Macallan 12 vs Glendronach 12 : The Mash & Drum Double Bass EP7

[@thewhiskyfriend]

Great job Jason Glendronach gets my vote my friend... Thanks for the mention buddy 2 super drams... Cheers my friend

[@ironmantran]

Great vid : you are among very FEW tubers who do review right - with a point of comparison / reference !

[@carlh4350]

Before i watch - Glendronach for the win. I did this blind a few weeks ago.

[@TheMashandDrum]

Lol. No spoilers.

[@carlh4350]

Ha, we agree on the winner - the Glendronach has just a little bit of "extra". However, I'll gladly continue to sip both of them. You can't go wrong with either one of them. For me, it was hard to pick which one was better because they were so so close. Looks like it was that way for you too. Cheers. Great shoot out.

[@TheMashandDrum]

@@carlh4350 thanks Carl it was close. I love the spice of the Macallan and the flavor of the Glendronach. Depending on what mood I'm in I will reach for these often. Cheers.

[@travisfaircloth]

Both are great 12yr sherry scotches. I always lean torwards GlenDronach but surprisingly have never had the 2 side by side. I definitely prefer the Mac 12yr sherry oak over the Mac 15yr F.O. Cheers

[@wesjolly8609]

Nice review and I agree with GlenDronach 12 for the win. It is my decanter Scotch 🙂

[@Richie.Z]

Great Double Bass head to head, Jason! I love both of those, in fact the Mac 12 was one of my first serious Scotch sippers. I've drained a couple Glendronach 12 bottles and need to revisit soon. Cheers brother

[@TheMashandDrum]

Thanks Richie! I love the Glendronach. Macallan was impressive too

[@Richie.Z]

The Mash and Drum the Glendronach will always be a buy for me! Cheers brother

[@BigCityDrinks1]

Oban 14 vs balvenie 14 Great video. We're team macallen

[@bourbonbuddies836]

I can feel the double bass in my plums right now! Awesome episode, buddy! I have a soft spot for GlenDronach. Killer head-to-head. Cheers, Jason!

[@stormswrath565]

I've had the Glendronach 12 for about 4 months now. Have yet to open it. I'm going top open it and finally taste it Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, haven't decided which one yet. Really looking forward to tasting it.

[@everwind5691]

I am a fan of the Glendro too. Given the choice, I pick it every time. The 18 Mac is close to $300 in my area, whereas the Glendro 18 is about $190 and is actually 22-24 years old and divine! Way better than the Mac 18 on price and taste.

[@21drakken]

Great review! Great job with two amazing whiskys.

[@TheBourbonRoad]

Really enjoyed this, great review! Love the Glendronach 12. Cheers!

[@TheMashandDrum]

Thanks Jim! Loved this head to head.

[@Brothers_in_bond]

I really enjoyed this showdown. Solid content, here, brother. I’m glad I found your channel. Keep it coming. Cheers, David

[@Ebbhead2424]

Great episode, Jason! Close race and my favourite won.

[@mattmckane6741]

Solid video! I really need to revisit Macallan 12. It's been too long, but I love my Glendronach!

[@Dustydanswhiskeyreviews]

Great review buddy!!! They both sound amazing on the nose and palate. I'm glad you mentioned that they would be a good gateway for scotches. Cheers J

[@XscarpettaX]

i have both of these and compared them myself a while back. i could see which one was A and B based on the descriptions because i had thought the same. Glendronach 12 is the better of the two by a smidge. it's fresher while the macallan is tad more oaky but i get a sulfur note hiding in the taste. Both have great dark sticky fruit flavors.

[@furryskyline4707]

I agree!

[@aimee2234]

I love to watch your match ups!

[@MrAngel731]

I love the reviews. 2 of my favorites. Thanks.

[@mybourbonjourney]

Hey buddy really enjoyed listing about both of these, have ni idea about each but man they both actually sound pretty darn good. As always great video! Cheers Maverick! Sincerely Iceman, lol

[@antroque35]

Great comparison. I really like the Glendronach. As stated earlier, it’s pretty cheap at Costco in CA.

