Macallan Fine Oak 21 Year

Here I sit, staring lovingly at this bottle that I originally opened back in April at Whiskyfest DC to share with my pals, two friends, in our hotel room bottle share. I brought the bottle home, poured a few more samples for friends on my mailing list, and other than that the remains of this bottle have sat, unopened, ever since. 3 months of dust on the outside of the bottle and oxidation inside. I gotta get back inside this one. Now, I’ve had bottles of the 10, 15 and 17 year Fine Oak and found them all to be very good. The biggest discrepancy is the cost increase involved in going from the 15 to the 17- it was about $130. It wasn’t worth it. Both of those were 4 star drams, there just wasn’t of an enough increase in quality over those 2 years to justify doubling the price point. Cue this 21 year old- it’s $200 higher than the 17, at $425. Is it worth it? Well, to be blunt- hell yes it is! This is bottled at a standard 43% ABV and is a beautiful orange, gold in the taster. Big, thick and oily legs run down the Glencairn- teasing you like the most athletic stripper you’ve ever slid a fiver under her garter belt. Healthy droplets of water form after a minute or so- this has been blended down a bit. Why Macallan, why? The nose is so delicious. Dried, red berries and chocolate covered orange wedges, vanilla and caramel creme candies and the most luscious, sherry cask notes I think I’ve experienced in a Macallan. Even more so than the Rare Cask. The depth here is mind-blowing. I could nose this one until it evaporated away. Even some wood notes creep in if you keep your nose down in there. Incredible. The palate brings tropical fruits to a level that would make even the most fruity, Caribbean-island mixed drinks jealous. Orange marmalade, brown sugar, vanilla and more sweet sherry notes dance together almost too perfectly. It’s thick and oily on the tongue and actually felt like it stuck to my tongue at one point. The complexity with the wood tannins and slight ABV heat reel you back in and remind you you’re drinking whisky. It’s that instant that I think I fell in love with this dram. The finish is medium length and surprisingly wood forward. Here’s all the casks making their presence known, forming what amounts to the perfect trifecta: fragrant nose, luscious palate and satisfying finish. That’s how a perfect whisky wins the day, my friends. When you find one that does all 3 so well, well I guess you should stop. I can’t stop because I clearly have a problem, lol. Overall, this is hands down the best Macallan I’ve had to this point- and I’ve had quite a few. I can only imagine what the 30 year Fine Oak might taste like, but the $3500 price point makes that a lottery winning purchase only for me. This one, however, gets 5 glorious stars! Find a bottle, buy a pour and experience this one for yourself. It’s worth every penny. Cheers.

Part of me hesitates to even review Macallan whisky due to their recent peculiar marketing and frankly baffling, ever-increasing prices. Macallan 21 triple cask or fine oak, or whatever they're labeling it now. So, this is sherry seasoned and bourbon seasoned, I believe. I've genuinely never heard of bourbon seasoning before. I'm unsure if it's simply cheaper or if they did it partly to avoid the char from a first-fill bourbon barrel. The whisky also comes in at a painfully low 43% ABV, so we can assume chill filtering and, generally, it will appear somewhat on the cheaper side. I think whisky drinkers should invent a term to accurately describe these extreme low-proof whisky expressions. Nose - I know it's not entirely sherry, but I'm getting sherry bomb-level amounts on the nose. Highly complex; when I first gently smell it, all I get is dark fruit and berries. When I investigate further, I start detecting vanilla, toasted oak, and baked bread. Taste - Vanilla, oak spice, a bit of berries and dark fruits (very light). Water enhances the vanilla and oak, diminishing the fruity flavors and erasing any hints of peat. Complex but extremely light, massively lacking in mouthfeel. Finish - There's actually a hint of peat and salt over vanilla on the finish. A touch of leather, and it does possess a nice oak whisky note; I'm not adept at describing that note, but I truly enjoy it. I paid $488, which I'm informed is becoming a "good deal." I'm undecided on the score. It's complex and has great flavors, but it's light, thin, and frankly so underproofed that it's seriously detracting from the experience. My scoring system: 5 stars - life-changing, the rarest of the rare 4 stars - essential, even if not your preference or a bit pricey 3 stars - a must-buy if within your budget or preferred style. Worth trying if it's slightly outside that range. 2 stars - good whisky, but not worth going out of your way for. Fine to have on the bar if it's well within your means. 1 star - this is a whisky you should probably skip if you're a connoisseur, but might be an okay starter or mixer. If it's cheap enough for you, there's nothing wrong with it; perhaps one to give to people you don't like much to save your better bottles. Less than 1 star - bad whisky, avoid even if free. I have to say the flavor scores a 3, the nose a 4.25, the finish a 3.75, and the mouthfeel a 0. For me, that totals 2.5. Mouthfeel matters GREATLY.

