The Sherry Cask version is available here in Australia for A$145.99. Dan Murphy members price is A$129. If you’re feeling a cash rich at the moment you can get the No.6 for A$7,295!
Absurd. Similarly overpriced in Taiwan. Perhaps Asia and Australia don't have access to the newer batches and that's why they're so over the top here? No idea, but it's still reasonably priced (well, for Macallan...) in Europe. Hard pass at A$145. Cheers.
Macallan is good if you have money. Tried 12 TC, 12 DC, 12 Sherry, 18 DC, 18 Sherry and Edition 3, last two is best (and most expensive) , but 12 TC worst of all for me.
Gotta be honest, I was steered clear by some folks away from Macallan. I did have the 25 yr old once - gorgeous whisky! I may try that Double Cask though. 43% here in Canada. (Love the self-deprecating humour. Very Canadian!) :)
Well I've heard this sells for around CAD $100 in some provinces. If that's the case, I wouldn't recommend it. It's a light and elegant whisky, but it's not a great value proposition, especially with Canadian prices. Caution is advised. 😉
I like your channel so I'll bite to help the algorithm. Macallan is like the popular chain restaurant down the street that's always busy; the food is decent, the service is pleasant enough, but if you just do a little research and walk a couple extra blocks you will discover gems that blow it away. And the bonus is you get to support enterprising folks providing better quality and integrity for less. No brainer for me.
Has been over 18 yrs since I had macallan.. 12 and 18 yr old sherry cask as I recall …my dear departed dad loved the 18 ..I preferred the lighter 12. But I’m sure my palate is different now. May have to get one to see how things are these days.
If you're hoping for the glory of the good old days you might be somewhat underwhelmed. It's still a beautiful whisky, but from what I've heard it's not where it was a couple of decades ago. Here's hoping you still enjoy it, Nigel. Cheers to your father, sir. 🥃
I'll order Macallan 12 at a bar/pub/restaurant every day of the week and twice on Sunday, but I likely will never buy another bottle of Macallan for my bar. The last one I bought (Edition No. 4) came off as a $90 bottle of Glenfarclas 12 ... very good but not worth $90. Cheers!
Hi Geoff,my Macallan experience is limited to the gold and a taste of the double wood 12, the gold wasn’t that good and a full bottle of the 12 was waaayyy to expensive. At least Macallan dont add brown dye. I’ve got nothing against Macallan its just that for the same prices there’s many whiskies out there that are better. Enjoyed the video, nice one Geoff,cheers.
Hey David. I tried the Macallan Gold ages ago and I found it to be spectacularly bland and forgettable. The Double Oak is a big step up, but as you say, too expensive. You're absolutely in the right to spend your hard-earned money elsewhere on better-presented whiskies. Cheers buddy!
I agree with you Geoff regarding coming back to them every few years. I am not a Macallen hater either. However, the low ABV is definitely an issue. I can get the Sherry Oak here in the US for $77. To me, that’s a fair price. As you said, we get them at 43% ABV. Is that a huge difference? No. However, as subtle as it is, it does make a difference. I have not tried the Double or Triple Cask. The Double is $69 here, so why bother when I can just spend another $8 and get the Sherry Oak.
I would likely be much more excited about this stuff at 43%. For me 40% is almost always a no-go abv, with VERY few exceptions. But there are countless whiskies at 43% that I think are fantastic. I'd happily pay USD $77 for a Macallan 12 Sherry Oak at 43%. I'm a big fan of the brand. And you're right, it's worth the extra money over the Double Cask. Cheers Alan! 🥃
My very first taste of whisky was way back in in 1972. My Uncle poured me a dram from his bottle of Macallan 18 as it was then. It was wonderful and blew my socks off! In the 50 years since, my whisky journey has been interesting, varied and enjoyable. Today, Macallan has moved well away from my usual choices and I now boycott their brand. They are not in the slightest bit interested in me as their customer. This is such a crying shame because that Macallan 18 way back then put me on this incredible whisky appreciation journey of mine. Today, there are far, far better quality and indeed integrity Scotch Malt whiskies out there to sample, enjoy and appreciate. Slainte.
A bit sad that the brand that turned you onto whisky all those years ago has now alienated much of its original customer base. There's a poem in there about the winds of change... Luckily there are better value options with better specs out there, as you said. Easy enough for us to take our business elsewhere nowadays. Cheers Paul!
In Canada the double and triple cask run about 100 dollars each. The Sherry cask 12 yr old is in the 160 range. All very pricy for what you are getting. I tried several of them and did not find them all that great at 40 percent.
I did tried the Macallan 12 sherry oak years ago with fair price, my first and last Macallan experience, and I love it! It's like Dalmore, something always with low abv, but flavor profile isn't low. Oh, and price. Hah, now I miss Macallan, maybe grab a Double Cask sometime! Cheers!🥃🥃
Yeah the Sherry Oak is a really nice whisky. It's a shame it's now usually at least NT $2500. Definitely not worth that much. The Double Cask isn't great value, but as someone who's a big fan of their house style it's a nice casual sipper to come back to. Cheers buddy!
I've always been pretty indifferent when it comes to Macallan. Any I've tried I've liked, but I've never felt like hunting any or getting into the groove with the whole craze when you go up the range. Cheers G.
I am around 300 whisky’s in my whisky journey and have yet to try a single Macallan lol. I want to but each time I am about to pull the trigger I will find another whisky i much rather try. Prob won’t get to now that 12 year core range sells for around $80-90, rather put that money in hunting for a much older whisky or a Kilkerran ha
Yeah there are better choices out there for the money, but I still have a soft spot for the elegant house style. But no point getting started on Macallans now that they've priced themselves out.
Honestly not sure i have ever tried Macallan - and have no particular desire to either, given the combination of high prices and mixed (to put it mildly) reviews!
Definitely a brand worth trying imo. Maybe see about a sample or a mini if you're not sure. Overpriced and overhyped for sure, but it's an extremely elegant whisky with a beautiful house style.