[@AlinJapan]

Thanks Jason for a great comparison of two top-notch, sherried scotches. I just gave my father a GlenDronach 12 to sip on and he's loving it.

[@TheMashandDrum]

Thanks Alan! I really enjoyed both of these. That Glendronach has a ton of flavor. Awesome your Dad is enjoying it!

[@paddyoflaherty2519]

I like them both but I have to give it to the glendronach. Since it became available in PA I cant get enough of it. Quickly becoming my go to 12 yr old highland. To me I get a little more earthiness with the glendronach than I do with the macallan which swings glendronach in my direction.

[@TheMashandDrum]

I would agree with that. It's got a richer flavor to it.

[@timgargis7565]

Another great comparison! Your descriptions left me wanting to try each. Suggestions for your next Double Bass - Old Forester 1920 v Belle Meade Reserve Cask Strength or Lagavulin 16 v Laphroaig 10. I am beginning my scotch journey and really like the Lagavulin, plus I have heard wonderful reviews regarding the Laphroaig. Cheers!

[@Bourbinsane]

Awesome double bass! Two scotches I actually have not tried but from everything I've been told they seem like great introductory scotches is someone just getting into them. Cheers Jason!

[@TheMashandDrum]

Yeah both are great for starters. They each have similar but unique flavors when you put them head to head.

[@WhiskeyQuests]

Excellent blind good thing these go sale from time to time. Cheers man

[@TheMashandDrum]

Thanks Antonio! Love these!

[@christinedaisy594]

Another great review, Jason! Now I need to find something for dessert...😂 🥃😁

[@capnmakeithappin537]

Caaaaaaalled it! One of my favorite sherried scotches. Cheers buddy!

[@TheMashandDrum]

Yeah you did. That Macallan made a run though. Lol. The spice is awesome.

[@chriseirich9031]

Funny I'm drinking some of my Macallan 12 right now (from their older maroon red boxes & $53 in Chicago area before turning to black boxes & $80) watching multiple of your videos & this one happened to pop up. Glenfarclas another one with higher age & sherry finish but much more budget friendly!

[@JosephC9]

I'm a big fan of glendronach, once i saw your reaction within the first 5 seconds of the nose, heh heh. That one is the glendronach 12 yup.

[@andrewwohl11]

Nice review. Im not sure why consistency is an attribute you rate. Dont we want the dram to evolve in the glass from start to finish?

[@OMGhaggis]

Great video, I've done this matchup a number of times and for me the Mac Sherry (which isn't available in Canada unfortunately but I always buy at least a bottle a year when in the US) always edges out Glendronach. One matchup I'd like to see is Caol Ila 12 vs. Lagavulin 16. The Laga is a little bit of luxury at an affordable price, while the Caol Ila offers a younger but possibly comparable nose and palate (I've had lots of iterations of Caol Ila but have never had the 12, hence the curiosity!) Slainte! Long time watcher - since your first vid!

[@sundayeveningscotch4978]

Great video, Jason! Glendro 12 is my go-to sherried scotch. Super high quality at a decent price. Mac 12 is good too. I definitely prefer the glendro over it though, and have done this blind myself as well. Cheers!

[@TheMashandDrum]

Yeah they are close but Glendro for the win! Thanks for watching buddy!

[@jimidrammer4187]

I guessed them by your detailed descriptions before the reveal and agree with that assessment. Both are creeping up in price so not sure which I'll replace next. I've seen them both as high as $75, maybe $59 on sale and if I add just a little to that I can get Glendronach 15yo($85-$89) now that it's back in stock and it blows them both out the water.

[@jasoncoates1835]

I agree with every word of this.

[@iancampbell1494]

Have you ever had the Dalmore 12 and if so how does it compare to glendro 12?

[@kitcarson7447]

Thanks for your excellent review on these two fine Scotches! I've drank the Macallan12. Will try the Glendronach12 next. Cheers!

[@TheMashandDrum]

Thanks Kit! Appreciate it! Can't go wrong with either one of these. Cheers!

