Review #1301 – Macallan 15yr A.D Rattray 1997 Bourbon Cask

Distilled at The Macallan distillery in 1997 and bottled by AD Rattray after 15 years of maturation in ex-bourbon, this expression is bottled at cask strength with no coloring or filtering.

Review #1301 | Scotch Review #458

Distiller: Macallan

Bottler: A.D. Rattray

Selection: N/A

ABV: 54.3% ABV

Age: 15 Years

Nose: Sweet honey, almond, waxy fruits like apples and pears. Vanilla, sweet cream, a nice oak presence to give the nose some structure.

Taste: Medium mouth feel. Not too thick, but far from thin, and the ethanol feels about right. Sweet and creamy at first, with lots of fruits like white grape, pear, apples. Light almond, faintly sweet like amaretto. The oak is here as well, although faint, to add some welcome complexity.

Finish: Long, sweet and rich. Honey, apples, pears are the most dominant notes, with a sweet and creamy exit. The oak is all but gone here, which I think is an excellent way for the dram to end.

Overall: One of my largest criticisms of IB Macallan is often that it all tastes the same, and this is no wild off profile dram. That said, this is one of the better executions, with oak showing up just as much as it is needed. Nice work ADR.

Thanks for reading!

Rank: 6

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Decoded:

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I’d rather have.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect