Nose: Clear sherry nose – fresh fig, black cherry, nice levels of butterscotch, and particularly well-balanced. It doesn’t have that armchair leather and concentrated woody aroma of Macallan 18, but it smells like what it is – an 18-year-old ex-bourbon finished in sherry. The level of sweetness is just right.
Palate: Moderate weight, maybe slightly on the thin side. Aroma notes continue to the palate – cherry lozenge, prune, caramel, or butterscotch. A nice maltiness emerges after a few seconds, a reminder of barley grains.
Finish: A nice woody twist, echoes of the black fruits with some final wisps of mint and slightly acrid smoke, like an extinguished cigar. Mild bitterness.