Review by: The Muskox

Here’s a “secret” Macallan from Signatory Vintage. This one was sampled at the excellent Keys Bar in St. Andrews. My dad made me take a photo of the golf course for him.

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Distillery: Macallan.

Bottler: Signatory Vintage.

Region: Speyside.

ABV: 48.2%.

Age: 15 years. Distilled in 2009. Bottled in 2025.

Cask type: A mix of first-fill and refill Oloroso sherry butts.

Price: I think this was £11 or so at the bar.

Color: No colour added. Non-chill-filtered.

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Nose: Thick and fluffy. Ripe dates, crystallized honey, Cadbury Flake (man, I miss those), a whole shop’s worth of fudge. Spicy oak and cinnamon. Raisin buns.

Palate: Very heavy body. Huge rich sweetness on the arrival. Honey-soaked brioche, coffee ice cream, and toffee. Develops to strong oak, spicy ginger, cinnamon, and cola syrup. With water it’s still sweet but a little leaner.

Finish: Sweet and lingering. Loads of dark fruit: raisins, cassis, dates, figs… Dark brown sugar, Biscoffs, walnuts, and cola. Nutmeg and citrus oil.

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Conclusion: Delicious. A gorgeous and decadent sherried whisky. This is the first of these “secret Macallans” that I’ve tried, and at this rate, it’ll be the first of many. At this point, I think I’m over the fact that Macallan just refuses to bottle whisky of this quality/price itself. Whatever.

Final Score: 89.

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.