Macallan 18 year

Color: deep polished garnets and coppers. Brilliant sparkling clarity. Liquefied precious gems.

Nose: stewed plums, apricots, and cherries. Chocolate truffle powder along the sides. Caramel apples. Honeycomb. Dried apricots and peaches. Sweet spicy heat in the back – like the sweet hot crackling heat of a fireplace.

Palate: swirls oily and thick, leaving tears that linger forlornly and lovingly. Dry and thin along the sides, sticky and full in the middle from first sup to last. Caramel apples and plums and apricots and cherries. Port and deep rich red wine – dry and tannic. Leather and orange oils. Warmed spiced liquid honeycomb. Spicy heat well-worn red wine soaked oak.

Finish: dry, spiced, and warming. Long lingering tannins. Dried fruits. Plum and cherry stones.

I stayed away from the Macallan during the early days of my single-malt journey for no other non-reason then the silliness of supposed “corporate big label macro mediocrity”. I should have known better, and now I do. The Macallan hasn’t been around for as long as she has, since 1824 to be exact, for everything and for just one thing – damn good single-malt. Embracing innovation and celebrating tradition, Macallan understands not to mess with what isn’t broken and to take what time and nature has given we simple human beings and to make it better than what it was before, even if just an itsy bitsy bit.
Make no bones: The Macallan is damn good.
When it comes to the far more commonplace 12 year I actually prefer Glenfiddich, but tis the luxurious 18 year I can and will prefer any day, any time. A humble and humbling spirit, her embrace took me to the storied lands of Scotland. Dram in hand, a gentle breeze caresses as I take in the soul-wrenching beauty of vivid greens broken up by spunky flowers showing off their colors to anyone willing to take a moment to appreciate.
A sip.
A moment.
And with open eyes I return once more to the barley-free land of Florida. An incurable romantic, sadly I haven’t made my way to Scotland yet but when I do I’ll be sure to savor Macallan in her storied home, a moment’s perfection from first sip to last. 

(an original written work by Kristyn Lier. plagiarism is not tolerated)