Macallan “Double Cask” 12 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($54.99)

Macallan’s latest release is a 12-year-old “double cask” malt, meaning the whisky spent time in both American and European oak (or as we know it, ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. In a sense, it’s Macallan’s version of the Balvenie Doublewood or the Glenmorangie Lasanta: a rich and cocoa-laden malt that encompasses the sweeter and more decadent flavors of the sherry while still maintaining the malt’s inherent flavors at the core. The result is quite splendid. Macallan fans will revel in the Double Cask’s richness, its intensity and weight, and the creamy goodness of its palate. The flavors are dark and supple with plenty of cakebread, dark chocolate, and toasted oak. Fans of fine Scotch whisky will appreciate the price and the age statement, especially given the current trend of young whisky being sold at higher costs.