[@johnzajac9849]

In Virginia in early May 2024, a bottle of M12 Sherry Oak costs $100, and a bottle of G12 costs $74.

[@ProudDadification]

spot on!!

[@steveamsp]

Had them both, and love them both.

[@ErikWaitWhiskyStudies]

Funny, I was recently thinking about comparing these two whiskies. This somewhat relates to the conversation on the recent The Whisky Crusaders Live Stream with Scott from the Scotch Test Dummies in which they discussed sherried whiskies.

[@karenbford]

I am really a beginner to Scotch, and I enjoyed this review. I own both of these and had only opened the Glendronach 12 which I do really like. I was inspired to open the MacCallan 12 - glad I did- it is really enjoyable. Great review-Thanks!

[@TheMashandDrum]

Thanks Karen! Let me know if you get that nice spice on the Macallan. Both are so enjoyable. Cheers!

[@karenbford]

@@TheMashandDrum -yes I like the spice on the Macallan! Both are really nice!

[@karenbford]

These two give me hope that I can enjoy some Scotch :)

[@hombreleon]

Enjoyed this review. I’m doing a h2h with Mac12 & GD12 right now and I came to the same conclusion as you. 🥃👍🏼 I do crave that Mac funk sometimes, but most of the time GD wins it.

[@DonnerPassWhisky]

Great matchup both have there own unique personalitys. Prefer the Glendronach too but if you want that signature Macallan profile this is the only one I would spend money on. Not that other things they have aren't good but this is the only one I feel is not price gouged to outrageous levels. Cheers

[@ethanf.7883]

Know you did this one a bit ago, really enjoyed it. As a bourbon guy, I find Macallan 12 a nice gateway to Scotch - albeit not super moderately priced for the Scotch newbie.

[@jaychung6622]

Awesome head to head Jason! This is one I personally go back & forth on a lot. My solution is to keep both on hand since they’re relatively affordable & great value imo. 🥃😄

[@TheMashandDrum]

Yeah both are totally a great value. This really could have gone either way. The Macallan has an unbelievable spice on it that kept me going back. I just felt the Glendronach had a bit more flavor and better mouthfeel. Cheers!

[@djbeacon6895]

Jason, Great H2H. The GD12 is a great, balanced bottle where the sherry doesn't overshadow the other flavors. Not as prevalent as the Mac12 around here but still at a few stores. We have both on our bar, the Mac12 for my wife and GD12 for me. For another scotch Double Bass with a bit different set of flavors you may want look at Old Pulteney 12 vs. Oban 14. Cheers.

[@TheMashandDrum]

Thanks DJ! I can go to either one of these depending on what mood I'm in but the nose and palate were stronger on the Glendro overall. thanks for the suggestion. I just got the new Old Pulteney 12. Cheers.

[@marksaliba4194]

Thanks for the shout out, Jason. I feel like a celebrity. As usual, a very thorough comparison. I've never actually compared the two head to head, but I quite enjoy them both. Have to purchase the Mac 12 in the land of the free. Btw, did you ever get my email with my info regarding the Mash and Drum glasses? Cheers

[@TheMashandDrum]

I did. Just got the glasses today. No worries about shipping to Canada. Cheers and thanks for the suggestion

[@davidbroughall3782]

Glad to know since the Macallan doesn't seem to be available in my country (Canada).

[@PhatTrumpet2]

Good shit. Always refreshing to see the underdog come out on top. Probably a long shot, but what about a budget NAS single malt scotch matchup? Deanston Virgin Oak vs. Tomatin Dualchas (Legacy).

[@TheMashandDrum]

Thanks man! I dont have the Tomatin but will keep an eye out. I do have the Deanston. Cheers!

[@mojahangard]

Glendronach for me as well.

[@MultiHaggismuncher]

Just to mention the Macallan 12 sherry in the UK gets bottled and sold at 40%ABV. Makes the price difference even harder to justify.

[@socoblue1988]

Haven't had either, but it sounds like the Macallan would be better in the fall/winter and the Glendronach might be better in spring/summer? Either way, they both sound pretty damn good.

