This is my favorite of the three. For about $20 more, you get a richer, much more complex whisky than the 10 year old, and it is more balanced than the 21 year old. This 15 is drier than the 10, with lovely floral and spice notes (cinnamon, coriander, dried orange peel, lavender, rose), balanced by honey-laced complex fruit, and a dry, dark chocolate/orange marmalade finish.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Spring 2005)

Like previous releases, this was matured in sherry-seasoned oak casks. Jaffa oranges, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and dried fruits on the nose, plus warm leather. The palate is rich and spicy, with more orange, vanilla, and burning logs. Smoky sherry, ginger, dried fruits, and seasoned oak in the 
full finish.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Summer 2019)

Macallan’s 18 year old expression is, for me, the highlight of its regular sherried range. Deep amber in color. The nose is rich and heavily fruited: fruit cake, mulberry, a little moist gingerbread, the bloody depths of molasses. On the palate, dried fruits — more figgy than raisined — while the natural oiliness in the spirit balances the boisterous tannins from the European oak. A singed note on the finish (an extension of the molasses?) completes the picture. Balanced and complex.

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Fall 2011)

Initially, a fleeting aroma of farmyard, followed by furniture polish, spice, apple peel, and cocktail cherries. Smooth on the palate, with dried fruit, chewy oak, raisins, and more cocktail cherries. Spicy dark berries, ginger, and licorice in the finish.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Fall 2020)

Dark mahogany with ruby glints and a green rim. Lots of highly-polished oak as we move out of the woods and into a silent country estate. Wax polish and masses of whisky rancio. Sherry-soaked oak, dry leaves, currants, and ripe blackberry. Highly concentrated, but the fruits push their way through only lightly-resisting tannins. There’s a hint of smoke and Seville orange bitterness on the finish. My pick of the quartet. Excellent. 285 bottles.

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Fall 2012)

The third release in Macallan’s annual Edition series—which focuses on aspects of cask influence—was matured in a mix of European and American oak casks. Figs and apricot jam, vanilla, Jaffa oranges, and cinnamon on the nose. The palate is silky and offers a big citrus fruit hit, Bit-O-Honey, then creamy milk chocolate. Milk chocolate persists through the long, fruity finish, with attendant sweet oak.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Summer 2018)

Here is Macallan in full-blown masculine mode. Initially it seems tight and (sherry) cask driven, but soon you are taken into a winter kitchen with scents of venison, and appropriate rowanberry edges adding a sweet and sour fruitiness. That wild berry note is given another nudge by a whiff of burning juniper. The palate shows it to be thick with a quivering mass of black fruits, and a finish of molasses and licorice. A feast. £75

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Spring 2013)

Rooted in the earth and redolent of late autumn. There’s a plummy thread that runs through this range; here we’ve gone to prune, mixed with dried cherries, and a sweet/savory edge whose whiff of heavy rose petal is reminiscent of Barolo. Robust, yet sweet. Heady, like chocolate-covered Turkish Delight. The palate has oloroso notes alongside Assam-like tannins. One to have with water on the side. Classical in structure and aromatics, but that vinous sweetness is new. £120

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Spring 2013)

Two oaks are better than one in this single malt, which marries whiskies matured in sherry-seasoned casks of both American and European oak. The sherry imparts aromas of raisins, figs, hazelnuts, blanched almonds, candied orange peel, and leather. A backbone of vanilla sweetness on the palate supports layers of ginger and white pepper, dark chocolate, leather, raisins, toasted hazelnuts, and orange oil. This Macallan joins the core line between the Sherry Oak and Fine Oak ranges. Warming and rich without being syrupy, it doubles up on accessibility with its balance and remarkably affordable price for its quality and age. Number 17 in the 2017 Top 20 

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Winter 2017)

Seven types of European and American oak casks were used for maturation. Lively on the nose, with orange, malt, sherry, and sweet oak. Initially, a touch hot on the palate, with sherry and cloves, then toffee and vanilla, red apples, figs, and cocoa. The finish is medium to long, with spicy sherry.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Fall 2018)

On more familiar ground with this G&M bottling of one of Speyside’s most iconic single malts, this is Macallan in full-on sherried form. Highly aromatic with powdered clove, hints of incense and fig, behind which is cacao, Bolivar cigar, and molasses. The palate has immediate smoke and surprisingly gentle tannins — the inherent oiliness of the spirit keeping any grip at bay. Very long, leathery, prune-like (think armagnac), and dense. A classic after-dinner mouth-filler.

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Winter 2011)

This straddles the existing Sherry Oak and Fine Oak ranges by being a mix of spirit matured in both European and American oak sherry casks. Earthy sherry and old leather on the nose, with toffee, polished oak, and cherry blossom. Medium to full-bodied, with sherry, orange, cocoa, nutty vanilla, and developing wood spices on the honeyed palate. The finish is creamy, with insistent spices, cocoa, and tangy oak.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2017)

This limited release was aged in seven cask types—both American and European oak in a variety of sizes—from four Spanish bodegas: Vasyma, Diego Martin, Jose Miguel Martin, and Tevasa. Citrus fruits, ginger, black pepper, light smoke, and rubbery leather on the nose. Ultimately, carnations. The palate is rich, nutty, and sweet, with malt, toffee, sticky sherry, maraschino cherries, milk chocolate, and gentle spice. Long in the finish, with spices and creamy cocoa.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2017)

Antique amber color. Aromas of toffee and malt, with interwoven dried fruit, flowers, and spices-a real potpourri. Rich, lush body. Rich flavors of toffee, wood resin spices, and citrus, finishing with notes of malt, toffee, and a hint of leather and smoke.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Summer 2003)

This is like a blast from the past, with much in common with the sherried Cask Strength of old, and a welcome treat for any fan of the big, sherried Macallans. All the red berry and blood orange notes are present on the nose, along with cocoa and a dusty smokiness. The palate is full, velvety and chewy, with Christmas cake, oranges, and some nuttiness. Nutmeg and cinnamon fill out the mouth feel, before a long and classic sherried finish.

Reviewed by: Dominic Roskrow (Spring 2011)

Initially, this is Macallan in effusive Willy Wonka mood, with lots of toffee, chocolate, greengage, and light oiliness. The aroma thickens with water, and with it a more serious mien: brogues buffed to a high sheen. The palate is equally rich and layered, with cereal, black cherry, discreet oak. A complex mix, as befits a gentleman’s dram that every gentleman should have. £95

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Winter 2013)

Deep gold color. Fragrant, floral aroma, with a potpourri of dried spices, especially vanilla and nutmeg. Creamy texture. Flavors of creamy vanilla and caramel, becoming dry with subtle spices and just a hint of fruit.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Fall 2000)

Even drier and expressing more of the complex floral and spice notes found in the 15 year old. However, by the time the whisky reaches mid-palate, the dried fruits, dried spices, and general wood notes become prominent, preventing the whisky from revealing other sides of its usually multi-faceted personality. It’s still a very fine whisky, but not as good as the 15, regardless of price.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Spring 2005)