Sherry casks and scotch go hand-in-hand, and no whisky embodies that partnership better than Macallan. The Speyside distillery has acquired legendary status for many of its releases, from M and the Fine & Rare series to the Six Pillars Collection in Lalique decanters. Macallan was the first brand to hit $1 million at auction (a feat it has repeated many times over). Its maturation program is so important that in 2023, parent company Edrington acquired a 50-percent stake in sherry producer Grupo Estevez to ensure a steady and exclusive supply of wine for seasoning casks. (Seasoned casks are purpose-made for eventual use in the whisky industry, filled with sherry that is intended as a flavoring agent only, and not for consumption. Almost all sherry casks in Scotland today are seasoned, rather than “ex-bodega” casks that were used in the creation of traditional sherry.)

Although Macallan’s rarer offerings tend to get the brightest spotlight, most drinkers start at the baseline, with the 12-Year-Old Double Cask or its sibling, Sherry Cask. Despite the different names, both whiskies—like all releases from Macallan—are matured exclusively in sherry-seasoned casks. The difference is that Double Cask’s barrels are made from both American and European oak, while Sherry Cask uses solely European oak. Flavor-wise, both whiskies feature the dried fruit flavors that sherry fiends love, but Sherry Cask emphasizes spice notes while Double Cask offers a creamier profile.

Macallan justifiably sets the bar for sherry-aged single malt scotch, but for those looking to explore more adventurous territory, it doesn’t need to have the last word. There are dozens of distilleries in Scotland making excellent sherried whisky, matching—and sometimes even exceeding—Macallan in flavor, body, and character. Some focus on specific types of sherry (usually syrupy-sweet Pedro Ximénez, also known as PX, or the much drier oloroso) while others use a combination of the two, or even mix in less common varieties like amontillado and palo cortado.

Across the board, the best sherried scotches exhibit fruity flavors, layered spices, and lush texture. But each one will have its own personality, developed by the individuality of the stillhouse and blender. When you’re ready to expand your sherry repertoire beyond Macallan, try one of these bottles.  

GlenDronach 12-Year-Old

Combining PX and oloroso casks and bottled at a gentle 43% ABV, this is the closest parallel to Macallan 12 on the list, making it a great place to start. It’s sweet with caramel and dark berry flavors, silken in texture, and charming in the glass. A quintessential sherry-cask scotch that’s highly accessible and should please just about anyone.

Glenfarclas 105

The kind of whisky people describe as “dangerous,” because it’s 120 proof but goes down much easier than you’d expect. That’s thanks to the sherry casks, which, in addition to imparting rich nutty, spiced fruit flavor, have a softening effect on the whisky’s texture. This was the first cask-strength single malt scotch ever released (in 1968) and it has earned its status as a classic. It also offers some of the best bang for your buck in scotch today.

Tamdhu 15-Year-Old

Located just a stone’s throw from Macallan (at one time, they were even under the same ownership), Tamdhu tends to get overlooked. For most of its history, it was used mainly for blending, and even today the distillery doesn’t have a visitor center so it’s off the tourist radar. But full-bodied Tamdhu is a superb example of classic Speyside sherry maturation, especially at 15 years old, when dark chocolate, cinnamon, and fruitcake meet the amplitude of mature oak in perfect balance.

Aberlour A’bunadh

Another outrageously easy-drinking sherry bomb, always bottled at cask strength. Being a batched release, specific flavors can vary, but a full maturation in oloroso casks consistently imparts orange peel, dark chocolate, and raisins along with an oily, chewy texture. A’bunadh means “the original,” in homage to the style of whisky the distillery produced in the late 19th century.

Arran The Bodega

A relatively young distillery for Scotland—it opened in 1995—Arran deserves to be better-known than it is. Located on a picturesque island off the country’s West Coast, it produces single malt with distinct but crowd-pleasing character that’s at home in a variety of cask types. The fully sherry cask–matured Bodega, however, is a standout, its figgy sweetness and mouth-filling texture ideal for those seeking a dessert whisky.