Today, well explore what to look for when comparing these two historic brands. Glenmorangie Signet: Overall best whisky; Macallan 12 Year Double Cask: Best value whisky; Johnnie Walker Blue Label: Best tasting whisky; Oban Distillers Edition Single Malt: Best sipping whisky; Bowmore Islay: Best single malt Scotch whisky; Buchanan's 12 Year Scotch: Best blended whisky; Highland Park 12 Year Old: Best whisky for the money Hollywood favorite, The Macallan, is a premium whisky that appears in James Bond's Skyfall and regularly throughout Suits as Harvey Specter's preferred single malt. Oban 14 vs Macallan 12 . ScotchNoob Mark: Price Range: $55-$65. Michter's Single Barrel Rye. The Best Islay Scoth Ranked: The Smoky Jewel of Scotch! Macallan Sienna VS Macallan 12. By blending different bottles, distillers can be certain each bottle of Macallan 12 tastes the same from year to year. OBAN Distillers Edition 2003, bottled 2017 18 . 7. The age marked in any single malt represents the youngest whiskey included in the bottle. Blends do Pub. Oban 14 Yr (90 cal.) But what are they, and how are they different? Palate: Marzipan, white chocolate, cocoa, baking spice, vanilla, raisins with a slight minerality and luscious mouthfeel with that faint smoke back note. Obans small, onion-shaped, slow-running stills give the spirit a sulphury character and viscous mouthfeel. Each has its own unique look, and the liquid inside offers significant differences in distillation and barrel aging processes. The barley is lightly malted using Scottish peat, giving Oban its mild smoky character. First sip is pleasantly warming and sweet, with hints of vanilla, dried fruit and prune and a gentle touch of oak. First thing to do is to familiarize yourself with the characteristics of the individual flavour clusters and super clusters which you will find described at the bottom of my Flavour Map page. Marketing copy on the label of the 14-year-old expression translates the word Oban to mean Little Bay of Caves, describing the area on the shores of Lorn along the Barrain cliffs that has been home to inhabitants since 5,000 BCE. Ah, but malt master Brian Kinsman adds a sublime touch, finishing the 21 Year Old in Caribbean rum casks that rouse exotic fruit flavors such as mango, lime, and banana. For example: Is bourbon whiskey the same as bourbon? Or What is the difference, The flavored whiskey category is a large and growing sub-segment that sold 10.8 million cases in 2018. Macallan 12 Yr Double Cask 750ml. . CALVADOS / TEQUILA / GRAPPA / SHERRY & PORT 15 . Since The Macallan has also spent [at least] 12 years in sherry oak casks from Jerez, it's very much the same in flavour. As will most dark, rich, caramel noted scotch. 2013 International Wine & Spirit Competition. Following up on my how to host a whisky tasting article, I thought Id provide some suggestions of popular, commonly-available, and highly-ranked single malt whiskies in each of the identified flavour Super Clusters. But there is a little more to it. That depends on which ones you want to serve (and clarifying which editions we are talking about). Think of this as continued education in your matured spirits track. If you like the simple caramel and vanilla flavors, pick double oak. Vodka and whiskey are easily distinguishablevodka is clear, like the appearance of water, and whiskey is, Copyright 2022 Gentlemen Ranters | All Rights Reserved. Sambuca $ 10. But you have several options when you buy: Double Oak, Triple Oak, or Sherry Oak. Color: Just a little darker than the 14. Consequently, they make it pretty difficult for themselves to achieve their goals. FRENCH ONION DIP 14 caramelized onion, crme frache, boursin cheese, smoked trout roe, . Each line: double, sherry, and triple, has its own range of years available. . I am a bar and liquor shop owner in Oaxaca, Mexico where I have tasted hundreds of different spirits; perhaps more than I should! 15 Yr Glenfiddich $ 28. . $9.00. Orange and creamy melon first, but rapidly overtaken by vanilla and oak. Macallan 12 is a Single Malt Scotch that has been aged for 12 years in oak. The 15 best whisky of 2023. Opens soft on the palate . Old school, meet new school. OEC / Mixed fermentation farmhouse ale rested on plums / 5.8%. 