Macallan Oscuro

Alright, this is the final drink... Out of the 12 samples provided by a friend, this is by far the most expensive. Around $900 USD. To make things interesting, I compared it against Bunnahabhain and Glendronach 18 year old samples. How did it stack up overall and against the others? First, the Bunnahabhain... wow. Usually, for me, spirits get a bit better with time in the bottle, then decline after too long. This one just kept improving and stayed great. If you like raisins, sultanas, and Christmas pudding flavors, this is for you. Easily a 4.5. It's no wonder bottles are incredibly rare and expensive. Next, the Glendronach 18. So much toffee. I thought 3 bottles wasn't enough and I needed to buy another. Update: I did, and now have 5, which is significant for me as I'm usually a minimalist! Third, the Macallan. Interestingly, I have to admit I mixed up the samples (to be fair, I've had 7 drinks already:-)) and thought this was the Bunnahabhain 18. While writing the review, I declared I would rank this among the top 1% of spirits I've tried, giving it a 4.75. Then I was almost upset at how easily it broke my.5 rating scale from first to later tastes. I initially rated it a 4, which was after a 7-spirit tasting flight that ended with a spicy curry snack – never again during a tasting session as it ruined my palate, but I was extremely hungry then... Except it wasn't the Bunna 18, it was the Oscuro. Wow, this is an incredibly fine spirit. It truly is perfection in a glass. Both the Bunnahabhain and Glendronach come close, but this one is flawless from start to finish, and they couldn't match it. Not only that, but it's so perfectly balanced and full of flavor – a tribute to the art of cask blending. Oh, what this brand could have been if people hadn't ruined its availability and accessibility. Okay, a HUGE, BIG thank you to a friend for the amazing journey of spirits. Drum roll please.....the order of all spirits is: 1) Macallan Oscuro 4.75 2) Red Spot 4.5 3) Compass Box Stranger and Stranger 4.5 4) Ardbeg Galileo 4.25 to 4.5 5) Knob Creek CS Rye 2010 4.25 (if you like cherry flavor add.5 to rating) 6) Laphroaig Cairdeas Amontillado 4 7) Lagavullin 11 Nick Offerman 3.75 8) Laphroaig 2010 Master Edition 3.75 9) Corriemhor 8 yr Cigar Reserve 3.5 10) Glen Scotia Campbeltown Malt Fest 2018 Ruby Port Finish 3.5 11) Mortlach 15 year 3.5 12) Serendipity 12 year 3.5 And that's it. Hands down the most awesome and diverse tasting I've ever experienced (excluding the massive 80-spirit, 10-hour, 2-day 2018 tasting event, of course, which is now only 5 days away for the 2020 event:-)). P.S. What's good value for money? Knob Creek. If you like that flavor profile, buy it. It's the bourbon equivalent of a brand known for not compromising on quality or overcharging.

Does one need to spend $900 on a Macallan to achieve this quality? It appears so. The Macallan Oscuro is a premium travel retail exclusive presented in a huge box, and the bottle itself is a work of art. This alone might justify the cost, because the liquid inside offers the same excellent flavors found in a Glendronach that sells for $250. That said, displaying this bottle in your collection could provide the prestige you desire, but for someone like myself, a simple drinker, I'll stick with some more affordable yet still wonderful drams. The Macallan Oscuro is indeed a pleasant whisky, crafted from a blend of Macallan whiskies from 1987 and 1997. It was matured in oloroso sherry casks, which impart its very dark color (meaning 'dark' in Spanish), and it was bottled at 46.5% ABV. Its aroma, taste, and lingering finish are comparable to a high-end Glendronach (21 years or older). Ha! That's my best description. Let's get down to specifics: Nose: chocolate, subtle sugar, milk powder, coffee, aged oranges, toffee, dulce de leche; there's a sweet sugary cinnamon and fig character present. Palate: more chocolate, toffee, pepper; it brings to mind any sherry butt Glendronach single cask bottling; a slightly bitter and citrusy aged orange note. Finish: quite interesting; some spices emerge, possessing a mineral-like quality. Oak spice and notes of dark chocolate. Overall, this is a flawless dram. One that you should certainly acquire for less money. I understand one might be paying for the incredible, stunning bottle and the brand recognition, but it would be unfair to claim this isn't a perfect dram, because it is. 100/100; cheers, friends!

The definition of Sherry. Incredibly smooth. No unnecessary complexities here. It smells of raw Sherry cask, lightly filtered, and the taste is a superb illustration of a Sherry. If you needed to convey the aroma of a Sherry whiskey to someone, this would be an excellent, albeit costly, method. If left undisturbed without palate cleansing, a hint of soft wood emerges. Enjoyed with a friend.

Notes of cocoa and cardamom, with a touch of apple. Melts on your tongue like the smoothest chocolate, with hints of raisin and oak. Finishes quite dry, with some oak tannins and a whisper of woodsmoke.

It's quite difficult to justify the cost of this Macallan, which, frankly, isn't superior to other whiskies at a much lower price point, nor is it better than other Macallans.

Smells of cocoa and cream, with notes of chocolate, vanilla cream, and spice cake on the tongue.