The Macallan 18 Year Sherry Oak Single Malt Scotch Whisky

After the barley is harvested in late August and early September, it is malted before being mashed in one of The Macallan's two mash tuns, a process that takes between four and eight hours. Then, the barley is fermented with a specially cultured yeast before being distilled twice through The Macallan's copper-pot stills. The copper comprising the stills acts as a catalyst, and enhances the formation of sweet esters while minimizing impurities such as sulphur. In addition, the curiously small stills — some of "the smallest stills within the Scotch whisky industry," according to production manager Alexander Tweedie — produce a whisky with a heavy, oily flavor.

Following distillation, The Macallan distillers remove the heads and tails of the whisky and collect approximately 16% of the spirit to fill into casks for maturation. This "cut," which is among the highest of any Scottish distillery, results in a more full-bodied and and rich whisky.

Macallan 18 Year Old Sherry Oak Single Malt Scotch Whisky is aged for nearly two decades in a combination of sherry-seasoned Spanish oak and sherry-seasoned American oak casks. The Macallan takes great care to source, craft, season and care for these casks, as they account for approximately 60% of the final aromas and flavors of the whisky, according to a study commissioned by the distillery.

The Macallan 18 Year Old Sherry Oak Single Malt Scotch Whisky received a rating of 92 points from Wine Enthusiast, which called it, “Balanced and complex.”

Tasting Notes

As a result of the sherry-casks, The Macallan 18 Year Old Sherry Oak Single Malt Scotch Whisky has an aroma of dried fruits and ginger root, along with notes of vanilla and cinnamon. The palate is bursting with orange citrus and clove, as well as a very subtle wood smoke, and leads an elegant finish filled with toffee, oak, almonds and dried mangos.

Proof 86 (43% ABV)