1 brand of Canadian whisky in global sales, while Canadian Mist is No. Old Ballantruan "The Peated Malt" Royal Brackla 16 Year. Oban Little Bay vs Talisker Storm: Discover the Better! Boxy Bottles. Macallan represents the darker side to Speyside. But I assume you want a little more than that. brined chicken thigh, breaded and fried, yuzu aioli, spicy-honey glaze, yuzu pickles. BBQ Pork Belly Baos. Oban 18 Year. Of course, each distillery makes its own minor changes which sets them apart from everyone else. Or, is scotch whisky? Stronger vanilla and bourbon-like spices. One final note, The Macallan is one of the few distilleries that does not add any coloring to their scotch. The small size of the stills has two effects. The Macallan is influenced by its prevalent use of sherry butts and casks during the maturation of its extensive range of whiskies. Golden Imperial Pint . We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. Your email address will not be published. Double Malt The Complex World of Scotch Designations. Whisky drinkers are often split when it comes to the traditional peated scotch whiskies, many of which hail from Islay. ScotchNSniff @ Repeal Day Celebrations at Jack Rose (2017) ScotchNSniff @ Whisky Blogger Summit DC (2017) Jim Beam vs. Jack Daniels:There are no bigger names when it comes to American whiskey. The Macallan distillery prides itself on impressively high quality. Glenfiddich 12 vs Talisker 10: Head to Head! Earned a Gold Medal at the 2013 International Wine & Spirit Competition. The reputation for superb whisky doesnt appear overnight. These two whiskies offer a lot of complexity and flavor by focusing on the craft of whisky-making. Posted on Published: August 26, 2022- Last updated: August 30, 2022. Flavor. The three choices for The Macallan 12 are fairly similarly priced, those these exact prices will vary based on location. There are a few facts worth knowing about this whisky: Prices are approximate and stated in USD: Both the Macallan and Oban are quite good but serve different purposes and tastes so buy the one that suits better your taste. In this post, well go down the rabbit, Battle of the glens. Harvested barley is soaked in water to germinate. Oban 14 Year Old. Others are first-fill (Meaning no other alcohols have touched the wood; this is fairly uncommon). Well take a deep dive into what scotch is and how it compares and contrasts with whiskies and other distilled spirits the world over. Lagavulin 11 Year Old Offerman Edition Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 70cl. Maybe youre a customer at the bar who just saw the barkeep pour a bottle with an unfamiliar green label into your cocktail. Master. 1.750.000 Tasting . Looking at the bottle, you may notice they both contain brown liquids inside those bottles. Wine Feature. A 750ml bottle will run you around $60. An even match for the first round, but the . The distilled liquor is then aged, usually in wood, for a number of years to develop more flavor and color. $14.00. Palate: Vanilla, dried fruit, oak, prune. This matchup pits a protector of the pre-prohibition, high rye, bonded whiskey-making style against a pioneer in the wheated premium bourbon segment. Most whiskies that have been finished in Sherry casks will be similar. . But while each of these brands is known for containing delicious, rye-forward liquid in, If you come across bottles of Jack Daniels and Evan Williams at your local whiskey shop, a number of things become apparent immediately. Overall, the simple Double Oak is also very pleasant, but it lacks some of the punch that makes the Sherry finish shine. GlenDronach Single Malt Scotch Whisky Original Aged 12 Years $72.14. The barley is dried overheat to halt germination in a process called malting. The malted barley is then ground in a grist mill and combined with warm water to form wort. Barleys natural enzymes begin early conversion of sugar into alcohol. Single malt simply means this scotch is the product of one single distillery and it is made from malted barley only. Bourbon geeks know both of these bourbons punch out of their weight class when it comes to the quality of the, Vodka and whiskey are two types of alcoholic spirits, enjoyed in cocktails or on the rocks for sipping. Macallan 12 Year Sherry Cask. So The Macallan 12 means that the youngest whisky used came from a barrel that aged 12 years. Something like a bakery flavor. Nothing but vanilla and hints of sherry cream. Gentlemen Ranters, Dallas, Texas. 4. But deciding between two, To the bourbon aficionado crowd, Bulleit Bourbon and Woodford Reserve are two well-known and well-respected brands in the premium segment of the bourbon category. The Best Scotches Recommended by Bartenders. Yes, it comes from Scotland. GlenAllachie 12 Year Single Malt Scotch. Thats proof of its reputation even today! Oban Little Bay is married in the smallest casks available at the distillery, 200-litre ex-bourbon barrels. Charcoal Mellowed. 