Macallan 10 Years Sherry Oak Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Macallan Sherry Oak

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Region: Speyside

Age:  10 Years 

Alcohol: 40%

Date: 29/04/2012

Colour: Pale Gold/Sauternes

Nose: Light. First impressions are Toffee, Malt, Oak and some Sherry. Buttered Toast with Orange - or Apricot Marmalade. Apple Pie with Cinnamon. Very light Peat.

Taste: Sherry is a bit more present now. Toffee, Baked Apple. Nuts and Butter. Very light Spices.

Finish: Middle Long. Sweet at first with Sherry, Honey, Toffee, Sultanas and Cinnamon but dry towards the end with Oak, Malt and hints of Ginger.

I added a few drops of water and you get more Apple Pie and some Floral Notes on the Nose. On the Palate this Malt becomes slightly bitter and the Finish does not benefit as well. Better drink this Macallan straight although you can experiment with a few drops while Nosing.

Rating: 84 

Nose: 21 - Taste: 21 – Finish: 21 – Overall: 21

General Remarks: This Single Malt matures exclusively in Sherry Oak Casks from Jerez in Spain. The Macallan Distillery was one of the pioneers in Sherry Cask Single Malts.

Drinking Experience Straight: Good

Conclusion: I’d heard a lot of good things about this Single Malt. It was supposed to be the Single Malt against which all others would be measured. I don’t agree with that. I find this Single Malt to be too dominated by Toffee /Caramel. I would have expected more influence of the Oloroso Casks but apparently getting good Sherry Casks is difficult and/or expensive these days. This Macallan could also do with a bit more of the Floral Tones that very good Speysiders offer. It’s certainly an enjoyable Single Malt but it does not deserve its fame. Maybe it was great once but today I would qualify it as merely good.

Jan van den Ende                                                           April 2012