When my father asked me to select a bottle for myself as a gift, the immediate choice was any bottle produced by The Macallan. Seemingly incapable of producing a bad bottle, even the inexperienced cannot make a bad selection with this simple criterion in mind. To my delight I ended up with a bottle of The Macallan Fine Oak 15 Year Old.
The Fine Oak's Golden Promise barley yields a rich straw colour. Aged in three casks (Spanish Oak Sherry, American Oak Sherry, and American Oak Bourbon) the Fine Oak 15 expression is the majestically refined definition of how great Scotch ought to taste.
On immediate nosing, orange peel and a hint of cinnamon and vanilla are present. After opening and perhaps with a splash of water, aromas of hot sawdust, mild coconut, dried fruits and citrus are a wonderful treat and worth the wait. Novice scotch drinkers will appreciate the lack of alcoholic heat. Peat and smoke are all but completely absent.
The Fine Oak 15 does not aim to overwhelm or confuse the pallet. Rich chocolate and hints of orange and raisin are present. The bottle's medium viscosity leads to a smooth mouth feel, though not velvety.
The bottle finishes up with lingering mild acidic heat, chocolate, and vanilla. Masterfully dominating the breadth and depth of its aromas and flavors, the Fine Oak 15 is a superb expression of The Macallan's catalogue
It isn't every day that the authors of this blog get to indulge
in a model of perfection like the Lagavulin 16 year. This challenging, classic malt
is from one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland. Originating by the sea of
Islay, this single malt showcases the best that the region has to offer.
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