The 1997-labelled Macallan Sherry Oak 18 Year Old was bottled in 2015 at 43% ABV. By this time the label read distilled in 1997 and earlier years, so it marks the youngest spirit in the batch rather than a single vintage.
About This Whisky
After 2004, the Sherry Oak 18 Year Old kept a year on the label but added the words and earlier years, making it a guide to the youngest whisky in the vatting. This bottle carries 1997 and was bottled in 2015, matured in sherry-seasoned oak casks from Jerez and reduced to 43%. It was released in the 70cl size with a bold red-bordered label.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Dried fruit, orange peel and warm baking spice over polished oak.
- Palate: Rounded, with raisin, toffee and layered wood spice, drier than the older vintages.
- Finish: Smooth, with cocoa, ginger and lingering dried fruit.
Serving & Food
A room-temperature pour in a Glencairn works well, as does a highball with chilled soda and a twist of orange peel if you want something lighter. Match it with honey-glazed ham, dark chocolate or dried apricots.
How to Enjoy
Anyone wanting to compare a modern-era Sherry Oak 18 with the older vintage-dated bottlings.
Product Details
Distillery: The Macallan
Expression: 18 Year Old Sherry Oak
Label year: 1997 (distilled in 1997 and earlier years)
Bottled: 2015
Region: Speyside, Scotland
Category: Single malt Scotch whisky
Cask Type: Sherry-seasoned oak
ABV / Strength: 43%
Format: 700mL
About the Distillery
1997 was a turning point for The Macallan's business. The distillery says it was the year its sales outside the UK overtook those at home for the first time, led by the United States. Within a generation it had become a whisky sold mainly abroad. Much of that growth came from Asia and America, where the sherry-matured style found a ready audience. The Macallan remembered the year with a 1997 cask in its Fine & Rare series.