Macallan 15 yr Old Fine Oak

I have been getting to know Scotch over the past few years after my Dean re-gifted me a Chivas Regal 21 Year old bottle and it changed everything I knew about Scotch. A drank one tiny Chinese tea cup a night because it was really a luxury to me at that time. I shared it with people close because it is something really worth sharing particularly when a bottle is gifted to you. My colleague acutely described it as drinking essence of scotch and I hope you do get an opportunity to try this one, but from here I decided I would like to try a single malt scotch.

Why single malt? I didn't even know what a single malt was at the time. I just recalled in university a police officer made a joke that he liked single malts and if my fraternity wished to bribe him that would be the way to go, that or Cuban cigars. There was something about the look in his face as he mentioned single malt Scotch 18 years previous that made me think there might be something to it.

My first bottle was Macallan 12 yr and it was fantastic. Not quite the essence of the 21 year old Chivas, but smooth, rich, flavorful. Subtle notes of honey and fruit. Then I went on to try Glenfiddich 12, 15, and 18. All were very good with particular enjoyment of the 18. However, that was tasted at a little Scotch tasting I hosted with friends. Between 4 friends and 3 bottles I don't think we honored the Scotch as much as we enjoyed the evening. So my memory is somewhat hazy, but I recall that the Glenfiddich got better throughout the evening eventually besting my go-to Macallan 12 yr.

Last week I bought a bottle of Macallan Fine Oak 15 yr after winning some money in poker. The kind lady at Costco assured me I deserve this, but I'm not sure that I did. $105 for a bottle of Scotch is a difficult justification. From the moment I opened that bottle I knew I was in for a treat, justified for not. It is so smooth offering an aromatic Macallan flavor profile but in a more refined manner. It is impossible to have just one dram. I liked it so much I brought it outside to my neighbors to start sharing something I hoped they may enjoy and likely have never had. It has been some years since I tried the 21 Yr Old Chivas, so the first taste is somewhat faded in my memory. I would say that this 15 yr old Macallan Fine Oak was every bit as enjoyable though lacking somewhat the quality of the essence from the 21 yr old Chivas. It is a great bottle that I recommend you try and share with friends or family.