If a beverage is claiming to be lighter and easier drinking, it has no value if it is merely a diluted version of the original. It has to have a sense of balance in its own right, and still feel like a complete beverage. Macallan Fine Oak achieves this primarily by the long, dry and smooth finish that persists and remains smooth long after you’ve swallowed. The scents and flavours given off by a dram of Fine Oak will be welcoming to any whisky drinker. They are a little boring but very pleasant. Imagine a kitchen several hours after a strudel came out of the oven – a hint of grain and baking spices. This scotch feels very classy, and is a good argument for elegance in spirits in general. I can’t say I would buy it over Highland Park 12 for myself, but for a friend I just might.
Fine Oak 10 is a polarizing whisky for people who have followed the Macallan since before this big marketing gamble; check out some further reviews at Whisky Critic, Whisky Boys, and the Rum Howler.