Had my first Macallan 20 years ago. Was actually Macallan 25 . Around that time period I'd occasionally order the 18 while out at restaurants/bars. Prices were very different back then. Cost aside, never my favorite. If i'm doing sherry I like it much darker. I have a bottle of the 15 Double Oak open now. Irrespective of price, I'd take Glendronach, Edradour, or Springbank (15) over any of the Macallans. Not my favorite style of sherry that's all. I haven't had any of the cask strength or higher ABV ones, so maybe the 40-43% is really holding the wow factor back on these. No hate for the brand, but I must admit, when companies go full on "luxury" and "status symbol" the line can begin to blur in the quality department. Oh, and as for the 12. I recently ordered the Sherry Oak a few times at a bar and it was very much like candy. Light, bright.... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Wouldn't buy it for the home, but best thing at that bar at least.
Fair enough. I like their sherried style myself, so I do revisit the brand from time to time. That being said, I don't know how much I'll be coming back to them moving forward as they've become a luxury brand, as you said. They definitely don't offer much as a value proposition, and you'll noticed I stopped short of recommending these whiskies to others. Cheers!
@@Gwhisky If their style suits your palate then by all means buy it when you can! You might like the 15 Double Cask if you haven't tried it. That and the 12 sherry oak are the only two of the current range I have experience with. I'm interested to try new stuff they may release over the next few years. I haven't written them off completely. Would love to try some of their more limited releases too.
Macallan 12 sherry was my first whisky, and 2 years into my whisjy journey, it is still half full. Tried it again just now, it's OK does taste luxurious and refined, but is just too watery, no complexity whatsoever. Oh price also increased about 25% compared to what I paid 2 years ago
I think it's a fantastic whisky, despite the lower abv. I wouldn't say it's a love and I certainly don't think it's good value, but I have a soft spot for it. But I can see why others aren't impressed. Across the board Macallan whiskies tend to be pretty light.
I have stopped buying low ABV chill filtered whiskies. Too many other integrity bottlings to choose from. However, the Macallan 12 Double Cask is a decent value entry-level whisky for $43. Finished my last bottle a few months ago. I am not buying any more.
I tried a sherry oak Macallan 10 and a Fine Oak 12. Both were fine, I remember I especially liked the sherried one. But that was at least 15 years ago, when Macallan still had a good price compared to whiskies from other distilleries. It's probably still good whisky, but more marketed at people with sports cars and Rolexes. I may give it a retry, but I expect to be underwhelmed, my palate has moved on and I doubt Macallan can catch up. But let's first get that sports car and Rolex...
Hah fair enough. With the low abv I don't think you'd be too impressed with the modern bottlings, and they're definitely not a good value proposition. Easy one to pass up on for many in the comments, and absolutely fair play to them. As I said in the review, I don't know how much longer I'll be coming back to Macallan at these prices. Cheers.
I'm fairly regularly tempted to try my first Macallan but when I can get 18 year old Speyburn or even Deanston's 12 year old Oloroso bottling for the same price as the 12 year old Sherry Oak, I eventually talk myself out of it. I have nothing against companies making money, branding themselves as a luxury product, etc - no is forcing anyone to buy them - but, yeah, I just can't get onboard with the pricing.
That's totally fair. Let them sell to whoever they want to sell to and make whatever kind of whisky they want to make. Easy for us to look at the price and the specs, then shrug our shoulders and take our business elsewhere. Cheers Jackson.
The first time I tried one sip of a Macallan 12 I said "oh, I get it now" and I don't know anything about Scotch, total noob. So yeah, I think there must be something to it. Quick question. I tried Aerstone 10 Land Cask(was trying to find a Peaty Scotch on the cheap) and I thought it tasted like a cross between burnt tires and a campfire. I like JW Black and Double Black, and wanted a stronger entry point into the smoky, peaty scotches. Is Aerstone as bad as it seems, or is this kind of what you get with the "Peat Bombs"? Thx, enjoy your reviews.
I was lucky enough to grab a bottle of the Macallan 12 Sherry Cask at the start of my whisky journey a few years back (the red box which is aged in sherry casks), as opposed to the Sherry Oak 12 which is in the black box and sherry seasoned casks. Can't find the red one anywhere now!
Had the triple wood when I was starting out on the whisky journey. Took forever to finish it. The woodiness really turned me off (maybe a bad batch???). Have nothing against Macallen philosophically, there has to be a professional big player in every marked, that moves the manufacturing forward. It’s not for many of us, but you know what, we don’t have to buy it.
In Italy Sherry Oak Cask (40 ABV) is 100 euros and the Double Cask (40 ABV) is 95 euros. Among the 12 y.o. there is only the Triple Cask with 43 ABV and it costs 95 euros. I really don't understand this way of playing with the ABV.
I guess it still availaible in Asia, Macallan still have three types, i f they dont produce it anymore i dont know where all of the Macallan were produced
i only had tripple cask. it has some nice notes on the nose and in the taste, but seems to weak for me, maybe cause of ABV. It's pricey here, you can buy glen scotia 15 for same price. Aint buying another one any time soon.
The best answer to your question is: Neither. Spend that hard earned money on a more deserving distillery. Macallan, A mass producing distillery that acts as if they were a small craft one like Springbank. The absolute most overpriced/ overhyped whisky rivaled only perhaps by Johnny Walker and other pretenders.
Hah tell us how you really feel, Salty! I don't seem to hate them as much as you, but I can definitely understand the sentiment. They ARE overpriced and overhyped, there's no doubt. I'm a sucker for the house style, but I'll be the first to admit they aren't good value. Cheers.
@@Gwhisky no, no.. it’s not hate but rather a mere observation. 😏 Is it good ? Yeah, sure. So is a jar of Nutella but I’m not paying $100 for it. I managed to buy an edition #2 for $100. Is it worth the 1k plus they’re asking for now? I’m sure it isn’t. I’m holding onto it to exchange it to some collector one day for actual good bottles in return.
Macallan is like a love and hate feeling to me, love the taste, but hate the price... Perhaps you can make a video on "better whisky substitution to macallan 12 on the same quality " in future? I think that will be a good comparison video since you are in TW, where sherry whisky are at a higher level of price than most of the country.
