Sherried Scotch has a benchmark, and The Macallan 18 Sherry Oak is it a Speyside single malt whisky matured eighteen years in hand-picked sherry-seasoned oak casks from Jerez. The distillery seasons its own casks in Spain, ships them to Speyside, and lets the wood do all the coloring the light mahogany in the glass is entirely natural. Sultanas, orange, and ground cinnamon lead the nose, and the full-bodied palate follows with mature oak, stem ginger, soaked raisins, sticky dates, and dark chocolate. Bottled at 43 percent, it drinks composed rather than hot. Serve it neat to mark something real retirements, big birthdays, the deal that finally closed.