The Macallan Sherry Oak 12 Years
The classic Macallan: twelve years exclusively in sherry oak from Jerez. Fuller and darker than the Double Cask 12, with dried fruit, spices and oak, and a velvety texture.
Twelve years on nothing but sherry wood
Sherry Oak 12 Years is the whisky that made Macallan’s name. The difference from the more widely sold Double Cask 12 lies entirely in the wood: while Double Cask also uses American oak, Sherry Oak is matured exclusively in sherry-seasoned European oak casks from Jerez. This gives a rich, intense malt with a deep golden color.
The result is fuller and more classic. The vanilla and honey that take center stage in the Double Cask give way here to dried fruit, spices and oak. Both are twelve years old and both are 40%; anyone who finds the Double Cask too soft will find more depth in the Sherry Oak.
In brief
Velvet, fruit and oak
Complex, with vanilla
Rich, complex aromas of dried fruit and sherry, with a hint of vanilla underneath.
Velvety
A velvety, medium-bodied whisky in which fruit, oak and spices are beautifully balanced.
Sweet dried fruit
A lingering finish of sweet dried fruit, wood and spices.
Tasting profile of Sherry Oak 12 Years neat. Drier and darker than the Double Cask 12.
How to taste Sherry Oak 12
A whisky for after dinner, neat or with a few drops of water. Feel free to taste it alongside a Double Cask 12: you’ll immediately taste what the wood does.
Next to Double Cask 12
Pour 20 ml of Sherry Oak 12 and 20 ml of Double Cask 12 into two tasting glasses. Smell them alternately: vanilla and honey in one, dried fruit and oak in the other. The best lesson in sherry casks there is.
Glass: tasting glass →With a drop of water
30 ml in a tulip glass and two or three drops of room-temperature water. The fruit and spices open up, and the 40% becomes even smoother.
Glass: tasting glass →In a Manhattan
50 ml Sherry Oak 12, 25 ml sweet vermouth and 2 dashes of bitters, stirred over ice and strained into a chilled coupe. The sherry pairs seamlessly with the vermouth.
Manhattan recipe →Dark, stirred cocktails with Sherry Oak
If you mix it, use cocktails where dried fruit and oak play a role. No sours, but stirred classics.
Manhattan
Whisky, sweet vermouth and bitters. Rich and fruity with Sherry Oak.
Boulevardier
Whisky, Campari and sweet vermouth. The sherry rounds out the bitterness.
Godfather
Whisky with amaretto over ice. Dried fruit and almond, a dessert in a glass.
Scotch Coffee
Hot coffee, brown sugar and whipped cream, with Sherry Oak instead of Irish whiskey.The right glass for Sherry Oak 12
A tulip-shaped tasting glass to bring together the fruit and sherry, a coupe for the Manhattan and a heavy tumbler for the Godfather.
More flavors from The Macallan
The Macallan
Where it began. On the brand page, you can read all about The Macallan: its origins, varieties and classic cocktails.
To The Macallan →
The Macallan Double Cask 15 Years
Vanilla, citrus and butterscotch from American oak, spices from European oak. Sweet, warm and balanced.
View The Macallan Double Cask 15 Years →
The Macallan Double Cask 18 Years
Eighteen years in Oloroso casks made from two types of oak. Raisins, sultanas and caramel, with ginger and citrus.
View The Macallan Double Cask 18 Years →
The Macallan Sherry Oak 18 Years
At least eighteen years in Spanish sherry casks. Deep amber, with dried fruit, nuts, orange and ginger.
View The Macallan Sherry Oak 18 Years →
The Macallan Rare Cask
From less than 0.1% of the maturing casks, selected for their flavor. Vanilla, raisins, apple and citrus.
View The Macallan Rare Cask →Everything about whisky: the types, the best-known brands and the cocktails.
Questions about The Macallan Sherry Oak 12 Years
Can't find your question here? Read more on the page about The Macallan or view our cocktail recipes.
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