[40%・12 Years Old・Original Bottling・General Release]
Here in Australia, we are not privileged to receive official allocation of age-statement-Macallans; and there exists entire generations of drinkers who are not privy to its greatness.
I held a Macallan tasting with some of my friends a few months back and came away feeling in awe of Macallans of old; in comparison, the contemporary Macallans simply cannot live up to the same height as say, a standard 18 year old distilled in the mid-80s.
To Macallan’s credit, the Speyside distilley does appear to be aware of its perceived notoriety, and they have seemingly embarked on an odyssey to win back critics of late. Perhaps with the recent release of the Double Oak Twelve Years Old, the old guards will finally come home to the great sherry house.
The Double Oak has been exclusively matured in sherry casks, in both European and American oak, and it is positioned in between the Fine Oak and Sherry Oak series. No doubt some fans would welcome this void of bourbon cask influence.
Nose:
On the nose there is a lot of red berries from the get go, refined and pleasant with its velvety touch. Freshly cut pears and clean minerals, green apples and sultanas. It’s rounded and fairly balanced, the oak is very much underlying and non-provocative.
Palate & Finish:
Red velvet cake served alongside crushed sultanas flamed with liquor on the palate. A feast of pitted cherries and prunes with milk chocolate truffles hidden beneath. The spices have again been kept at bay, with just traces of milk chocolate vaguely remaining afterwards.
Thoughts:
This is not so much a case of Macallan again returning to form but rather it feels like Macallan has realigned its focus back to the basics: making a household dram that’s just more elegant, and more sophisticated…
No information as to whether the Double Cask will be made officially available here in Australia; but these bottles will undoubtfully find their ways to Australia, one way or another..
✓
-Nicholas
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