The Macallan 10 year old Fine Oak Whisky

Today I look at something from Macallan, the Macallan 10 year old Fine Oak single malt Scotch whisky. The Macallan distillery is a single malt whisky distillery in Craigellachie, Moray.

The Macallan Distillers Ltd is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Edrington Group. Even though Macallan is located right in the middle of the Speyside region, it’s not labelled as such.

Craigellachie falls outside of the defined “Speyside ward” boundaries as defined by the Scotch Whisky Regulations. Our bottle of The Macallan 10 year old Fine Oak whisky denotes that it is a Highland single malt.

The name Macallan is most likely derived from two Gaelic words, ‘Magh’ meaning a fertile piece of ground and ‘ellan’, meaning ‘of St Fillan’. He was an Irish-born monk who travelled widely in Scotland, spreading Christianity during the eighth century.

The River Spey, one of Scotland’s most famous salmon rivers, borders the Macallan Estate to the south and south-east. The Macallan Estate lies in an area of outstanding natural beauty. Initially, The Macallan releases were matured in ex-sherry casks brought to the distillery from Jerez, Spain.

During 2004, The Macallan introduced a new product range, the Fine Oak series. These whiskies are aged in ex-bourbon oak casks as well as ex-sherry casks. This range has been around for a few years now and seems to have weathered the storm it caused when it was first released.

According to John Hansell, quoted in the Malt Advocate Magazine, “The Fine Oak range is more approachable, and has the potential to be embraced by a greater percentage of whisky drinkers cutting back on the sherry reveals more of the Macallan spirit, which is first-class.”

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Macallan 10 year old Single Malt Whisky Review

REGION: Highland

ABV: 43%.

COLOUR: The Macallan 10 year old has a light golden colour and is an  oily whisky. The official colour description is ‘pale straw’. The long fingers on the inside of the glass point to a lot of potential.

NOSE: The first impression upon nosing the whisky is honey sweetness, oak and spice. There are notes of florals and fruit and faint hints of cereal and barley in the background. The Macallan nose is complex and crisp.

PALATE: Quite spicy without adding water. There are hints of vanilla and caramel. Water smooths the spirit and releases soft notes of butter and florals. The 10 yo has an abundance of oak notes mixed with flowers and fruit. It is a delicate whisky, and the palate is not too complex. The nose hinted at a bit more complexity and body.

FINISH: A dry medium-length finish that ends in notes of oak and leather. There are hints of spice at the end.

RATING: VERY GOOD

The nose on the Macallan 10 year old whisky promised more than what the palate delivered. I was hoping for something bolder. Sadly, I think this Highland whisky is a bit nondescript. Still, an easy-drinking whisky and a great addition to our collection. Which Macallan is your favourite?

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