Head to head · same category, comparable price
Laphroaig 10 Year Old vs The Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask
They diverge on 4 of our eight axes, most of all peaty, 9 against 0.
Compiled by WhiskeyCask Editorial · Last verified 2026-07-30
Specifications side by side
| Laphroaig 10 Year Old | The Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Single malt | Single malt |
| Origin | Islay, Scotland | Speyside, Scotland |
| Age | 10 years | 12 years |
| Strength | 40% ABV | 40% ABV |
| Cask | Ex-bourbon barrel | Ex-bourbon American oak, Oloroso sherry-seasoned American oak |
| Bottle | 700 ml | 700 ml |
| RRP observed | £45 | £72 |
| Per 10cl | £6.43 | £10 |
| Per litre of alcohol | £161 | £257 |
| Chill-filtered | Not stated | Not stated |
What separates them
Both from Scotland: Laphroaig 10 Year Old from Islay, The Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask from Speyside.
The Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask states 12 years, 2 more on paper.
Cask as each producer describes it: Laphroaig 10 Year Old in ex-bourbon barrel, The Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask in ex-bourbon american oak and oloroso sherry-seasoned american oak.
Neither states chill filtration.
Neither set of specifications is producer-confirmed.
What the price buys
The Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask is £27 dearer a bottle than Laphroaig 10 Year Old.
Strength keeps that ordering: £161 a litre of pure alcohol for Laphroaig 10 Year Old against £257.
Across the 32 bottles we can cost this way, Laphroaig 10 Year Old is 21st cheapest and The Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask 29th cheapest.
Flavour, compared
View as table
| Axis | Laphroaig 10 Year Old | The Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask |
|---|---|---|
| Peaty | 9 | 0 |
| Sweet | 2 | 7 |
| Fruity | 2 | 6 |
| Spicy | 4 | 4 |
| Woody | 4 | 5 |
| Sherried | 1 | 7 |
| Cereal | 4 | 4 |
| Oily | 6 | 6 |
4 of the eight axes clear 3 points; after peaty comes sherried at 1 against 7, sweet at 2 against 7 and fruity at 2 against 6.
Identical on spicy, cereal and oily.
Each bottle in its own right
Laphroaig 10 Year Old
Medicinal, seaweed and ash. The most divisive dram in mainstream whisky.
Full record →The Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask
Butterscotch, orange and a dry oak finish. Polished and very easy to like.
Full record →No overlap in what we list them for: Laphroaig 10 Year Old for testing whether you like peat at all, The Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask for gift and introduction to sherry cask.
Where these specifications come from
Producer and retailer pages for Laphroaig 10 Year Old and The Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask: laphroaig.com, themacallan.com. Figures are what those pages published when we last checked them, on 2026-07-30.