43% ABV, 750 ml
#16 Whiskey Advocate’s Top 20 of 2020:
“The iconic producer of lush sherried malts delivers again. Employing the same technique of marrying whiskies aged in sherry-seasoned casks of both American and European oak that landed the 12 year old in our 2017 Top 20 has resulted in a truly decadent dram—richly nutty and fruity, with dried apples, cherries, and prunes. The palate is wonderfully luscious, supple, and chewy, delivering mouth-coating waves of fruit that remain for minutes on end, before a long farewell of lingering, warming spice. Impressive and irresistibly good. —Jeffery Lindenmuth”
“First introduced in 2016, the Double Cask series of single-malt whiskies, which also features the Double Cask 12 Years Old, attempts to bring Scottish and American distilling techniques together. The liquor is aged in both American and European oak casks, which have been seasoned with sherry. Time in both casks helps create a balanced single-malt Scotch that’s warm and punctuated by a soft sweetness.
The first of the new whiskies, the Double Cask 15 Years Old, has a golden butterscotch color and an aroma that features a fruity aroma that has hints of toffee, vanilla, honey, chocolate and oak. Its older sibling, the Double Cask 18 Years Old, has an amber honey tint and smells of dried fruits, ginger, toffee and has a hint of clove. Both single-malt whiskies clock in at 86 proof.
“Bringing together American and European oak sherry seasoned casks to achieve the perfect balance of flavors is incredibly exciting for the Whisky Mastery Team, and we are proud to offer two new expressions to this distinctive range for The Macallan Double Cask fans to explore,” the distillery’s Master Whisky Maker Kirsteen Campbell said in a statement. “Oak influence is the single greatest contributor to the quality, natural color and distinctive aromas and flavors at the heart of The Macallan’s single-malts.”” The Robb Report