The Macallan is one of the world’s largest whisky producers, regardless of style. This makes their various releases accessible to collectors, aficionados, and new whisky drinkers alike. While some of their rarest and oldest expressions of 40 years or more garner the most press coverage, their younger expressions are just as exceptional and act as a whisky gateway or a wonderful gift. Their 12, 15 and 18 Year Old expressions have proven themselves to be some of the most sought-after whisky on the planet thanks to being widely available while never sacrificing quality.
The Macallan’s Double Oak and Sherry Cask releases can be found in nearly every collector’s home bar, as well as any bar offering even a modest amount of whisky. The Macallan is famous for melding their Scotch with influences of oak barrels from the United States and Europe they’ve seasoned for at least 18 months with sherry in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. Some of the most widely available barrels on the planet come from American Bourbon, and The Macallan says they source barrels from Kentucky, Ohio, and Missouri. The Macallan enjoys using these saturated oaks to impart flavor beyond what the wood could do by itself.
The 12, 15 and 18 Year Old Double Oak releases strike a balance between the honey, vanilla, citrus of the oak with raisin, blackberry, coffee, and walnut from the sherry seasoning. These are delectable whiskies that should not be slept on, especially at such an affordable price. The Sherry Cask expressions are a more velvety, intense version, highlighting a darker fruit quality like fig and date while also pulling out deeper spice qualities such as nutmeg and brine.
The 30 Year Old Double Cask expression truly shines with flavors similar to the younger expressions, yet adding wonderful notes of vibrant apples, cinder, and toffee. This can be attributed to the added age and additional use of wood from the French Pyrenees. The 18 Year Old Single Malt expressions 1996 & 1997 come in a distinctive purple box and are aged solely in sherry casks, similar to the The Macallan 12 Year Sherry Cask. Be sure to purchase these from Sotheby’s Wine before they only appear at auction. Cheers!
Forrest C. Price | Whiskey Specialist
The Macallan: Never Sacrificing Quality
Featured Wines
The Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask 43.0 abv
Regular price
$75.00 / 750ml
Sale price
$75.00 / 750ml
Unit price
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per
$75.00 / 750ml
The Macallan 30 Year Old Single Malt Double Cask – Bottled 2022
Regular price
$4,050.30 / 750mL
Sale price
$4,050.30 / 750mL
Unit price
/
per
$4,050.30 / 750mL