I've reviewed the Tamdhu 12 before, which I feel is a great alternative to the Macallan 12 line. It's a different house style, but it's also a lighter, elegant profile. Cheers!
@@Gwhisky I tried before, and I agreed with you on this; together with Glenrothes and Glendronach. I think they are a cheaper alternative to Macallan that doesn't compromise on the quality.
The first whisky I bought was a Macallan. About 6 years ago. It had no age statement. I only remember that it had a white box... I quite liked it. I thought it was better than the Glenfiddich 12 or 15 for that matter... Anyway, without being as expensive as the Macallan that I find today, I came to the conclusion that the Glenfiddich 12 offered a better experience for it's price. I would try one again... Thank you for the review!
It's a good whisky. For me it's a different league than the Glenfiddich 12, although it's much pricier, so it's up to you to decide if it's worthwhile. Cheers Radu. Thanks for watching!
Edrington seasons most of their casks for 2 years. Of course what seasons their casks is not normal aged sherry but likely some proprietary young sherry that can be discarded or made into sherry vinegar as the sherry is too woody after seasoning the new toasted casks.
I've had both of these, albeit at different points in my whiskey journey. I've had the Triple Cask in early 2020, when my enthusiasm really took off, and I was not impressed whatsoever. Then I had the Double Cask in Barcelona in late 2021, and I thought: "Damn, this is so good, even at 40%". I'm very neutral on Macallan, I think they're quality drams but the price doesn't match the presentation. Therefore they're bar drams only for me.
Well said. I think that's a healthy attitude to have towards Macallan, and it's one that I share. As I said in the video, I don't know how much I'll be coming back to them down the line as the prices don't match the quality, but I think they do make good whisky. Easy enough for us to shrug our shoulder and take our money elsewhere. Cheers!
I neither hate Macallan nor do I love them. I don't care about Macallan. I'm way outside their target customer group and they are way outside my interest. Thus we are able to perfectly exist without eachother😀 Their marketing, packaging, product placement, pricing have too much to do with what's ON the bottle whilst I'm all about what's IN the bottle. The 12 yo 40% Double or Tripple Cask will have me part with roughly 75 euros in Bulgaria. Absolutely not a deal for me😀 Even if the juice in the bottle was at 46%, NCF I still wouldn't pay more than 45 euros. 30 max at 40%. And that is more than generous price for a bottle of mass produced, 12 yo malt whisky, considering the current state of the market in Bulgaria, taxes, excise duties, etc. Bunnahabhain 12 costs less than 2/3 the price of Macallan, Glenallachie 12 costs less than a half, Glenallachie 10 cask strength is 2/3 and I highly doubt 40% or even 43% Macallan can deliver the same caliber of experience as those malts. I don't doubt Macallan's capability of producing quality product, but in the end of the day even Macallan is just a bottle of booze and I'm not going to overpay for the enjoyment of it. If fact I'm glad brands like Macallan, Dalmore, etc. exist so "lifestyle" consumers can have their whisky to brag with and leave the sea of integrity presented and reasonably priced malts for us. Didn't quite work for Springbank, but...hey..😉 Cheers!
Hah I definitely didn't expect this bottle to be of any interest to you. As someone who (rightly) demands good value from your whiskies, this would definitely disappoint. Also, €75 is a high for the Triple, which is usually the cheapest of the three 12s in most markets. You're right, there's definitely a place for brands like Dalmore, Macallan, and other "hype" whiskies. I actually enjoy some of them, but I see why they frustrate a lot of people. But as you said, just as easy to ignore them and go about your shopping for the integrity stuff. Cheers!
I tend to love Macallan when it's well-presented, and at one point I considered Macallan 18 the best whisky in production; but that was several moons ago and the brand has entirely priced me out. It's devolved into a snob-whisky for showoffs with money to burn, period. I don't mind spending more for a premium bottle that I like, but when the price begins to approach or exceed DOUBLE the price of other comparable whiskies, then it's pretty much game over for me. That being the case, I bought my last & final bottle of Macallan 12 @43% a few months back when prices began to skyrocket. The 12 Sherry Wood routinely sells in excess of $100, and I've seen it for as much as $150; I think I paid $80 for my 12 I'm ashamed to say.
Yeah it's substantially less here, but compared to other 12s it is still about USD $10 higher than it should be. $100-$150 is an absolute joke. I love the house style, but with prices climbing I don't know how much longer I'll be stocking any Macallans on the Gwhisky shelves...
i tend to have trouble trying to squeeze as much value as possible out of the bottle just becuse its macallan. and its so good it cant be ignored and disappears too fast. waaaay too fast for the money.
I enjoy Macallan whisky, it's just a shame that it's way too overpriced. Fair play to their marketing though, the distillery must be making a lot of money. There are so many other brands available at far more reasonable prices & better value.
40% Macallans for the price they ask? No way. I remember getting really disappointed when I tasted the 12 sherry oak, but could buy it again for the older prices. The double absolutely not, it’s too dull. Now the 15 double, yes and yes. About the sherry industry, the problem is in the last decades sherry consumption fell tremendously, even in Spain, contrary to Port that keeps growing and growing. So if it wasn’t for the whisky industry, I don’t know where the production of sherry would be now. That’s why casks are seasoned and not real casks for the production of sherry to be drunken. That sherry wich is used for seasoning casks is only used for other purposes like vinagre and some sweet beverages (licores). Also since 1986 Spain forbids the exportation of sherry in casks, only bottled. .
Interesting insight into the sherry industry. I knew it was wavering and that it's dependent on other industries to keep it afloat, but I didn't realize the situation was that bad! I like the Sherry Oak and Double Cask 12 more than you, it seems. That being said, they're overpriced and I doubt I'll be buying either again at this point. LOVE the 15! Cheers.
@@Gwhisky dont know if you ever tasted sherry wine but is quite a surprising experience. Sherried whiskies are always sweet, but only PX sherry is sweet (too sweet for my taste, very exaggerated). The others are generally dry and even bitter, almost without any sweetness at all, contrary to Port that is always sweet but more balanced and rounded (with the exception of white Port). Most people have a sweet tooth.
