Macallan M

First, let's address the obvious question: why would anyone spend thousands of dollars on a bottle of whiskey? My brother and I were drawn to the idea of whiskey as an investment, witnessing bottles skyrocket in value, and decided to enter the market, choosing the reputable Macallan brand. We purchased this bottle together for a substantial $4,500, splitting it $2,250 each, hoping for a similar surge in value as seen with other Macallan releases. Unfortunately, our hopes weren't realized when Macallan decided to make this an annual release after the initial launch. So, what does a savvy investor do when their investment remains stagnant in value after many years? They open it, shed a few tears, and drink the contents. Before delving into the liquid itself, the whiskey arrives in a massive box designed like a magician's prop, featuring mirrored surfaces to showcase the bottle. A convenient drawer beneath the bottle reveals the decanter's actual crystal stopper, accessible after removing the silver-capped cork. The bottle is a Lalique crystal decanter with six facets, symbolizing Macallan's six pillars. It's heavy enough to serve as a formidable weapon against any burglar. Now, regarding the liquid: the nose offers notes of very aged oak, akin to entering a high-end furniture store with polished oak, leather, ginger, cinnamon, a subtle hint of peat, dark chocolate, and rich, ripe dark fruits like figs, cherries, and plums. The taste is exceptionally viscous, similar to a tawny port but less sweet. It coats the tongue like dark maple syrup, bursting with cherries, plums, raisins, dark chocolate, and cinnamon. A light peat and the aged oak envelop your palate, bordering on an over-steeped black tea, which can sometimes overwhelm very old whiskies. However, in this instance, it recedes just before the finish, leaving a lingering taste of dark cherry, figgy pudding, dark chocolate, and old polished oak for several minutes. Would I recommend this bottle to anyone? No. It's likely intended as a collector's item or for the extremely affluent. The whiskey itself is unbelievable, but the price is equally outrageous. My brother has the trophy decanter and magic box at his place and keeps the decanter filled with something more budget-friendly, like Wild Turkey 101.

This 2018 bottling is absolutely incredible and legendary. It was matured in seven barrels, including one dating back to the 1940s. Abundant dark fruit, nuts, aged oak spices, and berries with a whisper of honey. Nose: Raisins, Blood Oranges, Ginger, Christmas Cakes, Prunes, Figs, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cranberries, Strawberries, Licorice, Nutella, Luxardo Cherries, Honey Palate: Raisins, Toffee, Cloves, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cranberries, Tobacco, Leather, Honey, Dark Chocolate, Walnuts, Christmas Cakes, Gingerbread, Blackberries, Mocha Finish: Raspberries, Dates, Luxardo Cherries, Prunes, Nutella, Cloves, Cinnamon, Tobacco, Dusty Library Shelves, Smoke, Almond Cookies

My buddy had a bottle at his bachelor party, and I tried it mixed with coke. It was terrible; there's a strange smoky element that clashes badly.

Sampled this at Tales! It was delicious, though I anticipated a bit more complexity. It strikes me as somewhat one-dimensional.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this exceptional, historic spirit! Cheers!

Appreciate the review... Eager to try this