Macallan Classic Cut 2018 (1x70cl)

The 2018 edition of Macallan Classic Cut, an annual limited release from the Speyside distillery. The point of Classic Cut is the strength — it's bottled higher than the core range, so it arrives with more concentration and more to work with.

Because each year's edition comes and goes, past releases tend to get collected rather than opened. If you do open it, start neat, then add water a few drops at a time until it sits where you like it.

Tasting notes

Higher-strength Speyside malt usually shows dried fruit, orange peel and warm spice with an oak backbone, and the finish runs long and hot. Water helps it open up.