Macallan 18 Year Sherry Oak Single Malt Scotch
Macallan · The Macallan Distillery
The Macallan 18 Sherry Oak is the definitive expression of what sherry cask maturation can achieve — each year of aging leaving its mark on the spirit like notations charred into oak. This is a whisky of remarkable complexity and poise, where cask selection is elevated to an art form. For the theme of marks that matter, few bottles make a more eloquent case that the vessel shapes the soul.
Nose
Intensely rich dried fruit — raisins, figs, and candied orange peel — unfolds over a foundation of oloroso sherry and dark chocolate. Warm gingerbread spice and polished oak add depth, while a whisper of woodsmoke lingers beneath the sweetness. The sherry influence is unmistakable, a signature mark of eighteen years in hand-selected casks.
Palate
Full-bodied and luxuriously textured, the palate opens with baked apple, cinnamon, and dried apricot before moving into layers of dark toffee, toasted walnut, and bitter orange marmalade. Clove and nutmeg spice build steadily, balanced by a thread of vanilla custard and a subtle nuttiness that speaks to the extended sherry maturation.
Finish
Extraordinarily long and warming, with lingering notes of espresso, dried fig, and gently charred oak that slowly gives way to a final flourish of dark chocolate and sweet pipe tobacco.
- Region
- Speyside
- Cask Type
- Oloroso sherry-seasoned European and American oak casks
- Peat Level (PPM)
- Unpeated
- Distillation
- Double distilled in copper pot stills — small, curiously shaped spirit stills that promote a rich, oily new make
- Maturation
- Exclusively matured for a minimum of 18 years in hand-selected oloroso sherry-seasoned oak casks from Jerez, Spain
- Chill-Filtered
- No
Cocktail Suggestion
The Charred Notation — 2 oz Macallan 18 Sherry Oak · 0.5 oz Pedro Ximénez sherry · 2 dashes orange bitters · 1 dash Angostura bitters · Stir over ice, strain into a coupe, garnish with a flamed orange peel
Food Pairing
A dense, bittersweet dark chocolate torte topped with candied orange zest and a light dusting of sea salt mirrors the whisky's sherry-driven richness, while the citrus brightens the pairing and the salt amplifies the oak-driven tannins.
The Macallan's obsessive commitment to sourcing the finest oloroso sherry-seasoned casks from Jerez — each one leaving its indelible notation on the spirit within — has made this 18-year expression the benchmark against which all sherry-matured Scotch is measured.
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