Joining Macallan’s excellent Sherry Oak range is the 2022 release of its huge 18 year old single malt! Following annual tradition, this expression has been matured in a number of hand-picked sherry-crossed oak casks from Jerez, and boasts all the deliciously fruity, spicy character that makes The Macallan’s whiskeys so special.
Nose: Dried fruit and ginger with hints of vanilla and cinnamon.
Taste: Soft and rich with hints of spice, cloves, orange and toasted mature oak.
Finish: Lingering with dried fruits, ginger and orange peel.
It may be hard to imagine today, but for much of the 20th century Macallan was primarily a component malt in blends. It wasn’t until the market downturn of the 1980s that the distillery decided to focus on its single malt brand. Coincidentally, this coincided with the peak of a wave of enthusiasm for the high quality releases that the distillery had licensed to Campbell, Hope & King and Gordon & MacPhail in the 1960s and 1970s. These are still some of the most collectible items on the market. While global single malt sales are still led by Speyside neighbors Glenfiddich and Glenlivet, Macallan is easily the most sought after. So much so, in fact, that they had to open a brand new distillery in 2018, an underground architectural masterpiece in the Easter Elchie estate, with 36 copper pot stills.
Macallan vintage releases produced by Campbell, Hope & King tended to be aged around the 15-year mark, but when Macallan took over in 1980, they toyed with a few releases with more advanced 17- and 18-year age ratings. The latter was considered to be the optimal maturation and the official 18-year-old was launched in 1984. It is now an absolute classic in the whiskey world.
This version of the 18-year-old was the first to debut a new packaging style since 2006, when the long-standing shiny purple box was retired the previous year. This now joined the classic 12 year old expression as part of the Sherry Oak Cask strain of the Macallan core range. As of 2016, Macallan 18-year-old has opted to indicate the year of release rather than the vintage of the whiskey on its label.
