Whiskey Review - Macallan 12

Here's an old favorite - The Macallan 12.  This is another one of those whiskies (like Glen Livet 12 and Glen Fiddich 12) that you're very likely to come across in many pubs and restaurants.  I offer some history about the distillery and whisky, as well as the range, in my review of the Macallan 17 Fine Oak (Click to be redirected to that review).  The Macallan 12 has the distinction of being the first Scotch whisky that I ever tasted, although at the time I was far less appreciative. 

It can be hard to judge all of the whisky on the same scale but that is something that I strive to do.  That being said, I found myself in a moral dilemma because it almost seems unfair to pit an inexpensive 12-year against something like the Macallan 17 Fine Oak, which received my first 5/5 rating.  So, just to recap, all of the whisky that I review is judged solely on the whisky, ceteris paribus.

This whisky is an inviting shade of amber with medium legs.  These are the first things you are going to notice so it is important to stop for a moment and take them in.  Moving on to the nose, my initial impression was "delicious".  This has an incredibly smooth nose which smells of sherry, oak, and in my personal opinion, brown sugar.  The taste was a bit dry, somewhat of a surprise but nothing too negative.  Like the nose, the taste is very smooth and as it was with the nose, the sherry was evident.  The aftertaste remained dry, lasting for only a short period of time.

Rating: 3.75 out of a possible 5 Casks

Reason: If I had to sum this up in one word, it would be "smooth".  The nose was incredible but actually beat the taste by a small margin.  The taste left just a little to be desired after such an amazing aroma.  It is a great whisky, I cannot overstate the smoothness.  I can see why this is a popular whisky to carry at a pub; being so smooth it would seem to be very versatile among whisky drinkers.  It is a good whisky, a smooth whisky, and a relatively inexpensive whisky at around $40-$50 per bottle.  By the glass you're probably only looking at $6-$8.

Cheers!

Charles