Macallan Sherry Oak 40 Years Old (1x70cl)

Forty years in cask puts this in a different category from the rest of the shelf. This is not the bottle you bring to a casual dinner — it is bought for a milestone, a retirement, a big anniversary, or to sit in a collection, and there is no point pretending otherwise.

Sherry oak is the other half of the story. Long maturation in sherry-seasoned casks usually darkens the whisky and deepens it, which is the character people associate with the older Macallan bottlings.

Tasting notes

Sherry-oak maturation usually gives dried fruit, sweet spice and a deep colour, and four decades in cask typically means a thicker texture and a very long finish. Drink it neat, in small measures.