for something mellow and without any big surprises. it's definitely middle of the road accessible, but that's what macallan is striving for.

with water:

nose: less compacted: lighter sherry, wood and vanilla; engaging spices and spiced fruit again.

palate: not as sherry influenced. distant notes of spices and fruit and wood; vanilla, and also a touch of cinnamon.

[jwise]

I had a 750ml bottle of Mac 12yr Sherry Oak last year, where I sampled it many times, never really "taking" to it. I ended up sharing it around quite a bit, giving away probably 2/3rds of the bottle. I never wrote a review on it, and frankly, I couldn't remember what it tasted like, or why I didn't really care for it. So, a year (and many malts) later, I picked up a 50ml miniature to re-taste it. Here are my notes:

The Macallan 12yr Sherry Oak is a whisky that has been exclusively matured in sherry oak casks from Jerez, Spain for 12 years. It is bottled at 43%.



Nose: After pouring the dram, and before sitting down to write, I caught wafts of the nice sherry sweetness one would expect from a whisky matured 100% in sherry casks. Oh yeah... Sherry, honey, vanilla, hint of oak, and some hints of cinnamon.

Body: Pretty decent mouth feel. Medium.

Palate: Lightly sweet on the tongue. Brown sugar. Caramel. This is pretty good. Some spice coming out.

Finish: Long finish. Sherry comes back, but not intensely. Some spicy, peppery notes.

I am quite enjoying this dram. I am seriously considering buying a 750ml of this. It is good. I'm going to have to compare it more closely with my favorite sherried whiskies: Aberlour 12yr & 16yr. This bottle goes for around $45 in these parts, right in between the Aberlour 12yr and 16yr. This profile is one of my favorites: sweet & spicy.

It appears I am eating a bit of crow. The 12yr and 18yr were too subtle for me last year, but I am really enjoying this now.