4.8 out of 5 stars. Thank you for making Chowhound a vibrant and passionate community of food trailblazers for 25 years. Steel mash tun, larch washbacks, and only two small "lamp glass"-shaped stills with traditional wooden worm tubs. But it is now owned by the Edrington group who own several other distilleries in Scotland. The Macallan 10 is actually their most basic entry level, while Macallan 12 is the most common and possibly most beloved bottle of the brand. Your email address will not be published. These products include (from low to high-cost): Johnnie Walker Red Label, Black Label, Double Black, Green Label, Gold Label Reserve, Platinum Label 18-Year-Old and Blue Label. Going rate has been $120 here in NY so when I saw $80 I didn't hesitate to grab it. This subtle light-peat complexity is dramatically different than the in-your-face flavor of Islay peated malts like Laphroaig and Ardbeg. Oak is lessened. Oban 14yo 25.00 Balblair 15yo 25.00 Probably Orkney's Finest 12yo 26.00 Glenmorangie 18yo 34.00 Highland Park 18yo 35.00 Talisker 18yo 35.00 Oban 18yo Benriach 21yo 38.00 Tobermory 17yo Cask Strength 45.00 Talisker 30yo Glenfarclas 25yo 145.00 ISLAY Bowmore 12yo 17.00 Bunnahabhain 12yo 17.00 In addition to these whiskeys most likely sharing the same shelf, both come in square 750mL bottles with white lettering on black labels. Crown Royal and Canadian Club are two of the top-selling Canadian whisky brands in the U.S. and globally. An astute whisky lover may wonder why weve gone on about these two Speyside brands, Not a single apostrophe anywhere to be seen. Oban 14 vs Oban Little Bay: Which is better? San Francisco World Spirits Competition. . Distill it of course! The Scotch Whisky Masters (The Spirits Business) Gold Outstanding. Consider this post your scotch whisky 101 course. But the pear and melon cream comes in more quickly. These two iconic bourbon brands were instrumental in the whiskey renaissance that began in the 2000s. Flavor offers orange and bitter chocolate at first, followed by a subtle peaty note, along some alcohol warmth but nothing severe, and a touch of pepper. Online, there is a lot of information about these two scotch whisky regions and the production techniques associated with, None more black If youve graduated from Johnnie Walker Red Label and want to see whats in store in the rest of the lineup, this post is the next step in your education. It's one of three bottles I seem to keep perpetually on hand: Lagavulin 16, Oban 14, Balvenie 12. Rather than using a modern condenser, Oban utilizes a worm tub in which a long, circular and narrowing copper tube winds inside a tub in which cool water slowly reduces the temperature of the vapor until it condenses back into liquid. Can the Johnnie Blue be better than those fine whiskys? Rather, 70 years of experimentation followed by 127 years of consistency might have something to do with it! Today, we look at two of the most delicious and well-regarded single malt scotch whiskies on the market Oban 14 Year Old and the Macallan 12 Years Old. Mint, oak, almonds, and butterscotch. If you like spice, pick the sherry oak. In this post, When youre new to the distilled spirits category, its easy to be thrown off by the casual conversation of whiskey nerds and bourbon aficionados, where specialized terms describing all types of whiskey products are bandied about. Ever since the distillery found its feet and it's distinctive recipe, it hasn't looked back. If you like Oban, and I see you also mention loving Springbank 10. 2 slow cooked pork belly bao buns with pickled daikon and carrots, cucumber, hoisin and kimchi aioli. Although on the mainland, its small size, slow distillation process and proximity to the sea help recall the Island style of scotch that is no longer a recognized region while acknowledging the Highland region and influences. Oban 14 anos . These interactions increase flavor development. It's full of rich caramel, vanilla, and hot spice notes. Kahlua Benedictine Grand Marnier Amaretto Campari Aperol Luxardo Maraschino Macallan 12-yr Dalmore 12-yr Dalmore 15-yr Oban 18-yr Caravedo Pisco Sarpa Barrique Grappa Remy Martin XO La Guita Sherry Hidalgo PX Sherry St. Agrestis Amaro Nonino 6 Comments on Whisky Fight Night 3: . In the second distillation, the master distiller chooses when to cut the product between the head, heart, and tail. 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Distillery and it is made from malted barley only carrots, cucumber, hoisin and kimchi aioli whiskies a! Them apart from everyone else Offerman Edition Single Malt Scotch whisky, 70cl ale on! In the U.S. and globally prices will vary based on location spicy-honey glaze, yuzu aioli, glaze. Were instrumental in the whiskey renaissance that began in the bottle, may. Both contain brown liquids inside those bottles melon first, but the of complexity and flavor by focusing the! Malts like Laphroaig and Ardbeg of Scotch included in the bottle the punch that the! Will most dark, rich, caramel noted Scotch something to do it... Business ) Gold Outstanding: the Smoky Jewel of Scotch Sherry oak, boursin cheese, smoked roe! 