[@TheMashandDrum]

They really are. Both are great and can be awesome options. Cheers and thanks for watching!

[@grahamyoung622]

Macallan prices have jumped up considerably in recent times, the 12 sherry cask is now around $140 (100 USD) where I live, it's a little cheaper in the US (prices vary but usually around $80 ) while the Glendronach can be had for around $90 (around 65USD). For me this is a no-brainer, the Glendronach every time. It's a great, everyday, easy drinking inexpensive dram. I guessed which one the Glendronach was after the first round (your description of what you found on the palate just confirmed it) I have not tried the Macallan, but at 50 bucks more, it's unlikely that I will buy it. There's far more interesting (and cheaper) and tasty stuff out there. My 2c worth (I am very much a newbie to the scotch game)

[@grindmaster7433]

Glendronach for me as well, if only for the fact that the Macallan is almost twice the price here (EUR 38,- vs EUR 80,-)

[@johnleese7342]

Very interesting Maccallan has always been my favourite but recently I tried glendronach and liked it better

[@johnleese7342]

J

[@RebeccaPaige]

Should do an Ardbeg 10 vs Laphroaig 10

[@alexk3088]

The real lesson here should be: it's nice to rate one bottle slightly better than the other, but it's only nice when you have both of them in your cupboard 😀 I strongly discourage viewers from thinking that they should choose one 😏

[@TheMashandDrum]

Haha. Well said Alex.

[@saleen12]

Hey buddy, do you think you'll ever do more scotch videos?

[@cbyrne08]

I used to like Macallan 12 a lot, was sort of my treat myself single malt, then I discovered Glendronach about a year ago and haven't looked back since. They are similar whiskeys but Macallan just advertises so much it's so much more common but is the inferior product in this match up.

[@ThisIsNotACigar]

The cheapest Mac12 in my area is about 66 Euros (at 40% abv), while the cheapest I can get a GDr12 (at 43% abv) is for 26 Euros. Which one to buy, I wonder ... ;-) It seems to me, that Macallen is to whisky pretty much what Apple is to computers. Really decent product, but be prepared to pay at least one third of the price for the name alone.

[@kakateoto]

ThisIsNotACigar where in eu can i find that price? 😳😳😳

[@ThisIsNotACigar]

@@kakateoto Hi Kim, I'm in Vienna, Austria, where some Supermarkets have the GDr12. Supermarkets around here have special offers on a regular basis, where they take off 25% of a certain group of products. When it's the spirits turn, you get the aforementioned price.

[@kakateoto]

@@ThisIsNotACigar Looks like we have similar interests in whiskey and cigar. Where do you normally get your cigar? Saw some good shops in switzerland but im from Cambodia currently doing my internship in germany.. would appreciate a reply

[@ThisIsNotACigar]

@@kakateoto My nick is a litte bit misleading there, i fear. While I have tried and enjoyed cigars in the past, I'm not into them (yet). Mostly because I fear a closer look would very likely lead to another passion and an exploding budget. ;) So why my nickname? When I opened my account all names I tried where already taken, so I came up with something that is a reference (and a tribute) to René Magritte and his most well-known painting, "La trahison des images". As of your question, tabak is almost exclusively sold in speciality-stores arond here. They are called "Tabak-Trafik" and quite some of them are specialised in cigars, as I understand it. But whether they offer good quality and value, I don't know.

[@Hellboy700]

It is so upsetting to know that GlenDronach is now chill filtered. Happy to own a couple of non-chill filtered bottles, but I'll need to take my time with them. You should do a head to head blind contest between the new v the old. Cheers

[@nzmarco]

I'm still finding some NCF versions. I will be stocking up.

[@foodquig]

Either way is the way to go... Decisions, decisions!

[@moose7611]

Glendronach wins everyday and twice on Tuesday for me. Future Double Bass = Stranahans CS vs best CS single malt comparable Scotch

[@TheMashandDrum]

Love it. Thanks for the suggestion moose!

