The Macallan 12 Double Cask

Classification: Single Malt
Distillery: The Macallan
Region/Island: Speyside
Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley
Age: 12 Years
Proof: 80

On the nose, it’s all toffee, fudge, and vanilla — like walking into a posh sweet shop where the shopkeeper looks down his nose but still takes your money. A faint whiff of citrus and oak sneaks in, plus a whisper of mustiness, as if it’s been hiding in the back of the cupboard with the Christmas sherry.

The palate’s smooth as a BBC presenter and twice as polite — vanilla, honey, and dried fruit galore, with figs and raisins having a quiet tea party while a sprinkle of cinnamon tries to liven things up. The oak’s there, but it minds its manners.

Finish? Oh, it lingers like an awkward relative after Sunday lunch — all fruit, vanilla, and a dab of oak, still smiling long after you’ve hinted they should be off.

Aged in both European and American oak casks, it’s a harmonious marriage — unlike most British ones — producing a dram so approachable even your mate who swears he “doesn’t do whisky” might accidentally finish your glass.