Double Cask tells the story of a journey that brings together two different worlds. The journey begins in the great green forests of northern Spain and the French Pyrenees. New oak from the lush forests of Ohio, Missouri and Kentucky in America is felled and transported to Spain, where both types of oak are dried and then hand-built into casks and then filled with Olorosso sherry. When the casks are finished aging, they are emptied of sherry and then sent to The Macallan Estate in Speyside, where they are filled with new spirits.
After many years in storage, the new spirit has developed and now has nice nuances and notes from the previous Sherry casks. Now the two casks must be mixed and this will be done by Macallan's Whiskey Master distillers.
The result is a perfect partnership, where the sherry-aged American oak gives a delicate taste of vanilla, while the European oak delivers the subtle and unmistakable spice and classic style of the Macallan.
Here you get golden butterscotch nuances and aromas of dried fruit, caramel and vanilla and a warming finish with a creamy mouthfeel. 15 years of storage in two types of casks, which have previously been used in sherry production.
The distillery
An obsession with quality has characterized The Macallan since its founding by Alexander Reid on a plateau above the River Spey in north-east Scotland. The distillery is surrounded by a 485 hectare estate with Easter Elchies House at its heart.