[@bourbonapprentice]

Not a big Scotch guy, that Macallan is the only bottle I have though. Good review

[@TheMashandDrum]

Thanks! Either of these are good starter scotches I think. Although they are on the sweeter side I think they are both good gateways. Cheers!

[@alexk3088]

I love bourbon but all the bourbon-only guys are missing out! All scotch is not Johnnie Walker or Laphroaig 😎

[@TheMashandDrum]

These 2 are definitely ones I would recommend. Cheers.

[@crumpyc13]

Don't convert the Bourbon Bros. I like being able to still find scotch.

[@WhiskyMystery]

Amazing that the GD 12 sits in Costco here in CA at $37.

[@TheMashandDrum]

Wow. That's nuts! What a buy!

[@WhiskyMystery]

@@TheMashandDrum yeah bought a few for friends

[@TheMashandDrum]

@@WhiskyMystery I would have alot of the Glendronach 12 at that price. Cheers.

[@carlh4350]

For $37, I'd be buying it by the case. It's $60 for a 750ml here in PA.

[@WhiskyMystery]

@@carlh4350 We did by several at the time and shared them around. Too many others to try :-)

[@andy_calderwood]

Great review. Interesting to see how close you scored them and the similarity is price in your market area.. Ohio ? (I'll confess I'm a big Glendronach fan 😁)... UK prices are quite different with the Mac12 significantly more expensive (~£60 than the Glend' 12 ~£40), which can swing your opinion 😁😁

[@TheMashandDrum]

Yes I'm in Ohio. Both have great attributes in their own way but the Glendronach just has a richer flavor to me. The Macallan spice was awesome and did not expect it. If the price difference was that much then the the Glendronach is a no brainier. Cheers.

[@TheLastDrop]

Was just looking at the prices Andy. Crazy they are so different. Bit of a head scratcher for me. Dronny all the way!!! 😁

[@peterwhite507]

Macallan 12 Sherry cask is only a rumor in Canada, but I will get over it :)

[@TheMashandDrum]

really??? Thats surprising...I figured Macallan 12 is everywhere!

[@peterwhite507]

@@TheMashandDrum Everywhere but Canada, no Mac 18 either. All the other overpriced, overrated Macallan's are readily available though.

[@romel420]

I don't know a damn thing about whiskey, and for sure had no clue that there was an "Apple" of the whiskey world when I bought my first bottle. I just happened to buy a Macallan 12 literally because I liked the name lol. Since then I've been on a quest to find a whiskey I like more. I've tried Glendronach 18, Oban 14, Lagavulin 16, Glenmorangie 10, a few others I can't remember. Maybe my taste buds are just used to my "first time" drink, because I keep coming back to the Macallan as my favorite. None of the others are bad, you can bet your arse I finished those bottles, but none of them are better than Macallan in my taste buds' opinion. Everyone has their favorite, I just hate that the Macallan is viewed as the "Apple" of the whiskey world because I despise everything Apple lol!

[@TheMashandDrum]

LOL. I can see that. I think the more Macallan Ive tried since this review the more Ive liked it. It has a bite to it that I like over other scotches. Even the older expressions tend to keep that flavor punch on the finish. Cheers!

[@thomasbuck303]

The sherried El Classico

[@primewhisky]

The Macallan is far better than the Glendronach in my mouth😋

[@TheMashandDrum]

I like the finish on the macallan but overall flavor from the glendro

[@DamirHadzic-d4q]

Macallan is more than twice more expensive. But yeah,people are buying it.

[@PSNeko]

Here in Germany Glendronach is like 30-40€ and macallan is 80-150€ I don´t know why but macallan is just so overpriced here... I´d really like to try it but it would be like 90-100€ for a bottle that is in the end just not better then a 30-40€ bottle :(

[@PinPointEnts]

Macallan 43%... Where is this?

[@davidburgess176]

North America.. The UK enjoys less AVB

[@redslate]

Not a fan of the "tamper-proof" topper on the new line of Macallan. It looks and feels cheap. The spirit within is a downgrade in terms of taste as well.

[@WhiskyLoversSociety]

65 for Macallan. Wow that’s cheap