1/Some bottles court the room. The Macallan Sherry Oak 12 courts its own. It's the youngest of the Sherry Oak line, and it knows exactly who it's pouring for.
2/On the nose: Christmas cake in a glass. Sherry, dried fruits, hot butter, a little old leather. The palate is smooth and full, with Jaffa oranges, brittle toffee and light oak. A relatively long finish carries spice, malt and a last hint of smoke.
3/Here's the telling bit. Ask the drinkers of the bottles nearest it what this Macallan is worth to them, each starting from what they pay for their own, and the answers run from $46 to $134.
4/This week it is $160; it usually sells around $170. We've seen it as low as $158 and as high as $170. So at $160 it sits above every one of those answers.
5/The verdict? It's priced for its fans. If the sherried Macallan character is your thing, you already know the yes. If it isn't quite, the drinkers nearby have told you where they'd land.
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