The Macallan Doubles Down With The Macallan Double Cask 12-Year-Old

The Macallan is well known for taking great pride in using sherry-seasoned casks for many of its expressions. It is now stepping up the game a bit, unveiling a new bottling which uses American oak sherry casks as the more prominent flavor over traditional European oak. Enter The Macallan Double Cask 12-Year-Old.

The new The Macallan Double Cask 12-Year-Old, according to the distillery, is created as a result of new oak from America being brought to Spain. There, it is made into oak casks which host sherry for a bit before being transferred to Scotland. At that time, they’re filled with whisky, which sits  for a dozen years before being married with scotch that has been aging in European oak casks.

“By combining wood influences, we have been able to produce a new Macallan which sits perfectly between our existing Sherry Oak and Fine Oak ranges,” said Bob Dalgarno, The Macallan master whisky maker, in a prepared statement. “The delicate flavor of American Oak – vanilla, citrus and fresh oak — is at the forefront, along with the traditional Macallan character of dried fruit and wood spice. Fresh and approachable in style, this expression of The Macallan is rich in flavor, honeyed and indulgent, and has a full, viscous mouthfeel, which makes it a great complement to The Macallan Sherry Oak 12 Years Old.”

This 100% sherry seasoned, natural color whisky is bottled at 43% ABV and is pricing around $65. It is a permanent core offering for The Macallan, and should already be at retail now. Official tasting notes are below for your consideration.

• Color: Harvest Sun
• Nose: Creamy butterscotch with a hint of toffee apple, candied orange, vanilla custard and newly felled oak
• Palate: Deliciously honeyed, wood spices and citrus, balanced with raisins and caramel
• Finish: Oak lingers, warm, sweet and drying