Macallan 1989 Duncan Taylor

Macallan 15 Year Old Fine Oak

I've been on a recent quest of collecting Macallans ever since I met (and interviewed) their highly likable whisky maker Bob Dalgarno. And the real reason I truly appreciate the Fine Oak series is because I know first-hand what goes into creating these exceptional whiskies. The Macallan nose is what Speyside is built on and this 15 year old stays...

Score 89/100

Macallan 1964 25 Year Old

This is wonderful! The first thing I smelled was the freshly torched sugar on creme brulee, with vanilla and slight licorice?? lavender??? -- I am having a hard time placing it exactly-- scent. Also, reminiscent of pancakes with butter and maple syrup on a sunny Sunday morning. The sipping went to syrupy and strong with light smoke and caramel,...

Score 97/100

Macallan 25 Year Old 1976 Silver Seal

This is a so-called ‘First Bottling’ by Silver Seal, already put out in 2001 and by now almost extinct. I see it at auctions from time to time, but it fetches a whopping 700 to 1.000 euros. So I count my blessings with having received a sample from my friend Enrico. Wonderful, dark and sweet nose on old sherry, leather, cigar box and laurel. There...

Score 90/100

Macallan 12 Year Old Sherry Oak

Reviews of Macallan 12 yo Sherry Oak are all over the map, and so are my experiences with it. I’m either underwhelmed by its too-sharp tannins and younger-than-its-years booziness, or I’ve enjoyed its nicely rich sherry/malty/fruity sweetness. Maybe it depends on the neutrality of my palate. This is my first dram of the night after not having...

Score 86/100