If you have ever read my blog before, you know I am a fan of The Macallan. So I try to be fair and not give biased reviews of their drams. It is hard though when you start to like the brand itself... (a note to marketers out there)I was looking for a different taste than my other Macallan's so I figured a nice traditional oak cask would do the trick. If I didn't mention this before, Macallan is a Speyside Distillery and they are known for their very small stills. Instead of going with bigger stills, they decided on making more small stills. They claim it keeps the flavour more consistent and they tout a very selective "cut". The 10 Year Fine Oak is triple matured in an American Oak, a sherry oak, and a Bourbon oak cask. This should create a very complex smokey, sweet, and honey like drink. So, here we go!
Color: It is a pale straw like yellow, very light and pilsner like
Nose: it has a floral, heather like nose with lots of honey and a spicy citrus, like a spiced apple cider, very small hint of smoke
Palate: a gingery fruit taste with the traditional honey of the oak casks, but there is the smokey Bourbon taste towards the end
Finish: the drink itself leaves a smokey citrus for a long smooth finish, was great with a sweet cigar
It was a sort of watery Scotch, but it made its presence known the second it hit your tongue. The tingle starts and then your mouth is filled with a great medley of smooth flavour. Nothing too crazy here, just well behaved and balanced. I really liked this whisky. I know it may be due to my bias, but I don't care. It is a little sweet, a little floral, a little honey like, a little smokey, and a lot Macallan! I give this a 7.5 of 10.
Questions for YOU: What is your favorite Mac?