Here I am at my 300th tasting, and I was saving this bottle for the occasion. A while back in April of 2018 a friend opened this bottle when we were in DC for Whiskyfest. I took a sample home and decided long ago that it was for a milestone review. The Fine Oak series highlights high-quality casks and is matured three times in a mix of sherry-seasoned American and European oak and ex-bourbon American oak. I've had the 15 and 17-year-old Fine Oaks and thought they were...average and very overpriced. Let's see how the 21 does. Bottled at 43% ABV and is natural color of dark amber, and I believe it is chill filtered. The nose is rich, elegant, nutty sherry. Heavy raisins and honeyed dates, blackberries, chocolate, oranges, and chocolate oranges. Truly beautiful oak, brown sugar, molasses, and toffee. This is a genuinely fantastic nose. Sweet pipe tobacco, vanilla, and apricots. Caramel cream candies, hazelnut, walnuts, and Brazil nuts. Strong breakfast tea with a hint of mint. Very refined and perfectly aged. The palate has just the right amount of wood spice to awaken the senses. Pepper, nutmeg, and cloves. Tobacco, dark sherry, the kind of darker sherry that comes with great age, not young sherry full of much sweeter fruity notes. Vanilla cream and lots of caramel and hazelnuts. A light to medium-bodied mouthfeel that is lightly oily and mouthwatering. The finish is medium long with caramel chews, vanilla, sherry, and is fairly dry. When we had this in DC it was the clear winner of the night, and we had some impressive bottles that night, including Ardbeg 23, GlenDronach 21, and Bruichladdich Black Arts. Trying this again was a treat, but sadly did not carry the same magnificence it did then. The nose is still fantastic, but the palate was somewhat less than I recalled. In no way is it less than great, but that night it was a solid 5-star dram, now it is a 'mere' 4.5-4.75. Looking back on my bottle of GlenDronach 21 I think I would choose that one in a head-to-head. Same age, similar sherry profile, but the GD clocks in at 48% vs the Macallan's 43%, and its half the price. This Macallan Fine Oak 21 is like a low-yield sherry bomb. It won't saturate your senses with over-the-top sweetness like some other sherry bombs out there, but it more than gets the job done and still leaves you ready for more. This is exponentially greater than the 15 and 17-year expressions and is worthy of its moniker. Thanks for going all out friend, it was a real treat. Cheers

I never thought it would be this exceptional. This Macallan 21yo Fine Oak has overturned all my prior beliefs about this well-known distillery. An incredible, otherworldly dram, which I was fortunate to get a sample of. Later, I discovered the full bottle's price and immediately realized I might never taste this gem again. But I'm so pleased I had at least a sample to share my thoughts. Bottled at 43% ABV, tawny color. On the nose, the most fruity, elegant, and perfumed scent ever. It starts with blackberry marmalade, sweet plums, gooseberries. A faint, surrounding sawdust; very fruity. Dried fruits. Berries. Red fruits emerge after a minute. The fresh gooseberries have completely taken over the aroma. After the first sip, it revealed the most incredible date notes. A thick honey. After two sips, a fancy homemade toffee appeared. Simply incredible. The palate was one of the most delightful I've ever encountered in a whisky. Dulce de leche. Some white chocolate notes. Marvelous red wine; raisins. Classic Macallan sawdust. I love the honey and white chocolate in it. Some dried fruits and a faint saltiness. It's very well crafted. The third sip was incredibly sweet; the toffee here isn't your typical whisky caramel; this is top-tier craftsmanship. Some mixed feelings about the aftertaste. Dry woody finish. Oaky. A paper-like texture. Long-lasting peppery and ginger spice. Very elegant. For those who enjoy oaky finishes, this is the absolute best, though sadly I'm not a big fan of excessively oaked finishes, but I must acknowledge how good this one is. The spiciness is lovely. I have to set aside my personal preferences; this is truly astounding. Overall, this won't just be on my top ten list this year; it will undoubtedly be on the podium. I'm not a Macallan enthusiast; I'm actually a Macallan skeptic, but this one astonished me. I don't believe you can achieve this level of whisky greatness for a bottle costing under $400; perhaps at that price, some Glendronachs, Lagavulins, or Taliskers might reach it. Absolutely breathtaking; my rating is 100 out of 100.

NOSE: 92/100. Truly delightful. Fine oak is less impactful than sherry oak expressions. Very mellow, well-balanced, and layered. No single note dominates. However, notes of butterscotch, vanilla, apricots, and crème brûlée with passion fruit are present. A second sniff reveals orange zest and a hint of smoke. PALATE: 96/100. I exclaimed "WOW!" with this liquid, which cost more than a car payment, still in my mouth, and nearly spit it out. Sherry is immediately apparent, but it possesses far more character than the sherry oak. It's an absolute dancer on the palate, twirling and moonwalking. Guava and papaya, purely tropical and playful, lie behind the rich sherry. Bourbon sugar and citrus notes appear on the finish. Viscous and oily. Do not dilute.

Nose: ginger, orange zest, banana, juicy pear, creamy vanilla, spiced oak Palate: Sweet honey, gingerbread, vanilla, light caramel, orange rind, wood spice Finish: A lengthy finish featuring delightful fruits, citrus, and spice. This is a truly balanced and delicious whisky. I would be delighted with this at a $100 price point. But at six times that cost? Absolutely not, I would never purchase a bottle. The nose is lovely, showcasing the typical Macallan notes (ginger, citrus, oak), and the palate could be savored for days. The finish is nice and long with an oily texture and pleasant notes of fruit and light spice.