I have the three of the America's 43% abv versions, and even though the triple cask is good, the value is not worth the money, the double could have a future chance, but i think it worth not the cost too, and the sherry oak is near to be even between cost an what offers to palate. Just because i am a Macallan fan would purchase the sherry and maybe the double cask again, but that's it. I had the harmony cacao, which was a huge disappoint for me, as well as the Quest. I think i will try the 15 and 18 both double and sherry and see if they worth it or not. Here is still available the Amber of the past collection, and i will give it a chance too... i hope i will not be repent of it.
I'm a big fan of the 15 myself, although it's gone up in price a bit too much for me these days. I still have a bottle on the shelf that I'm thoroughly enjoying. The 18 I've tried. It's good, but a bit light and certainly not worth the price tag imo. If you do pull the trigger on the 18, I hope you get it on discount or at a good price (for Macallan, at least). Cheers! 🥃
A non-whisky question: living in Taiwan, how did you pick up the 'Americanisms' - repetitive use of the phrase, 'do think'; repetitive use of the word, 'like'; 'impactful'; and 'impact'.
I think the reputation and the prices of their whisky’s precedes how good they are. It’s a pass for me. There are too many other better values in the mix to never get around to trying these. I just picked up a bottle of Edradour at 43% for $60US and it’s delicious. Like, really good. So I will pursue others like this. The McCallen marketing are laughing at the gullible nature of those who think the more you spend, the better it must be. Nope, not me.
Well said. I've heard Macallans are often USD $100+ in the US and Canada. Absurd. It's much closer to $50 here, and I'm still not convinced of its value. If value is an important factor to you (and it should be), then there are certainly better options. Cheers buddy!
It is imho overrated, anything 40%, chill filtered, colored is usually just that anyway.. would never pay for a full bottle to be honest when we have so many properly presented whiskies on the market.
HUmmmm : double cask over triple cask , over gold. - - - there is a 5-cask for travel retail, very fruity but punch, still at 43% only. . . in place of Mac-12, i reach for (new 46%) Brackla-12 or Farcals-12 (43%) , or Rothes-12 (40%), ... and if all un-avail, Scallywag 100% sherry 10yo 46% UCF (Doug Laing) any day !
Brackla 12 and Douglais Laing stuff are excellent. Farclas 12 is one I've got to come back to. I've never loved it, but it's been years. Rothes 12... not sure if I've ever tried that one. Thanks for the shopping ideas, even if they were unintentional!
Macallan was great in the nineties, when - as a student - I was able to casually sip the 18yo vintage 1973 purchased at the whopping price of hfl100 (€45). Oh, good times…. Macallan these days is (usually) good but (always) overpriced. And old bottlings have really idiotic prices these days…
An 18 year old Macallan at €45 is unimaginable these days. Macallan has gone up quite sharply in the last dozen years that I've been enjoying whisky, but even back when I started Macallan 18 was one of the more premium 18 year olds. I agree, usually good and always overpriced pretty much sums it up. Cheers!
in this state, id never buy a macallan, way overpriced, no Integrity bottling, lame casks, its a 25€ whisky for 80€, so defenitely no. For this price you can get 10 times better whiskies, so why pick macallan. Id also never buy them because in buying them you giving them money and approval of what bs they are doing.
I certainly like them much more than you. I think they use decent casks and I don't think the whisky tastes that cheap. But I totally agree that the specs are nonsense, as is the price. There are better whiskies to be had for that kind of money for sure.
@@Gwhisky with lame casks i mean: for example for the 12 sherry, they only use seasoned casks, they even write it on the bottle (its by far not the cask quality they once had), the distilleries signature is quite good, but paying 120+€ (for the sherry cask) for a seasoned sherry cask at 40%, and everything pretty sure chill filtered, is abysmal
Hah fair enough. I did ask. I don't think we should be condemning other people's choices, though. I occasionally treat myself to whisky that's overpriced or whisky that doesn't have ideal specs because I enjoy drinking it regardless. As I said in the review, I don't know how much more Macallan I'll be buying down the line as they're pricing themselves out for me, but if someone else wants to pick them up I have no problem with that. Easy enough for me to shrug my shoulders and go buy something else.
@@Gwhisky I see what you mean for sure! And no condemnation to the people, more so to the distillery for taking advantage of the people. I just think Macallan is not the whisky lover's friend.
The Sherry Cask version is available here in Australia for A$145.99. Dan Murphy members price is A$129. If you’re feeling a cash rich at the moment you can get the No.6 for A$7,295!
Absurd. Similarly overpriced in Taiwan. Perhaps Asia and Australia don't have access to the newer batches and that's why they're so over the top here? No idea, but it's still reasonably priced (well, for Macallan...) in Europe. Hard pass at A$145. Cheers.
Macallan is good if you have money.
Tried 12 TC, 12 DC, 12 Sherry, 18 DC, 18 Sherry and Edition 3, last two is best (and most expensive) , but 12 TC worst of all for me.
Gotta be honest, I was steered clear by some folks away from Macallan. I did have the 25 yr old once - gorgeous whisky! I may try that Double Cask though. 43% here in Canada. (Love the self-deprecating humour. Very Canadian!) :)
Well I've heard this sells for around CAD $100 in some provinces. If that's the case, I wouldn't recommend it. It's a light and elegant whisky, but it's not a great value proposition, especially with Canadian prices. Caution is advised. 😉
I like your channel so I'll bite to help the algorithm. Macallan is like the popular chain restaurant down the street that's always busy; the food is decent, the service is pleasant enough, but if you just do a little research and walk a couple extra blocks you will discover gems that blow it away. And the bonus is you get to support enterprising folks providing better quality and integrity for less. No brainer for me.
Hah that's a great analogy, actually. Decent food and good service, but they overcharge!
Such as?
Has been over 18 yrs since I had macallan.. 12 and 18 yr old sherry cask as I recall …my dear departed dad loved the 18 ..I preferred the lighter 12. But I’m sure my palate is different now. May have to get one to see how things are these days.
