The Macallan 15 Year Old Double Cask Scotch Review

In 2016, The Macallan presented a new collection of whiskies, that included The Macallan 12 Double Cask, Triple Cask, and Sherry Oak. It became their basic range, with the earlier 1824 range was discontinued in 2018. In 2021, The Macallan Double Cask becomes a three-expression range, with 12, 15, and 18 year old whiskies.

For the Double Cask range, The Macallan chooses new American oak barrels that were sent to Spain for a Sherried touch, and combines them the more usual Sherry casks of European oak. That is why they claim that this range explores what happens when different oak barrels that have been seasoned with sherry are blended.

The Macallan 15 Double Cask is bottled at 43% ABV, with (the customary) no color added.

The Scotch
In the glass, the whisky takes the look of amontillado sherry. On the nose is creamy, with caramel and butter notes. It is spicier than the 12 year old, with some cinnamon and clove notes. It also has fruity notes of apple pie, pears in syrup and raisins, with a caramel rum-like souvenir. There are also some dark chocolate notes.

On the palate, this dram is a spicy bomb in the foreground, drying slowly the palate. It highlights black pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Then it evolves to the sweeter side, full of vanilla and raisins. It is lighter than expected, with orange sponge cake and baked apple notes. There are intense drying oak flavors, and light almond notes. The finish is long and dry, highlighting nutmeg and a fresh touch of ginger.

The Macallan has their style, and The Macallan 15 Double Cask is a textbook example. It is balanced and, the sherry notes are present without overlapping the other nuances. The 15 year old is way spicier and drier than its younger sibling, though it doesn’t have quite the same charm. Anyway, as with any other release from the distillery, The Macallan 15 Double oak is one of those whiskies that don’t fail.

The Price
Available in selected markets in Europe, The Macallan 15 Double Cask retails for €99.