Today we take a look at what I like. I will present you with my favourite 18 year old expressions. There are four of them. Macallan 18 Sherry Oak and Glenlivet 18 year old (the previous bottling, not the current one available) from the Highlands,  Highland Park 18 year old (also the previous bottling) from Orkney, Islands region and last but not least the Bunnahabhain 18 year old from Islay.

Macallan 18 year old Sherry Oak - Natural Color, Chill filtered, 43%

The Macallan distillery is a single malt Scotch whisky distillery in Craigellachie in Moray in the north-east of Scotland. The Macallan Distillers Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Edrington, which purchased the brand from Highland Distillers in 1999. The Macallan is generally considered to be the second or third highest-selling single-malt scotch, next to Glenfiddich and, by some accounts, Glenlivet. Originally, the Macallan was matured only in oak sherry casks brought to the distillery from Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. Then they released several ranges and special editions with different types of casks such as bourbon casks. Their core range consists of the 12-15-18 year old Double Cask, 12-18-25-30 year old Sherry Oak and the 12-15 year old Triple Cask. The Macallan is considered to be one of the most prestigious whiskies of the scotch world. This is reflected in their pricing also. The most expensive bottle ever sold was of course a Macallan, The Macallan Valerio Adami 1926 60 Year Old for a whopping 2.7 million dollars, which would be 2.5 million euros.

"The Macallan Sherry Oak 18 Years Old, forms part of our Sherry Oak Collection which features a series of single malt whiskies matured in hand-picked sherry seasoned oak casks from Jerez for richness and complexity."

Nose: Dried fruits, dates, figs and raisins, notes of oak, slightly sweet and herbaceous. Hint of menthol, spices. With a little time also orange, baking spices and a little spicy honey. Christmas cake and dark chocolate.

Taste: Warm, spicy and fruity, notes of oak, spices, orange, dried fruit. Toasted oak, some nuts, some chocolate and a hint of coffee. Delicious. It has more than enough body even though it's only 43% abv. I would love to see them release this with 46% abv and without chill filtration.

Finish: Dry with some dark chocolate, roasted hazelnuts, oak, Christmas spices, dried fruits, nuts, hints of brazilian coffee. Finally a hint of sweet malt.

This is a very smooth, complex and tasty whisky. The presentation is absolutely fabulous. It's fairly simple but looks very elegant, prestigious. There is a reason why this whisky appears in several highly rated movies and series. I enjoy this bottle quite a lot, this will be on my favourites list probably forever. 93 / 100

Glenlivet 18 year old- Natural Color(?), Chill filtered, 43%

The Glenlivet distillery is a distillery near Ballindalloch in Moray, Scotland, that produces single malt Scotch whisky. It is the oldest legal distillery in Scotland. It was founded in 1824 and has operated almost continuously since. The distillery remained open throughout the Great Depression and its only closure came during World War II. The Glenlivet distillery has grown in the post-war period to become one of the biggest single malt distilleries. The Glenlivet brand is the biggest selling single malt whisky in the United States and the second biggest selling single malt brand globally after Glenfiddich. Today, the distillery is owned by the Chivas Brothers subsidiary of the French alcoholic beverages company Pernod Ricard, which also oversees the distillery's production of 5,900,000 proof litres per annum. The majority of this – enough for 6 million bottles – is sold as The Glenlivet single malt, with the remainder being used in Pernod Ricard's blended whisky brands. Their core range consist of the Founder's Reserve, Captain's Reserve and the 12-15-18-21-25 year old bottles.

This 18 year old bottle also means a lot to me. I've got one as a gift for my 18th birthday back in the day from my father. I haven't opened that ever since and I will never open it. It just means a lot to me and I would like to pass it down to my son, if I'll ever have one, when he turns 18.

This bottle was first matured in ex-bourbon casks and then moved over to french limousin oak for a second maturation.

Nose: Very aromatic, complex, tropical fruits, balanced and elegant, sultanas, red and green fruits. Manuka honey and some oak in the background.

Taste: Light body but complex at the same time, very smooth, sweet, lots of fruits from the orchard such as green apples, pears. Papaya, mango and pineapple. Honey some spices and oak later on.

Finish: Medium length. Very sweet and malty. Dry, spicy, orange, apricot, cinnamon, honey. At the very end a hint of bitter coffee along with dark chocolate and oak.

