Macallan 18-year-old

Nose: Vanilla, Citrus, dry fruits, caramel, nutmeg... a dream Palate: sweet but not very sweet, dry fruits, caramel, little oaky Finish: Long, pleasent The best i have had for budget below 500USD

Smooth and mild, but no comparison to Sherry Oak

Regardless of the price, the 18 series wasn't really convincing. For me this Macallan is a completely normal average whisky without any specialty!

Very simple whisky, nothing special! Is just a very expensive and ostentation whisky

Flat, not really interesting and complex. Mild, but nothing more. Only the nose can convince.

An enjoyable dram, but it's not very expressive. It is clearly darker in colour than the 15 years old Double Cask (wb id 161303), which says something because Macallan doesn't colour their whiskies. Tastewise, however, it is at the same level. Pricewise, ...let's forget about that.

1515) The Macallan, 18YO, Double Cask (2020)

Color: Amber Nose: Aromas of dried fruit, candied citrus peels, ginger and nutmeg. Taste: Notes of currants and raisins, dried apricot, syrup, toffee, vanilla, ginger, spicy oak and baked apples. Finish: Long with notes of citrus fruit and oak. Notes from the Internet.

Macallan is always a safe bet, although that's no surprise. I find it very fine and simply a nice standard with a good age. The downside is that it's actually too ordinary for a three-digit price.

Macallan didn't quite convince me with this 18 year old either! Maybe I expected more. For me personally, Macallan's malts don't really have a good price/performance ratio. But if you don't like it, don't buy it. I will do that from now on.

One of my all time favourites.

Even if some people complain about Macallan's business policy (especially about pricing), one thing has to be given to those responsible for whisky production: This Double Cask 18 YO is not your run-of-the-mill single malt. It remains positive in the memory and leaves a balanced, harmonious overall impression. Very well constructed and convincingly manufactured.

(TASTED BLIND) NOSE: Dried fruits, a touch of sulphur, fennel, sweet sherry (Oloroso) notes, butter fudge, candied orange peel. Lovely sherry nose. (90p) TASTE: Quite classic sherried whisky but not much sweetness. Dry, mild tannic white pepperiness, a little licorice. (88p). FINISH: Medium pepperiness, dry, quite long (87p). OVERALL: Total score 89 points.

A potentially great whisky. Pretty well balanced, but could have been so much more without the chill filtering and down proofing.

A complex nose that requires the necessary focus, heavy-spicy in profile. Pleasantly soft and round palette with enough character and a rather subtle sherry influence. Nicely balanced on the "good" side.

Vanilla, honey, raisins, prunes, clove, and leather. A much more genuine sherried profile than expected. Vanilla and honey lead, followed by restrained raisin and prune notes, finishing with balanced depth.

Macallan 18yo Double Cask 2022 Release. Sampled at The Whisky Show 2023. Soft and woody. Some refill maybe. Has a touch of bitterness to it. I like it. Very different to 18yo sherry cask, but just as nice in its different way 3.6/86

The nose strikes me as exceptional from the outset: salted caramel, melting toffee, prune clafoutis, macerated raisins, strawberry coulis, creamy vanilla, fermented cherries, a zest of blood orange, a slice of lime, dried tobacco leaves, acacia honey, beeswax, pine resin, dark chocolate, and candied ginger. On the palate, it's a touch light but perfectly balanced, with dried apricots, soft banana, pomegranate seeds, and baked apples on one side, and measured spices like nutmeg, cloves, and gray pepper on the other. Rich and smooth oak, very honeyed, with hints of custard and pastry cream. The finish is long, powerful, even explosive, full of dried fruit, shortbread, citrus, and Turkish delight. Olive oil, a coffee bean or two, cashew nuts, cinnamon, and a very slight woody bitterness complete the experience. A pinch of salt, a touch of cereal. Tasted blind, I found it to be an exceptional whisky, with a cask quality that is virtually unmatched elsewhere. On the palate, however, it's very balanced but a little light, which is a shame. https://ilikesky2020.blogspot.com/2025/12/the-macallan-18-yo-double-cask-2020.html

The aroma is sweet, rich milk chocolate with prunes and tobacco. The flavor almost completely echoes the aroma, adding spices like cinnamon and cloves. The finish is long, pleasant, cinnamon-chocolate. This is already a serious whisky, McAllan's 18-year-old releases are 2 heads higher than 15-year-olds, and the quality of the casks here is also very high. RATING: 89pts - | 87 - 89 (B +) → Great | - Always nice to have a bottle of this.

22/21/21/22

Bourbon and whisky matured in sherry casks.

I was already enthusiastic about the double cask 12yo, but this one is a real increase in terms of aroma, taste and finish. A perfectly balanced Macallan, sweet, fruity, spicy, woody, aromatic wood, oak, all in all a poem.

TASTED BLIND Some eucalyptus, leather, vanilla and oranges on the nose Buttercup and a lot of sweetness on the palate Long and round aftertaste with a hint of salt Sherry bomb with a hint of vanilla 89p

That's a pretty boring drop. In recent years, Macallan has been destroying its reputation, which has been painstakingly built up over decades. A highlight in the past, now a regular disappointment. My condolences to all collectors who put this whisky in their closet without any character and hope for an increase in value. If at some point the price level goes down again, these will be the first bottles to be sold at a large discount. If I had included the price, we would certainly be 10 points lower here. To everyone who rated the whisky so highly, I'm sure a large proportion of them want to get rid of it.

Conclusions. It left a good impression in general, although I expected more. The aroma deserves the highest praise. But the taste, although quite decent, has gaps in some places. In particular, it lacks density and oiliness, as a result of which wateriness and excessive woody bitterness are sometimes felt. The last note is most noticeable in the aftertaste. Out of respect for the aroma, I agree to rate it 88.

Without knowing the price tag it's an enjoyable whisky where any and all angles have been carefully sanded off until only a pleasing but slightly vague sherriness remains, backed by a robust body. Knowing the price tag, it's a robbery. Quarter the price could net you similar quality, but I guess that expensive new distillery has to be paid for somehow.