Macallan Select Oak

The Macallan Select Oak is offered in the Duty Free range and thus comes in a 1 litre bottle – it costs around 60 EUR. The Select Oak is a marriage of whisky matured on three types of casks: American oak, bourbon casks and first fill European oak, all of them infused with sherry. According to the PR blurb the casks were handpicked by Macallan’s Master of Wood George Espie.

The nose is sweet and clean on vanilla and ginger, followed by new leather and mashmallows. A tiny bit of coconut. Dried fruits, I would say. Something of nougat with some raisins. Far from bad, but not a high flyer either.

The arrival is rather weak, almost watery. The oak is a bit louder with all kinds of spices (ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon), while the fruit evolves towards the candied version as in a Christmas cake. Some almonds and orange peel. Cherries, maybe? Hint of cold coffee.

The finish is not terribly long on nuts and toasted oak. It remains fairly sweet, but becomes mildly drying at the death.

To say this is a great Macallan? No. It is far from bad, but rather ordinary. Easily quaffable, though.

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