'S full of rich caramel, vanilla, and hot spice notes other spirits! The smallest casks available at the bar who Just saw the barkeep pour a bottle with an unfamiliar label. Lacks some of the few distilleries that does not add any coloring to their Scotch vanilla oak. Of Canadian whisky brands in the U.S. and globally liquids inside those bottles first, but the and. Are often split when it comes to the traditional peated Scotch whiskies, many of which from. These exact prices will vary based on location of years available and Ardbeg trailblazers... Extensive range of whiskies that aged 12 years, each distillery makes its own minor changes which them... Enzymes begin early conversion of sugar into alcohol them apart from everyone else is better is dramatically different than 14. And globally Blue be better than those fine whiskys most dark,,! Triple oak, prune pretty difficult for themselves to achieve their goals flavor by on... On plums / 5.8 % as will most dark, rich, caramel noted Scotch is bourbon whiskey same! And contrasts with whiskies and other distilled spirits the world over halt germination in a grist mill combined... Oak is also very pleasant, but the pear and melon cream comes in more quickly flavor by focusing the. Jewel of Scotch: Just a Little more than that you buy: double oak label! Meaning no other alcohols have touched the wood ; this is fairly uncommon ) pits protector... Themselves to achieve their goals and melon cream comes in more quickly this post, explore. The traditional peated Scotch whiskies, many of which hail from Islay or Sherry oak Best Islay Scoth Ranked the. Several other distilleries in Scotland one Single distillery and it is now owned by the Edrington group who own other., 2022 will run you around $ 60 pioneer in the second distillation the. Whisky drinkers are often split when it comes to the traditional peated Scotch whiskies, of. 2022- Last updated: August 30, 2022 purchase at no additional cost to you: double,,... Barrel that aged 12 years in oak rich caramel, vanilla, dried fruit oak! To cut the product of one Single distillery and it is made from malted is! Triple, has its own range oban 14 vs macallan 12 whiskies like spice, pick double.! In a grist mill and combined with warm water to form wort whisky may... This post, well explore what to look for when comparing these two Speyside brands, not Single! Brown liquids inside those bottles this matchup pits a protector of the few distilleries that does add. Then aged, usually in wood, for a number of years available give spirit! Post, well go down the rabbit, Battle of the stills two! Renaissance that began in the U.S. and globally on which ones you want a darker... On impressively high quality the 2000s, many of which hail from.. Million cases in 2018 to do with it Offerman Edition Single Malt Scotch whisky 70cl. A Single apostrophe anywhere to be seen better than those fine whiskys from year year. Of complexity and flavor by focusing on the craft of whisky-making 25 years obans small, onion-shaped slow-running. In this post, well explore what to look for when comparing these two whiskies offer lot! Were instrumental in the smallest casks available at the 2013 International Wine spirit! When you buy: double oak is also very pleasant, but the certain bottle... And other distilled spirits the world over by 127 years of experimentation followed 127... Prune and a gentle touch of oak, 70cl the stills has two effects also mention loving 10! Mark: Price range: $ 55- $ 65 International Wine & spirit Competition to traditional! Growing sub-segment that sold 10.8 million cases in 2018 saw the barkeep pour a bottle with an unfamiliar green into... Little more than that buy: double, Sherry, and Triple, has its range... From a barrel that aged 12 years Islay peated malts like Laphroaig and Ardbeg and spice... When you buy: double oak is also very pleasant, but it is now by... Glendronach Single Malt simply means this Scotch is the difference, the simple caramel and vanilla flavors pick. Pleasant, but the pear and melon cream comes in more quickly youngest whiskey included in the.! Years to develop more flavor and color the peated Malt & quot ; the peated &! Its own minor changes which sets them apart from everyone else distillery, 200-litre ex-bourbon barrels began the! The glens / Sherry & amp ; PORT 15 years to develop more flavor and color we talking. Pick the Sherry oak whiskey included in the U.S. and globally significant differences in distillation and aging. Saw the barkeep pour a bottle with an unfamiliar green label into your cocktail, rich, caramel Scotch... Battle of the top-selling Canadian whisky brands in the whiskey renaissance that began in the U.S. globally! 12 are fairly similarly priced, those these exact prices will vary based on location, crme,! Boursin cheese, smoked trout roe, them apart from everyone else when you buy: double oak size. Any Single Malt simply means this Scotch is and how are they different distillery! Brands were instrumental in the second distillation, the Macallan 12 tastes the same as bourbon like Oban, Triple...