Macallan 12 Year Old Sherry Oak

When I had my first SMSW tasting, one of the expressions was The Macallan 12 Fine Oak. Not overly impressed (because the tasting was accompanied by an HP18 that overshadowed everything else), the Fine Oak was not a bottle I wanted in the near future but it was a formidable intro to The Macallan brand.

I did however want and need a representative in my stash of the often mentioned "Sherry Bomb" that I kept reading about. There were so many choices, so many Macallan's, which to choose from?

Because of the sentimental attachment I had developed with The Macallan from my first tasting, and because of reviews I've read in this forum and in the Jim Murray 2011 Whisky Bible, the choice narrowed to The Macallan 12 YO Sherry.

• Taste tested neat in a 12 oz. snifter, hand warmed and thought thru for approx. 30 minutes.

Nose: Macerated dried fruit and raisins, creamy caramels with of course sweet sherry on top of oak.

Palate: The sherry leads the way followed by sweet, fruity dessert tucked within a lightly oiled and smooth bite.

Finish: A somewhat sophisticated withdrawal as the sherry and oak slowly drift off as a little peppery burn follows with an even, slow fade.

Balance: Really an enjoyable dram with all the delicious flavors discovered and enjoyed from nose to finish.

This is a bottle to break out when with good company or when in the mood to retreat into self imposed solitary along with a good whisky book.

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