Macallan

The history

In 1824, the Macallan Distillery was founded by Alexander Reid and is one of the first legal distilleries in Scotland, after years and decades earlier at this point whiskey was burned black.

The country estate, mysteriously named "Easter Elchie House", is gracefully situated on a hill near Craigellachie on the west side of the River Spey. From a distance you can see the almost 300 years old house.

When Alexander Reid died in 1847, the distillery passed to his son. This formed in 1848 with two partners - James Priest and James Davidson - a company for further operation of the distillery. In 1868 Macallan was sold to James Stuart, who then also owned the Glen-Spey distillery. In 1892 he sold the distillery to Roderick Kemp, whose family expanded the company over the next 100 years and adapted it to the requirements of the market.

The Macallan still uses the rare barley variety "Golden Promise", which was abandoned by other distilleries, as it is considered too difficult and too expensive in cultivation. The Macallan believes that it is just right for the rich and sensual character of a The Macallan whiskey. The oily consistency allows a long storage in oak barrels.

The water, an important raw material for the production of whiskey, comes from the estate's own source and is fresh, natural and tasteless

Each fermentation uses a new blend of fresh yeast, adding complexity and character to the distillate.

At The Macallan, the wash is heated directly over gas fire rather than in large stills in small pot stills made of hand-blown copper. This makes the whiskey more "robust" and can ripen longer. The The Macallan Pot Stills are considered the smallest stills in the Speyside region. Between 1966 and 1975 the capacity of the stills was extended several times. At the moment there are 21 still bottles at Macallan stillhouse.

During distillation, The Macallan uses only a small portion of the distillate known as "cut", less than any other distillery, for further ripening. This "finest cut" delivers the precious concentrated distillate for a The Macallan.

The Macallan uses only carefully selected barrels of American and European Oak, in which previously sherry or bourbon was stored for The Macallan Fine Oak line. The Macallan Single Malt ripens only in barrels of the highest quality.

For reasons that even science has not been able to explain exhaustively, whiskey matures best in oak barrels that previously contained sherry. Most distilleries, however, are now relinquishing more and more on the storage of their whiskey in sherry casks for cost reasons. Only one insists: The Macallan. Once a year, new oak barrels are purchased in the Bodegas of Jerez, filled with carefully selected, aromatic Oloroso sherry and then stored for two or more years in Spain. Only then are the barrels shipped to Scotland and filled with whiskey.

With its voluminous, strongly sherry-toned style, there is no recognized malt than The Macallan. He is the classic example of this type of Speyside whiskey. The principle of sherry maturity is the trademark of The Macallan. An interplay of sherry, malt, a hint of smoke, flowering currant and calvados-like notes, with their own dryness, roundness and depth. A malt with lush, rich, clear tones from the aroma to the finish.