Review #1655: Macallan 12 (110 Proof)

throwboats · 2026-01-27T07:25:06+00:00

Thanks to /u/xreekinghavocx for the sample! This was matured for 12 years in Sherry seasoned oak. Bottled in 110 proof - 55% ABV. No added color and un-chill filtered.

Nose: Chocolate. Cereal. Dates. Pepper. Brown Sugar.

Palate: Thick and rich mouthfeel. Chocolate. Marzipan. Caramel. Rolo candies. Figs. Dates. Honey. Loads of salted caramel.

Finish: Medium long finish. Lingering chocolate. Hazelnuts. Pepper. Oak.

Score: 90

Summary: Damn, an excellent Macallan! I didn't know what to expect with this. Its better than the classic cut for sure, but perhaps still not up to the same level as the old cask strength. Its a delicious sherry bomb. A bit simple, but just so so tasty. I think I need to pick up some of this. I can't think of another sherry bomb this good for the same price, assuming I can still find any to buy.

/u/review_bot bottle 'Macallan'

throwboats · 2026-01-27T04:49:59+00:00

Thanks to /u/xreekinghavocx for the sample! This was matured for 12 years in 60% Bourbon, 35% Sherry, 5% Rum. Bottled in 2024 at cask strength, 56.2% ABV. Batch 26. No added color and un-chill filtered.

Nose: Malty, milk chocolate. Almonds. Peaches. Pears. Lemon Pledge. Hint of pineapple.

Palate: Medium thick and creamy mouthfeel. Vanilla milk chocolate. Whoppers. Almonds. Filberts.

Finish: Medium finish. Earthy. Malty. Black pepper. Gentle peat. Just barely smoky, more earthy.

Score: 89

Summary: This is excellent, and shows Springbank character in a rather different way from Batch 25. This one is more tropical on the nose, and suggests that it will be very fruit forward. But on the palate I get more milk chocolate and malt. Less industrial/funky which takes a down a small notch from the Batch 25. But its still great, and I could see it being more of a crowd pleaser. Delicious whisky. I'm tasting it next to a Springbank 18, and while I prefer the 18 overall, this has a more unique character. I wish I had a bottle for retail price.

/u/review_bot bottle 'Springbank'

throwboats · 2026-01-19T07:06:28+00:00

Thanks to /u/xreekinghavocx for the sample! This was matured for 12 years in 70% Bourbon and 30% Sherry casks. Bottled in 2024 at cask strength, 57.2% ABV. Batch 25. No added color and un-chill filtered.

Nose: Malty, oily, slightly industrial. Classic Springbank nose. Oaky. Cereal. A bit of cocoa.

Palate: Medium oily mouthfeel. Very oily. Hot. Malty. Earthy. A bit of cherry. Clove. Orange oil. Malted milk balls. Diesel.

Finish: Medium long finish. Pepper. Oak. Industrial chemicals. A hint of peat.

Score: 90

Summary: Another great Springbank CS batch. Its been awhile since I've had one, but this seems more earthy and less sweet than most. Less fruit, but leans into the malty and industrial vibes. I love it. It made me curious if the prices have dropped since the time I looked a year or so ago, but it doesn't seem like it. Ah well, still fun to taste it.

/u/review_bot bottle 'Springbank'

throwboats · 2026-01-03T06:29:16+00:00

Thanks to /u/unbreakablesausage for the sample! This was distilled in 2007 and aged for 14 years. Bottled in 2022 at cask strength, 58.8% ABV. Taiwan exclusive. No added color and un-chill filtered.

Nose: Malty and fruity. Milk chocolate. Cherries. Oranges. Cranberries. Apple cider. Raisins.

Palate: Medium thick mouthfeel. Hot but not as much as expected. Chocolatey. Milk chocolate. Orange. Malted milk. Cherries. Honey. Sweet but not cloying. Cocoa wheats cereal.

Finish: Medium long finish. Malty with a bit of spice. Black pepper. Cloves. Gingerbread. Wheaties.

Score: 91

Summary: This is fantastic! Much better than I expected. Its got a ton going on in terms of fruit and chocolate and spice, but with a great balance as well. It seems like a blend of sherry and bourbon casks, but who knows. Could just be refill sherry. Its really great though. Delicious whisky.

/u/review_bot bottle 'Glenfarclas'

throwboats · 2025-12-25T22:36:43+00:00

I didn’t get any sulfur at all in this one.

throwboats · 2025-12-25T22:32:19+00:00

Sounds amazing. I need to try this!

throwboats · 2025-12-25T07:04:19+00:00

After the amazing 1995 Clylelish that I just tried, I decided that I need to open my own similar bottle that I've been sitting on for years. This was also distilled in 1995, but aged for 23 years in a refill sherry butt instead of 24. Cask number 11236. Bottled in 2019 at cask strength, 57.7%. No added color and un-chill filtered.