If you're hoping for the glory of the good old days you might be somewhat underwhelmed. It's still a beautiful whisky, but from what I've heard it's not where it was a couple of decades ago. Here's hoping you still enjoy it, Nigel. Cheers to your father, sir. 🥃
I'll order Macallan 12 at a bar/pub/restaurant every day of the week and twice on Sunday, but I likely will never buy another bottle of Macallan for my bar. The last one I bought (Edition No. 4) came off as a $90 bottle of Glenfarclas 12 ... very good but not worth $90. Cheers!
Eesh. Scathing. I haven't tried the numbered edition series and likely never will. You're right... best enjoyed at a bar. Cheers. 🥃
Hi Geoff,my Macallan experience is limited to the gold and a taste of the double wood 12, the gold wasn’t that good and a full bottle of the 12 was waaayyy to expensive. At least Macallan dont add brown dye. I’ve got nothing against Macallan its just that for the same prices there’s many whiskies out there that are better. Enjoyed the video, nice one Geoff,cheers.
Hey David. I tried the Macallan Gold ages ago and I found it to be spectacularly bland and forgettable. The Double Oak is a big step up, but as you say, too expensive. You're absolutely in the right to spend your hard-earned money elsewhere on better-presented whiskies. Cheers buddy!
I agree with you Geoff regarding coming back to them every few years. I am not a Macallen hater either. However, the low ABV is definitely an issue. I can get the Sherry Oak here in the US for $77. To me, that’s a fair price. As you said, we get them at 43% ABV. Is that a huge difference? No. However, as subtle as it is, it does make a difference. I have not tried the Double or Triple Cask. The Double is $69 here, so why bother when I can just spend another $8 and get the Sherry Oak.
I would likely be much more excited about this stuff at 43%. For me 40% is almost always a no-go abv, with VERY few exceptions. But there are countless whiskies at 43% that I think are fantastic. I'd happily pay USD $77 for a Macallan 12 Sherry Oak at 43%. I'm a big fan of the brand. And you're right, it's worth the extra money over the Double Cask. Cheers Alan! 🥃
My very first taste of whisky was way back in in 1972. My Uncle poured me a dram from his bottle of Macallan 18 as it was then.
It was wonderful and blew my socks off! In the 50 years since, my whisky journey has been interesting, varied and enjoyable.
Today, Macallan has moved well away from my usual choices and I now boycott their brand.
They are not in the slightest bit interested in me as their customer. This is such a crying shame because that Macallan 18 way back then put me on this incredible whisky appreciation journey of mine.
Today, there are far, far better quality and indeed integrity Scotch Malt whiskies out there to sample, enjoy and appreciate.
Slainte.
A bit sad that the brand that turned you onto whisky all those years ago has now alienated much of its original customer base. There's a poem in there about the winds of change...
Luckily there are better value options with better specs out there, as you said. Easy enough for us to take our business elsewhere nowadays. Cheers Paul!
In Canada the double and triple cask run about 100 dollars each. The Sherry cask 12 yr old is in the 160 range. All very pricy for what you are getting. I tried several of them and did not find them all that great at 40 percent.
Damn that's expensive. Absolutely agree, not worth that much. I swear I'd be sober as a judge if I still lived in Canada. Absurd prices there.
I did tried the Macallan 12 sherry oak years ago with fair price, my first and last Macallan experience, and I love it! It's like Dalmore, something always with low abv, but flavor profile isn't low. Oh, and price.
Hah, now I miss Macallan, maybe grab a Double Cask sometime! Cheers!🥃🥃
Yeah the Sherry Oak is a really nice whisky. It's a shame it's now usually at least NT $2500. Definitely not worth that much. The Double Cask isn't great value, but as someone who's a big fan of their house style it's a nice casual sipper to come back to. Cheers buddy!
I've always been pretty indifferent when it comes to Macallan. Any I've tried I've liked, but I've never felt like hunting any or getting into the groove with the whole craze when you go up the range. Cheers G.
I think that's the smart move Al. Enjoy it when you come across it but don't bother seeking it out and overpaying in the process. Cheers buddy! 🥃
I am around 300 whisky’s in my whisky journey and have yet to try a single Macallan lol. I want to but each time I am about to pull the trigger I will find another whisky i much rather try.
Prob won’t get to now that 12 year core range sells for around $80-90, rather put that money in hunting for a much older whisky or a Kilkerran ha
Yeah there are better choices out there for the money, but I still have a soft spot for the elegant house style. But no point getting started on Macallans now that they've priced themselves out.
Honestly not sure i have ever tried Macallan - and have no particular desire to either, given the combination of high prices and mixed (to put it mildly) reviews!
Definitely a brand worth trying imo. Maybe see about a sample or a mini if you're not sure. Overpriced and overhyped for sure, but it's an extremely elegant whisky with a beautiful house style.
Had my first Macallan 20 years ago. Was actually Macallan 25 . Around that time period I'd occasionally order the 18 while out at restaurants/bars. Prices were very different back then. Cost aside, never my favorite. If i'm doing sherry I like it much darker. I have a bottle of the 15 Double Oak open now. Irrespective of price, I'd take Glendronach, Edradour, or Springbank (15) over any of the Macallans. Not my favorite style of sherry that's all. I haven't had any of the cask strength or higher ABV ones, so maybe the 40-43% is really holding the wow factor back on these. No hate for the brand, but I must admit, when companies go full on "luxury" and "status symbol" the line can begin to blur in the quality department.
Oh, and as for the 12. I recently ordered the Sherry Oak a few times at a bar and it was very much like candy. Light, bright.... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Wouldn't buy it for the home, but best thing at that bar at least.
Fair enough. I like their sherried style myself, so I do revisit the brand from time to time. That being said, I don't know how much I'll be coming back to them moving forward as they've become a luxury brand, as you said. They definitely don't offer much as a value proposition, and you'll noticed I stopped short of recommending these whiskies to others. Cheers!
