🥃 The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old
12-year-old single malt Scotch from Macallan Double Cask; 40% ABV; European and American oak seasoned with sherry.
The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old is a 12-year-old single malt whisky from Speyside, 40% ABV. According to Difford's Guide, it is matured for at least 12 years in European and American oak seasoned with sherry. The name Double Cask refers to two types of oak, not to two finishing stages.
Whiskypedia describes the basis of production: mainly 500-litre sherry casks made of European and American oak, prepared by Jerez coopers to a set recipe. Difford's Guide adds that Macallan uses mainly dry oloroso and does not colour the whisky. The combination of oaks gives a different profile from the “pure” sherry line.
Why this matters to you. Double Cask 12 and Sherry Oak 12 have the same age but a different cask logic, so they should not be treated as interchangeable. For comparison, look at the name of the line, not only at the number of years. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Legal basis | Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (Single Malt Scotch Whisky) |
|---|---|
| Raw material | malted barley |
| Cask type | European and American oak seasoned with sherry |
| Minimum maturation | at least 3 years in oak by law; this expression is at least 12 years |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 40% ABV |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old → packed in → 🍷 Oak barrel ← packed in ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel, 🐝 American white oak, 🍷 Sherry
- Made from
- 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky
- What it contains
- 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 The Macallan
- Similar and different
- 🥃 The Macallan Double Cask 18 Years Old, 🥃 The Macallan Sherry Oak 12 Years Old, 🥃 The Macallan Sherry Oak 18 Years Old, 🥃 The Macallan Double Cask 18 Years Old, 🥃 The Macallan Sherry Oak 12 Years Old, 🥃 The Macallan Sherry Oak 18 Years Old, 🥃 Glenfiddich, 🥃 Highland Park 12 Year Old Viking Honour
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Double Cask means two finishing stages?
No. According to Difford's Guide, the whisky matures for at least 12 years in European and American oak seasoned with sherry. “Two casks” means two types of oak.
What is the strength of Double Cask 12?
40% ABV, according to Difford's Guide.
How does Double Cask 12 differ from Sherry Oak 12?
In the cask mix: Double Cask combines European and American oak, while Sherry Oak, according to Difford's Guide, stays with Spanish oak and oloroso.
What to read next
- 🥃 The Macallan Double Cask 18 Years Old — 18-year-old single malt Scotch from Macallan Double Cask; 43% ABV; American and European oak seasoned with sherry.
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🐝 American white oak — A North American oak that gives wine strong vanilla and coconut notes.
Similar
🥃 The Macallan Double Cask 18 Years Old · 🥃 The Macallan Sherry Oak 12 Years Old · 🥃 The Macallan Sherry Oak 18 Years Old · 🥃 Glenfiddich 18 Year Old Small Batch Reserve · 🥃 Glenfiddich 15 Year Old Solera · 🥃 Grant's Triple Wood 12
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Difford's Guide: Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask (40 %; minimum 12 years in European and American oak casks seasoned with sherry wines)
- Scotchwhisky.com (Whiskypedia): Macallan (predominantly 500 l ex-sherry casks; Oloroso seasoning with Jerez cooper Tevasa; no colour adjustment)
- Difford's Guide: The Macallan Distillery (Easter Elchies, Craigellachie, 1824, Edrington; sherry casks, dry Oloroso favoured; no caramel colouring)
- The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890), reg. 3: definition and categories of Scotch Whisky (Scotland, oak up to 700 l, min. 3 years, min. 40 % ABV)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)