Head to head · unusually close flavour match
The Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask vs Redbreast 12 Year Old
One axis separates these two: cereal, 4 against 7.
Compiled by WhiskeyCask Editorial · Last verified 2026-07-30
Specifications side by side
| The Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask | Redbreast 12 Year Old | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Single malt | Single pot still |
| Origin | Speyside, Scotland | Ireland |
| Age | 12 years | 12 years |
| Strength | 40% ABV | 40% ABV |
| Cask | Ex-bourbon American oak, Oloroso sherry-seasoned American oak | Ex-bourbon, Oloroso sherry |
| Bottle | 700 ml | 700 ml |
| RRP observed | £72 | £55 |
| Per 10cl | £10 | £7.86 |
| Per litre of alcohol | £257 | £196 |
| Chill-filtered | Not stated | Not stated |
What separates them
Different countries: The Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask from Speyside, Scotland, Redbreast 12 Year Old from Ireland.
The Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask is a single malt, Redbreast 12 Year Old a single pot still.
Both state 12 years.
Cask as each producer describes it: The Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask in ex-bourbon american oak and oloroso sherry-seasoned american oak, Redbreast 12 Year Old in ex-bourbon and oloroso sherry.
Neither states chill filtration.
Neither set of specifications is producer-confirmed.
What the price buys
The Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask is £17 dearer a bottle than Redbreast 12 Year Old.
Strength keeps that ordering: £196 a litre of pure alcohol for Redbreast 12 Year Old against £257.
Across the 32 bottles we can cost this way, The Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask is 29th cheapest and Redbreast 12 Year Old 27th cheapest.
Flavour, compared
View as table
| Axis | The Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask | Redbreast 12 Year Old |
|---|---|---|
| Peaty | 0 | 0 |
| Sweet | 7 | 6 |
| Fruity | 6 | 7 |
| Spicy | 4 | 5 |
| Woody | 5 | 5 |
| Sherried | 7 | 6 |
| Cereal | 4 | 7 |
| Oily | 6 | 7 |
That is the only axis of the eight to reach 3 points. Next widest is sweet, 7 against 6.
Identical on peaty and woody.
Each bottle in its own right
The Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask
Butterscotch, orange and a dry oak finish. Polished and very easy to like.
Full record →Redbreast 12 Year Old
Thick, oily pot-still spice with sherried fruit. The style Ireland nearly lost.
Single pot still requires a mash of both malted and unmalted barley — an Irish style that came close to extinction.
Full record →No overlap in what we list them for: The Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask for gift and introduction to sherry cask, Redbreast 12 Year Old for something different and after dinner.
Where these specifications come from
Producer and retailer pages for The Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask and Redbreast 12 Year Old: themacallan.com, redbreastwhiskey.com. Figures are what those pages published when we last checked them, on 2026-07-30.