Macallan 1984 18 Year Old (Exc' Box)

The 1980s were the years that made Macallan's name, and this 1984 vintage 18 Year Old comes from the heart of that period, with its outer box intact. The 18 Year Old Sherry Oak was first launched in 1984, so a bottle carrying this vintage sits close to the origin of one of Scotch whisky's most famous expressions. For collectors, the era and the complete presentation are the point.

Macallan is Speyside through and through, and its reputation was built on full sherry-cask maturation, spirit laid into ex-oloroso casks seasoned in Jerez. The early-to-mid 1980s bottlings are prized for a particular profile: gamier and meatier than the polished modern releases, with real depth from the sherry wood of the time.

Enthusiasts of these vintage Macallans describe a nose of toffee and sherry, dried fruits steeped in spirit, cinnamon, cedar and bitter chocolate. The palate is big-bodied and soft, sultanas, dried plums and figs, with spice and clove, a suggestion of orange, and in these older bottlings sometimes a whisper of smoke. The finish carries sherried caramel and oak spice, long and warming. As with any bottle of this age and value, condition and provenance sit at the centre of what you are buying.

One to keep, or to open on a night that deserves it.

How to Serve

Neat in a tulip glass, no ice. A single drop of water can open the sherried fruit, but this vintage rewards patience over dilution.

Where to Drink It

Dukes Bar in St James's, fitting for a bottle of this standing. The Connaught Bar, for an evening built around it. Artesian at The Langham, if you want ceremony.

Food Pairings

This gamier old style loves roast game, so a plate of venison or a wedge of aged cheddar suits it well. Keep a square of dark chocolate to one side if you want to chase the sherried fruit.