Macallan – Sirius 26 Year Old (47%)

This is a 26 year old Macallan, an independent bottling selected by Mahesh Patel, founder of Sirius. He chose a single sherry cask, and the whisky was bottled at 47% ABV in individually numbered crystal decanters. The outturn is 690 bottles. Alongside the sherried richness there is a thread of fine-grained Highland peat. The smoke is subtle, likened to a distant autumn bonfire rather than the medicinal or maritime style of Islay. The notes are of dried fruits, dark chocolate, orange peel, rich toffee and warming spices, with polished oak and roasted nuts. The finish is long, with sherry and gentle peat together.