Savouring a glass of your favorite single malt can be a meticulous ritual. Every single detail counts, from when you take the bottle at your hand to read the label to pouring the amber-coloured liquid into a heavy glass. Some of us look forward to appreciating the swirl of the liquid, to being mesmerised by the legs flowing down the glass wall, before one enjoys chewing the whisky on the palate. Whichever way you prefer, what counts above all else is the golden drop tipple inside it, that particular sensation will prove to worth the while for something rare as a glass of The Macallan Double Cask 30 Years.
The Macallan has long been a favourite amongst connoisseurs and novices alike because it brings out the adamant to choosing the best casks with the drive to innovating without losing its quality identity. Certainly not an easy feat in a world obsessed with newness. The respect to heritage by The Macallan however is something whisky lovers are well attached to and expect something unexpected will come out of it. One of the latest expression that lives up with this expectation is the introduction of the Double Cask 30 Years Old in what marks an important release to the existing “Double Cask” range 12, 15, and 18 Years Old.
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The Best of Both Worlds
The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old was the first of the range to emerge in 2016 and was the start of a new journey of the senses, a daring move that merges the best casks selected from both the old and the new worlds.
The secret was deceivingly simple, to create a unique combination of American and European oak sherry seasoned casks. The result surpassed expectations. Together, the two different oaks were able to concoct a perfectly balanced single malt Scotch whisky with a distinctively rich character, punctuated with a contemporary soft sweetness.
The curation of this single malt is a beauty in itself. The story that takes its first steps in the unique, lush scenery of the Spanish forests in Galicia, Cantabria and Asturias, where the European Oak is sourced and takes several challenging paths before a cask is completely matured with Sherry and set in Scotland. The other side of the journey would take us to the far away forests of Ohio, Missouri and Kentucky in the United States where the New Oak is taken from, brought to Spain and seasoned with Sherry before it is set in Scotland, alongside the European casks.
At The Macallan Estate on Speyside each type of the cask is filled with new-make spirit— fresh from the still as the first stage of whisky making. Following years of cask slumber, The Macallan’s Whisky Making Team apply their skill and expertise judiciously to select the best spirit from both the American and European oak sherry seasoned casks to create Double Cask.
The Real Taste
The result couldn’t have been more elegant with the sherry seasoned American oak imparting delicate flavours of fresh fruits and vanilla, while the European oak delivers the subtle and unmistakable spice and dried fruits of classic Macallan. A perfect partnership. So, as you pour that drink into your glass, take a minute to remember, a sip of The Macallan Double Cask took thousands of miles to happen.
The new Double Cask demonstrates The Macallan’s determined adherence to only the best, and continuously trying to surpass itself, to create peerless single malts. With 30 Years in its maturation The Macallan Double Cask 30 Years Old shows exceptional depth and complexity, by imparting aromas of fresh honeycomb, sweet toffee, red apple, fig and vanilla pod. Notes of cinnamon, ginger, Madagascan vanilla, dried fruits and oak flavours can be found on the plate, while the finish delivers sweet oak, soft spice and toffee. A magical experience if ever there was one.
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