Macallan is one of the finest, most consistent go-to single malts for serious scotch drinkers. Since 1824, the various owners of the Macallan distillery in the Scottish highlands near the river Spey have been making what is, in my opinion, the epitome of what scotch should be.

At least at the 12-year standard.

Like a lot of scotch makers, Macallan generally markets to those who have the mind and the money to drink fermented prestige. That would explain the variety of rare and exceedingly old batches they've been trotting out over the past few years. They tout what they're calling "Macallan Fine and Rare", which is essentially a line of 30 to 70-year-old batches. In addition, there are now a variety of younger (8 to 30-year-old) scotches from the company that experiment with different varieties of barrel. Some are worthwhile, like the Fine Oak batches that take advantage of the mild but complex flavors lent to scotch by classic European wood. Others, like the 18-year Sherry Oak aren't really worth the price tag. 18-year-old scotches are in that odd middle period when they begin to become bold but haven't yet mellowed with age. The continental flavors lended to the spirit by the Sherry Oak only compound that problem. The consequence is a scotch that tastes too much like strong bourbon. While I love a good bourbon, I don't need to go looking for it in something that had to cross the ocean to land in my glass.

The oldest, rarest and most expensive Macallan scotches are being released as part of their Lalique line, the first of which will be a dark 50-year. However impressive, a brand shouldn't be judged on its will and ability to sell a single malt in a crystal decanter that's older than most of the people who'll drink it. Rather, the baseline product, the one that the majority of their customers drink, should be the standard against which a scotch maker should be measured. I don't say this out of a populist petulance. Like in all things culinary, if the simplest, most common aspects of scotch aren't fundamentally good, the rest can't be either.

This is why I humbly propose that, on all counts, the true elegance of scotch resides primarily in the younger iterations of a particular batch. At ages beyond 12, scotch takes on strong, prominent flavors. At 12, every element is equal. It is a time when it becomes possible to tell if the smokiness will blossom into a pleasant haze or something more reminiscent of cheap cigars. At 12, the hue leans either toward piss or gold, the body to balance or inappropriate sting.

So, it is in full sincerity that I recommend Macallan's 12-year scotch as the premium brand of choice. Whether you're first learning how to drink it or have been a scotch enthusiast for years, skip the square bottle for a night and give Macallan a shot. Hell, they're not even paying me to say that, though I wouldn't turn down an endorsement deal paid in a case or two of their product.