@@Gwhisky If their style suits your palate then by all means buy it when you can! You might like the 15 Double Cask if you haven't tried it. That and the 12 sherry oak are the only two of the current range I have experience with. I'm interested to try new stuff they may release over the next few years. I haven't written them off completely. Would love to try some of their more limited releases too.
Macallan 12 sherry was my first whisky, and 2 years into my whisjy journey, it is still half full. Tried it again just now, it's OK does taste luxurious and refined, but is just too watery, no complexity whatsoever. Oh price also increased about 25% compared to what I paid 2 years ago
I think it's a fantastic whisky, despite the lower abv. I wouldn't say it's a love and I certainly don't think it's good value, but I have a soft spot for it. But I can see why others aren't impressed. Across the board Macallan whiskies tend to be pretty light.
I have stopped buying low ABV chill filtered whiskies. Too many other integrity bottlings to choose from. However, the Macallan 12 Double Cask is a decent value entry-level whisky for $43. Finished my last bottle a few months ago. I am not buying any more.
That's pretty much how I feel about my bottle. Cheers.
I tried a sherry oak Macallan 10 and a Fine Oak 12. Both were fine, I remember I especially liked the sherried one. But that was at least 15 years ago, when Macallan still had a good price compared to whiskies from other distilleries. It's probably still good whisky, but more marketed at people with sports cars and Rolexes. I may give it a retry, but I expect to be underwhelmed, my palate has moved on and I doubt Macallan can catch up. But let's first get that sports car and Rolex...
Hah fair enough. With the low abv I don't think you'd be too impressed with the modern bottlings, and they're definitely not a good value proposition. Easy one to pass up on for many in the comments, and absolutely fair play to them. As I said in the review, I don't know how much longer I'll be coming back to Macallan at these prices. Cheers.
I'm fairly regularly tempted to try my first Macallan but when I can get 18 year old Speyburn or even Deanston's 12 year old Oloroso bottling for the same price as the 12 year old Sherry Oak, I eventually talk myself out of it. I have nothing against companies making money, branding themselves as a luxury product, etc - no is forcing anyone to buy them - but, yeah, I just can't get onboard with the pricing.
That's totally fair. Let them sell to whoever they want to sell to and make whatever kind of whisky they want to make. Easy for us to look at the price and the specs, then shrug our shoulders and take our business elsewhere. Cheers Jackson.
Hi Geoff ! Mac 12 T.C. good whisky , i liked , but very expensive , 65-75 euro , i think reali price 40-45 euro .
Hey Light. Yeah it's too expensive nowadays and there are better options. Cheers!
The first time I tried one sip of a Macallan 12 I said "oh, I get it now" and I don't know anything about Scotch, total noob. So yeah, I think there must be something to it.
Quick question. I tried Aerstone 10 Land Cask(was trying to find a Peaty Scotch on the cheap) and I thought it tasted like a cross between burnt tires and a campfire.
I like JW Black and Double Black, and wanted a stronger entry point into the smoky, peaty scotches. Is Aerstone as bad as it seems, or is this kind of what you get
with the "Peat Bombs"? Thx, enjoy your reviews.
I was lucky enough to grab a bottle of the Macallan 12 Sherry Cask at the start of my whisky journey a few years back (the red box which is aged in sherry casks), as opposed to the Sherry Oak 12 which is in the black box and sherry seasoned casks. Can't find the red one anywhere now!
Yeah Macallan was actually reasonably priced once upon a time. Those older 12s were good!
Had the triple wood when I was starting out on the whisky journey. Took forever to finish it. The woodiness really turned me off (maybe a bad batch???).
Have nothing against Macallen philosophically, there has to be a professional big player in every marked, that moves the manufacturing forward. It’s not for many of us, but you know what, we don’t have to buy it.
Hah that's probably a much healthier attitude to have about Macallan than most.
In Italy Sherry Oak Cask (40 ABV) is 100 euros and the Double Cask (40 ABV) is 95 euros. Among the 12 y.o. there is only the Triple Cask with 43 ABV and it costs 95 euros. I really don't understand this way of playing with the ABV.
I guess it still availaible in Asia, Macallan still have three types, i f they dont produce it anymore i dont know where all of the Macallan were produced
Taste is subjective, why are people dissing others that like it
Agree. Plenty of reasons to dislike Macallan and choose not to buy it for yourself. I don't believe in shaming others for their choices.
i only had tripple cask. it has some nice notes on the nose and in the taste, but seems to weak for me, maybe cause of ABV. It's pricey here, you can buy glen scotia 15 for same price. Aint buying another one any time soon.
Macallan - are they chill filtered and colored?
The best answer to your question is: Neither.
Spend that hard earned money on a more deserving distillery. Macallan, A mass producing distillery that acts as if they were a small craft one like Springbank. The absolute most overpriced/ overhyped whisky rivaled only perhaps by Johnny Walker and other pretenders.
Hah tell us how you really feel, Salty!
I don't seem to hate them as much as you, but I can definitely understand the sentiment. They ARE overpriced and overhyped, there's no doubt. I'm a sucker for the house style, but I'll be the first to admit they aren't good value. Cheers.
@@Gwhisky no, no.. it’s not hate but rather a mere observation. 😏
Is it good ? Yeah, sure. So is a jar of Nutella but I’m not paying $100 for it.
I managed to buy an edition #2 for $100.
Is it worth the 1k plus they’re asking for now? I’m sure it isn’t. I’m holding onto it to exchange it to some collector one day for actual good bottles in return.
Macallan is like a love and hate feeling to me, love the taste, but hate the price... Perhaps you can make a video on "better whisky substitution to macallan 12 on the same quality " in future? I think that will be a good comparison video since you are in TW, where sherry whisky are at a higher level of price than most of the country.
I've reviewed the Tamdhu 12 before, which I feel is a great alternative to the Macallan 12 line. It's a different house style, but it's also a lighter, elegant profile. Cheers!
@@Gwhisky I tried before, and I agreed with you on this; together with Glenrothes and Glendronach. I think they are a cheaper alternative to Macallan that doesn't compromise on the quality.
The first whisky I bought was a Macallan. About 6 years ago. It had no age statement. I only remember that it had a white box...