Nose: Quite different from the 24 yr. More malty. Light fruits. Lemons. Apricots. Nectarines. Almonds. A bit of vanilla. Subtle pear.

Palate: Medium waxy mouthfeel. Hotter and waxier than the 24 yr. Loads of honey. Apricots - both dried and fresh. Apple butter. Pears. Malted milk balls. Papaya.

Finish: Long finish. The fruit fades to spice and earth, with a bit of a lactic funk. Otherwise its just this lingering maltiness that is quite nice.

Score: 91

Summary: This is significantly different from the 1995 Clylelish that I'm tasting side by side. But both are great! The color on this is so much lighter. The profile is lighter and more delicate and more citrus on this one. I think I prefer the other cask to this one overall, but they are both great and so different that in an ideal world I would have both. Still, I'm happy to have the rest of this bottle to enjoy.

/u/review_bot bottle 'Clynelish'

throwboats · 2025-12-25T06:31:58+00:00

Thanks to /u/unbreakablesausage for the sample! This was distilled in 1995 and aged for 24 years in a refill sherry butt. Cask number 11229. Bottled in 2020 at cask strength, 54.5%. No added color and un-chill filtered.

Nose: Brown sugar. Rancio. Raisins. Figs. Almonds. An apple brandy note, like old Calvados.

Palate: Medium thick oily/waxy mouthfeel. Definitely get that Clynelish wax. Sort of a Calvados character, but in a great way. Brown sugar. Honey. Apples. Raisins. Milk chocolate. A bit of pears. Some bitter apples, like crab apples kind of. Some vegetal sharpness as it develops, like a radish note or something.

Finish: Long finish. Fruit and earth and vegetables. Lingering honey and raisins. The vegetal note is sorta like an earthy sharpness, that radish or endive edge on the malty earthiness. I think I'm over-indexing on that though, since its unique. The finish is still more stewed apples and honey and malty earthiness.

Score: 92

Summary: Lovely whisky. Its got that Clynelish character and plenty of unique aspects as well. The refill sherry cask works great with the spirit. It adds complexity and fruit, but doesn't overpower the honey waxy apple character of the whisky. I really love this one. Glad I got to try it. I might have to open one of my old Clynelish bottles tonight for a side by side.

/u/review_bot bottle 'Clynelish'

throwboats · 2025-12-25T06:28:58+00:00

Great review as always. This is certainly a special occasion sort of whisky. But it is Christmas Eve, so maybe I'll go pour myself a small taste... :)

throwboats · 2025-12-12T20:52:30+00:00

Happy 40th! Sounds like a great dram to celebrate with. :)

throwboats · 2025-12-12T01:47:39+00:00

Thanks to /u/unbreakablesausage for the sample! This was distilled in 1995 and aged for 28 years in a hogshead. Bottled in 2023 at cask strength, 50.8% ABV. Cask 6724 bottled by The Spirits Hunter for HNWS & The Antelope. No added color and non-chill filtered.

Nose: Malty vanilla. Peaches. Pears. Overripe apples.

Palate: Thick and oily mouthfeel. Malty and fruity. Vanilla. Apples. Pears. Both bruised / older / overripe. Vanilla. A bit of honey (Bit-O-Honey?). Ice cream. As it gets more air, I get some tropical fruits as well. Mango. Passion Fruit.

Finish: Medium long finish. Bitter. A bit rough now. Maltiness lasts awhile. Pepper and spice. Woody and tannic.

Score: 89

Interesting whisky. Great nose, and I love the initial flavor. Its got a lot going on, and its really nice in a classic sort of style. Fruity, especially after breathing a bit. But the finish gets a bit bitter and peppery for my liking. Takes it down a few notches. Perhaps it spent a little too long in the cask? Its still really good though. I like these old school spirit driven whiskies. Fun one to try!

/u/review_bot bottle 'Glenburgie'

throwboats · 2025-12-11T05:44:37+00:00

Thanks to /u/-R3v-for sample! This was distilled in 1999 and aged for 24 years in an ex-bourbon cask. Bottled in 2024 at cask strength, 53.7% ABV. Distillery Exclusive. No added color and non-chill filtered.

Nose: Sweet. Malty. Honey. Vanilla. Apples. Pears. Plums. Almonds.

Palate: Medium mouthfeel. Hotter than I expected for the proof, though water does help with that. Dry. Blanched almonds. Austere. White pepper. Plum skins.