This is a very smooth expression designed to please most people. It's quite sad that they changed the recipe of the old one. Also they dilute it down to 40% abv in today's bottling, which is just terrible. I might be a bit biased due to the sentimental value of it to me but I love this bottling and I rate it very high. 92 / 100

Highland Park 18 year old - Natural Color, Chill filtered, 43%

Highland Park distillery is the second northernmost single malt Scotch whisky distillery in Scotland (Kimbland distillery on Sanday being 22 miles further north), located in Kirkwall on the Orkney Islands. Highland Park distillery was founded by Magnus Eunson, a butcher and church officer by day and illicit distiller and whisky smuggler by night. In 1798 he was caught illegally distilling whisky on the site. In 1826, nearly 30 years later, Highland Park received an official licence to distill whisky. The name of the distillery does not refer to the Scottish Highlands, but rather to the fact that the distillery was founded on an area called 'High Park' distinguished from a lower area nearby. Highland Park uses the local peat, which contains a higher proportion of heather than many other peats. The whisky is aged in sherry casks made of either American or European oak, purchased from Oloroso sherry producers in Spain. In 2018, Highland Park ranked second, behind sister distillery The Macallan, in whisky auction sales driven by growing demand from whisky collectors for the distillery's special releases. Their core range consists of the 10-12-15-18-21 year old bottlings and they have a load of different releases, collection. Feel free to check them out on their website. There is just so many that it would take a millenia to type it all down.

"Named by the American whisky expert, F Paul Pacult, as 'Best Spirit in the World' (Spirit Journal), 18 Year Old is our most highly-awarded single malt whisky, being honoured with both a Gold and an Ultimate Recommendation (with a score of 96) in the 2021 International Spirits Challenge.

Matured in a high proportion of first-fill sherry seasoned European and American oak casks, this superb 18 Year Old single malt pays tribute to our 5 keystones of production and presents a sophisticated medley of ripe cherries dusted with bittersweet cocoa, freshly harvested honeycomb and candied orange peel. There's a whisper of Orkney's salty seaspray in the aromatic peat smoke."

Nose: Cherry and strawberry jam, dried apricots, lots of toffee, baked apples, cheesecake, aromatic light smoke.

Taste: Mildly floral. Plenty of oak. Gentle coffee bitterness. Creamy heather honey with a sufficient amount of spices such as cinnamon, cloves, aniseeds to keep a rich body. Citrus peel, peat. Stewed orchard fruits. Salty caramel. This is a very complex whisky.

Finish: Ash. Subtle smoke. Salty caramel. More smoke, heather honey. Oak. A heavily burned cask note. Sweet syrup. Quite a long finish.

Overall this is one of the best Highland Parks I've ever had and I happily recommend it. It's a bit hard to find nowadays but you can still find it on some auction sites every now and then. 92/100

Bunnahabhain 18 year old - Natural Color, Non-chill filtered, 46.3%

Bunnahabhain distillery was founded in 1881 near Port Askaig on Islay. The village of Bunnahabhain was founded to house its workers. Bunnahabhain is one of the milder single malt Islay whiskies available and its taste varies greatly from other spirits to be found on the island of Islay, off the west coast of Scotland. Originally the distillery was supplied by ship, but in 1960 a road was built to the distillery. The last delivery by ship was in 1993. The distillery closed in 1981 but was reopened in 1984 when demand picked up. In 2003 it was acquired by Burn Stewart which merged with Distell in 2014 and is one of nine active distilleries on the island. Their core range consists of the 12-18-25-30-40 year old bottlings and the Stiuireadair and Toiteach A Dhà bottlings.

This one came out of nowhere. I always loved their 12 year old and I always keep that on my shelves. I had the chance to taste the 18 and I took it. I loved it and it just became one of my favourites. 

"Our Bunnahabhain 18 year whisky is non-chill filtered and natural colour, this rich mahogany malt is one of the Bunnahabhain family favourites. It is intensely warming; with dried fruit, sherry, toffee and spices leading to a rich honeyed nuttiness and the slightest hint of sea salt."

Nose: Full and intense. Elegant. Sweet. Lots of chocolate. Red fruits. Cherries. Hazelnuts, ougat. Ripe red fruits. There is also some salt. Salty caramel. Then again dried fruit.

Taste: Sweet, oh very sweet. Huge body, oily and very complex. Lots of roasted nuts, milk chocolate with hazelnuts. Gentle sea breeze, salt. A pinch of spices such as cinnamon and cloves. White pepper. Dried fruits such as raisins and figs.

Finish: Long finish.  Slightly warming at the beginning. Cavalcade dried fruit. Raisins, cocoa. Dessert chocolate. Roasted hazelnuts. Then a good amount of oak.

This whisky is awesome if you like sherried whiskies. For me it's the slight saltiness that is in this whisky that makes it a lot better, than other heavily sherried bottles. Splendid whisky, deserves a spot on my list. 92 / 100

I tell to my friends always that the sweet spot for me is 46% abv, how ironic that this list has three bottles that are only 43% abv. I guess it comes down to the fact that these bottles are all in perfect balance. Not too much of anything, not too little of anything, could be more but doesn't miss anything. These are truly fabulous bottlings and if you ever have the chance to try them, don't hesitate.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. To many more. Sláinte.