I quite liked it. I thought it was better than the Glenfiddich 12 or 15 for that matter...
Anyway, without being as expensive as the Macallan that I find today, I came to the conclusion that the Glenfiddich 12 offered a better experience for it's price.
I would try one again... Thank you for the review!
It's a good whisky. For me it's a different league than the Glenfiddich 12, although it's much pricier, so it's up to you to decide if it's worthwhile. Cheers Radu. Thanks for watching!
I cant believe they are chill filtered, no way paying that much for chill filtered stuff
What will be your suggestion on wishkies for this price range( other distilleries)
Prices vary a lot between markets, but I always recommend Tamdhu 12 as a nice alternative to Macallan 12.
Edrington seasons most of their casks for 2 years. Of course what seasons their casks is not normal aged sherry but likely some proprietary young sherry that can be discarded or made into sherry vinegar as the sherry is too woody after seasoning the new toasted casks.
Thanks for the insight. I had no idea the seasoning lasted that long!
I've had both of these, albeit at different points in my whiskey journey. I've had the Triple Cask in early 2020, when my enthusiasm really took off, and I was not impressed whatsoever. Then I had the Double Cask in Barcelona in late 2021, and I thought: "Damn, this is so good, even at 40%". I'm very neutral on Macallan, I think they're quality drams but the price doesn't match the presentation. Therefore they're bar drams only for me.
Well said. I think that's a healthy attitude to have towards Macallan, and it's one that I share. As I said in the video, I don't know how much I'll be coming back to them down the line as the prices don't match the quality, but I think they do make good whisky. Easy enough for us to shrug our shoulder and take our money elsewhere. Cheers!
Macallan 18 is the way. But if i had to choose between these 2 i would go double
I neither hate Macallan nor do I love them.
I don't care about Macallan. I'm way outside their target customer group and they are way outside my interest. Thus we are able to perfectly exist without eachother😀
Their marketing, packaging, product placement, pricing have too much to do with what's ON the bottle whilst I'm all about what's IN the bottle.
The 12 yo 40% Double or Tripple Cask will have me part with roughly 75 euros in Bulgaria. Absolutely not a deal for me😀 Even if the juice in the bottle was at 46%, NCF I still wouldn't pay more than 45 euros. 30 max at 40%. And that is more than generous price for a bottle of mass produced, 12 yo malt whisky, considering the current state of the market in Bulgaria, taxes, excise duties, etc. Bunnahabhain 12 costs less than 2/3 the price of Macallan, Glenallachie 12 costs less than a half, Glenallachie 10 cask strength is 2/3 and I highly doubt 40% or even 43% Macallan can deliver the same caliber of experience as those malts.
I don't doubt Macallan's capability of producing quality product, but in the end of the day even Macallan is just a bottle of booze and I'm not going to overpay for the enjoyment of it.
If fact I'm glad brands like Macallan, Dalmore, etc. exist so "lifestyle" consumers can have their whisky to brag with and leave the sea of integrity presented and reasonably priced malts for us. Didn't quite work for Springbank, but...hey..😉
Cheers!
Hah I definitely didn't expect this bottle to be of any interest to you. As someone who (rightly) demands good value from your whiskies, this would definitely disappoint. Also, €75 is a high for the Triple, which is usually the cheapest of the three 12s in most markets.
You're right, there's definitely a place for brands like Dalmore, Macallan, and other "hype" whiskies. I actually enjoy some of them, but I see why they frustrate a lot of people. But as you said, just as easy to ignore them and go about your shopping for the integrity stuff. Cheers!
I tend to love Macallan when it's well-presented, and at one point I considered Macallan 18 the best whisky in production; but that was several moons ago and the brand has entirely priced me out.
It's devolved into a snob-whisky for showoffs with money to burn, period.
I don't mind spending more for a premium bottle that I like, but when the price begins to approach or exceed DOUBLE the price of other comparable whiskies, then it's pretty much game over for me.
That being the case, I bought my last & final bottle of Macallan 12 @43% a few months back when prices began to skyrocket. The 12 Sherry Wood routinely sells in excess of $100, and I've seen it for as much as $150; I think I paid $80 for my 12 I'm ashamed to say.
Yeah it's substantially less here, but compared to other 12s it is still about USD $10 higher than it should be. $100-$150 is an absolute joke.
I love the house style, but with prices climbing I don't know how much longer I'll be stocking any Macallans on the Gwhisky shelves...
i tend to have trouble trying to squeeze as much value as possible out of the bottle just becuse its macallan. and its so good it cant be ignored and disappears too fast. waaaay too fast for the money.
Love the Humor. 🥳
Hah thanks. Some jokes land, some don't, but it's fun to get a bit goofy on the channel at times. Cheers.
Okay, but which one will get me a better ROI on the after market?
Lol these will both be NT $10k by 2030. 😉
I enjoy Macallan whisky, it's just a shame that it's way too overpriced. Fair play to their marketing though, the distillery must be making a lot of money. There are so many other brands available at far more reasonable prices & better value.
Agree. It's good stuff, but it's making less and less sense as a value proposition. Cheers.
there is no magic dust. when the money is good enough, someone will replace them with integrity bottlings.
40% Macallans for the price they ask? No way. I remember getting really disappointed when I tasted the 12 sherry oak, but could buy it again for the older prices. The double absolutely not, it’s too dull. Now the 15 double, yes and yes. About the sherry industry, the problem is in the last decades sherry consumption fell tremendously, even in Spain, contrary to Port that keeps growing and growing. So if it wasn’t for the whisky industry, I don’t know where the production of sherry would be now. That’s why casks are seasoned and not real casks for the production of sherry to be drunken. That sherry wich is used for seasoning casks is only used for other purposes like vinagre and some sweet beverages (licores). Also since 1986 Spain forbids the exportation of sherry in casks, only bottled. .
Interesting insight into the sherry industry. I knew it was wavering and that it's dependent on other industries to keep it afloat, but I didn't realize the situation was that bad!
I like the Sherry Oak and Double Cask 12 more than you, it seems. That being said, they're overpriced and I doubt I'll be buying either again at this point. LOVE the 15! Cheers.
