Review #910 - Macallan 12 Year 110 Proof
From a whisky enthusiast perspective, Macallan is a brand that has been plagued by a reputation of weak bottling strength and extreme overpricing for several years now. Perhaps they've gotten the memo - in 2025, the released this 110 proof (American proof) version of their 12 year old Sherry Oak single malt, giving us a chance to try their famous sherried spirit at a much higher strength.
This Speyside single malt is still fully matured in sherry-seasoned casks, giving us a nice dark color which we know is natural, and our strength is 55% ABV.
Macallan 12 Year 110 Proof
Scotland/Speyside - Single Malt
Price: USD 115 (2026)
Age Statement: 12 Years
Strength: 55% ABV
Cask Makeup: Sherry casks
Details: No color added; bottled 2025
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 2 times over 1 month from a sample. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Dark and rich with plums, prunes, and raisins, but also some lighter orange, maybe blood orange. Strong sherry notes, but it doesn't lean particularly sweet or dry - decent balance. There's a light sulphur influence, as well as some nutty oak, cinnamon, and boozy medjool dates.
Palate: The mouthfeel is medium-thick, and the complexion is relatively dark and brooding. Lots of dark fruit like prune and raisin arrive again, and we also get tart blackberry and juicy (yet sour) oranges. Wood spice become more intense with time, but it can also be a bit syrupy.
Finish: Lots of cinnamon, a decent amount of oak spice now, though it doesn't taste too old. It's oily and mildly savory, and the red-orange fruit notes continue with oranges, plums, and tart dark grapes. We get accents of sulphur, nutmeg, and peppery spice in the aftertaste; it's a medium length finish.
Final Note: This is indeed the best official bottling from Macallan that we've had in a while (though we don't spent a lot of time in that category in general). It's a good whisky, but we didn't find it to be particularly complex - just a solid sherry-forward single malt with decent texture and good flavor density.
Value for this bottle is... okay. It comes in just below average on our value scale compared to the other whiskies that we've scored; it's the best value OB Macallan that we've scored in a while, but it's expensive for a 12 year single malt, and we think there are still sherry-focused bottles out there that offer more interesting flavor for your money.
Our Rating: 7.3 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 5.96
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
Check out our other Macallan reviews:
Review #781 - SMWS 24.162 'Dystopian Deviant' - Macallan 13 Year
Review #780 - SMWS 24.167 'Glory Days' - Macallan 13 Year
Review #640 - Signatory Vintage Speyside (M) [Macallan] 13 Year - US 100 Proof Edition #1
Review #203 - Macallan 12 Year Triple Cask
Review #192 - Macallan 12 Year Double Cask
