Nose: Sherry. Raspberry liqueur. Thick with oak influence. Floral summer boquet. Rich caramel sauce. With water bergamot, smoke (from wood) and citrus oils.
Palate: Sweet, mulled. Baking spices. Almost rum-like. With water, more barley comes through with a kiss of lime. More spices.
Finish: Wood. Tannic. Sherried. Light, but long. Unpleasantly bitter though, like raw orange rind. Dissapointing compared to the lovely nose, but the astringency is reduced with water. Then you tap into some complexity including roses, tarragon, even something with a Caribbean warmth to it, like agave.
Additional Notes:
- You really have to add water to the Macallan 12 to unlock its complexity. Otherwise it is a strongly sherried, beefy dram with lots of caramel.
- With water, you can tell that this whisky is hugely influenced by the cask. A little peppery even.
- A rather mysterious dram, if you ask me. I didn't expect such bold flavors, but I was pleased with its distinct - but rather informal - character.
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The nose knows