@@Gwhisky dont know if you ever tasted sherry wine but is quite a surprising experience. Sherried whiskies are always sweet, but only PX sherry is sweet (too sweet for my taste, very exaggerated). The others are generally dry and even bitter, almost without any sweetness at all, contrary to Port that is always sweet but more balanced and rounded (with the exception of white Port). Most people have a sweet tooth.
I still miss the Macallan 10 year which was removed from the US a few years ago. Not sure if it’s available in other markets?
It was available here, and it's a shame I didn't stash any away. It's now about 5x its original price here.
Ahhhh - the benefit of hindsight. I wish I had picked up a couple of the 1824 Series 'Sienna'. 😀
I have the three of the America's 43% abv versions, and even though the triple cask is good, the value is not worth the money, the double could have a future chance, but i think it worth not the cost too, and the sherry oak is near to be even between cost an what offers to palate. Just because i am a Macallan fan would purchase the sherry and maybe the double cask again, but that's it. I had the harmony cacao, which was a huge disappoint for me, as well as the Quest. I think i will try the 15 and 18 both double and sherry and see if they worth it or not. Here is still available the Amber of the past collection, and i will give it a chance too... i hope i will not be repent of it.
I'm a big fan of the 15 myself, although it's gone up in price a bit too much for me these days. I still have a bottle on the shelf that I'm thoroughly enjoying. The 18 I've tried. It's good, but a bit light and certainly not worth the price tag imo. If you do pull the trigger on the 18, I hope you get it on discount or at a good price (for Macallan, at least). Cheers! 🥃
Interesting references in 1st 3 min😅
A non-whisky question: living in Taiwan, how did you pick up the 'Americanisms' -
repetitive use of the phrase, 'do think';
repetitive use of the word, 'like';
'impactful'; and
'impact'.
I didn't grow up here. I moved here from Canada 15 years ago. I'm a native English speaker.
@@Gwhisky That's a big move!
I think the reputation and the prices of their whisky’s precedes how good they are. It’s a pass for me. There are too many other better values in the mix to never get around to trying these. I just picked up a bottle of Edradour at 43% for $60US and it’s delicious. Like, really good. So I will pursue others like this. The McCallen marketing are laughing at the gullible nature of those who think the more you spend, the better it must be. Nope, not me.
Well said. I've heard Macallans are often USD $100+ in the US and Canada. Absurd. It's much closer to $50 here, and I'm still not convinced of its value. If value is an important factor to you (and it should be), then there are certainly better options. Cheers buddy!
the revelations were real game changers for me. lololololololololololololol
😂😂😂
It is imho overrated, anything 40%, chill filtered, colored is usually just that anyway.. would never pay for a full bottle to be honest when we have so many properly presented whiskies on the market.
HUmmmm : double cask over triple cask , over gold. - - - there is a 5-cask for travel retail, very fruity but punch, still at 43% only. . . in place of Mac-12, i reach for (new 46%) Brackla-12 or Farcals-12 (43%) , or Rothes-12 (40%), ... and if all un-avail, Scallywag 100% sherry 10yo 46% UCF (Doug Laing) any day !
Brackla 12 and Douglais Laing stuff are excellent. Farclas 12 is one I've got to come back to. I've never loved it, but it's been years. Rothes 12... not sure if I've ever tried that one. Thanks for the shopping ideas, even if they were unintentional!
Macallan was great in the nineties, when - as a student - I was able to casually sip the 18yo vintage 1973 purchased at the whopping price of hfl100 (€45). Oh, good times…. Macallan these days is (usually) good but (always) overpriced. And old bottlings have really idiotic prices these days…
An 18 year old Macallan at €45 is unimaginable these days. Macallan has gone up quite sharply in the last dozen years that I've been enjoying whisky, but even back when I started Macallan 18 was one of the more premium 18 year olds. I agree, usually good and always overpriced pretty much sums it up. Cheers!
One thing i really likes about macallan is that they consistently produce whiskies that are a prime example of everything a single malt should be.
I totally disagree..overpriced mediocrity!!!
you typed "shouldn´t" wrong. They are a prime example of what a whisky shouldnt be
in this state, id never buy a macallan, way overpriced, no Integrity bottling, lame casks, its a 25€ whisky for 80€, so defenitely no. For this price you can get 10 times better whiskies, so why pick macallan. Id also never buy them because in buying them you giving them money and approval of what bs they are doing.
I certainly like them much more than you. I think they use decent casks and I don't think the whisky tastes that cheap. But I totally agree that the specs are nonsense, as is the price. There are better whiskies to be had for that kind of money for sure.
@@Gwhisky with lame casks i mean: for example for the 12 sherry, they only use seasoned casks, they even write it on the bottle (its by far not the cask quality they once had), the distilleries signature is quite good, but paying 120+€ (for the sherry cask) for a seasoned sherry cask at 40%, and everything pretty sure chill filtered, is abysmal
No one should support Macallan, as such people are the reasons that such distilleries are the way they are .. just my opinion. Hey you asked for it 😀
Hah fair enough. I did ask. I don't think we should be condemning other people's choices, though. I occasionally treat myself to whisky that's overpriced or whisky that doesn't have ideal specs because I enjoy drinking it regardless. As I said in the review, I don't know how much more Macallan I'll be buying down the line as they're pricing themselves out for me, but if someone else wants to pick them up I have no problem with that. Easy enough for me to shrug my shoulders and go buy something else.
@@Gwhisky I see what you mean for sure! And no condemnation to the people, more so to the distillery for taking advantage of the people. I just think Macallan is not the whisky lover's friend.
@@catnapgee5357 Can't argue with that!
Never buy ‘em , any of ‘em , average quality , low ABV , over priced ..In a nutshell IMO ..Better can be bought for less 👍🥃
Hah a rather blunt comment from you, Allan, but every word of it rings true. Cheers my friend! 🥃
Macallan overpriced and over rated. I have tried several and not impressed... But I have not gone beyond 15 yr old because of price
Fair enough. There's definitely better value out there! 🥃