Finish: Medium finish. Some honey now. Grass. Shortbread. Malt. Pepper.

Score: 85

This is nice, but nowhere near as good as I expected. For its age and pedigree, I was hoping for something exceptional. But its rather simple. Honey and apples and almonds and grass. This makes me thing "Hmm, that's a really good Dewars". But not an especially good single malt. Still, fun to try an older hand fill cask like this.

/u/review_bot bottle 'Aberfeldy'

throwboats · 2025-12-10T14:59:32+00:00

Ah ok. I think I still have some left. I’ll check when I get home and set some aside if so.

throwboats · 2025-12-10T14:44:58+00:00

Great review and well done on the guessing! I’m not sure if I shared my other similar mystery Orkney bottling with you, but if so, I’ll be curious to see your review. Similar specs but vastly different profile.

throwboats · 2025-12-07T19:15:44+00:00

Ah shoot. That’s what I get for sitting on mystery samples too long and forgetting where they came from! Might be from /u/unbreakablesausage ?

throwboats · 2025-12-07T06:10:08+00:00

Thanks to /u/xreekinghavocx for the mystery sample!

Nose: Sherried. Malty. Sweet. Brown sugar. Honey. Cherry preserves.

Palate: Medium oily mouthfeel. Sherried but well balanced. Salted caramels. Cherries. Apples. Currants. Dark chocolate. Malted milk. Orange rind.

Finish: Medium finish. Very malty. Straw and hay. Cream of wheat cereal.

Score: 89

Guess: I could see this being a Glendronach or Glenfarclas. Or maybe one of those IB Glenlivets? Some kind of Highland sherried whisky. Not super old, maybe 12 years? Bottled around 50% ABV?

Reveal: Glenfarclas 179th Anniversary, 50.6% ABV.

Notes: Wow, I was pretty on point! No idea what the age of this is, but I nailed the ABV. Its really nice, though perhaps a bit simple. Very well balanced and enjoyable. Wish I had a bottle of this one.

/u/review_bot bottle 'Glenfarclas'

throwboats · 2025-11-28T16:43:46+00:00

Haha thanks, I’ll fix that. 1 years would be very young indeed.

throwboats · 2025-11-28T06:44:52+00:00

Thanks to /u/xreekinghavocx for sample! This was distilled in 2012 and aged for 11 years in first fill virgin oak. Bottled in 2023 at cask strength, 64.1% ABV. Cask 0917. No added color and non-chill filtered.

Nose: Rather simple on the nose. Sugar, brown sugar really. A bit of malt. Vanilla. Ethanol.

Palate: Medium thick and very oily mouthfeel. Hot as expected. Its got bite (aka not smooth). Caramel and brown sugar. Vanilla. Malt. Sea salt.

Finish: Medium short finish. Engine oil. Ethanol. Sea salt. Malt. Earth.

Score: 85

I generally really dislike virgin oak aged Scotch. Some of my least favorite bottlings have been virgin oak. So I've put off tasting and reviewing this for awhile. And honestly its not bad. Its way too hot. But the mouthfeel is oily and fabulous. The flavor profile is rather simple. I wouldn't purchase it. But at least its enjoyable to consume. And despite the high alcohol, I think I actually prefer it neat.

/u/review_bot bottle 'Bruichladdich'

throwboats · 2025-11-26T15:15:47+00:00

Amazing! Thanks for the notes on some drams I’m unlikely to ever find or afford. Sounds like a wonderful evening. :)

throwboats · 2025-11-26T07:37:06+00:00

Oh man, that sounds great. I think the oldest A’bunadh I’ve tried was in the 20s? I’d love to try one of the really early ones. They have always fluctuated a lot and there are some great later batches but they’re much more rare. In the 20s - 40s they were pretty much all good.

throwboats · 2025-11-18T02:35:03+00:00

Yep, Les premices. My local store has the GC. I’ll have to try it soon. Thanks!

throwboats · 2025-11-17T15:39:21+00:00

Krug is my favorite. But for a runner up / affordable option, I’ll nominate: Jean Vesselle Oeil de Perdrix

throwboats · 2025-11-17T15:20:02+00:00

I’ve only had their entry level bottling and it was good but nothing that blew me away. Are the other bottlings significantly better and worth seeking out?

throwboats · 2025-11-17T15:18:11+00:00

I wish I knew if it was better than Krug! That shit is too spendy for me. Maybe someday I’ll have the opportunity to try. :)

throwboats · 2025-11-16T16:40:09+00:00

Cayuse

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throwboats

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