Founded in 1824, Macallan's distillery is located on the banks of the River Spey in the centre of Speyside, on the 158-hectare (390-acre) farmland estate of Easter Elchies. The estate includes 37 hectares (90 acres) of barley grown for whisky production. One of the first legally licensed distilleries in Scotland, it has built a reputation as one of the world's leading single malt whiskies since its inception. Macallan Whisky has benefited greatly from Spain, North America and Scotland as well as natural ingredients and a combination of traditional methods and artisanal techniques.
The Macallan family style has traditionally favoured rich, fruity whiskies, described by the late whisky writer Michael Jackson as “Christmas cake in a glass”. This is the result of using sherry casks exclusively for aging spirits. The Macallan distillery's dedication to the art of distilling, especially with regard to sherry casks, is to insist on using sherry casks for aging, not to ‘pass the casks’ or ‘change the casks’, and only to use them twice, even though the casks can be refurbished and reused when they're finished, but because of the differences in flavour and style of the whisky when compared to new casks, Macallan's does not use used or second-hand casks. This rigorous approach to distilling and the persistence of the Sydney casks at the McAllen distillery has resulted in a high quality whiskey that continues to produce whiskey of the highest calibre.
Since 2004, however, bourbon casks have also been used. Macallan produces a wide range of whiskies, covering four main lines. The Sherry Oak range consists of four expressions, ranging in age from 12 to 30 years. The ‘Premium Oak’ range - aged primarily in bourbon casks - offers eight different expressions ranging from 10 to 30 years. These tend to be lighter than traditional Macallan products.
In June 2018, Macallan opened a new distillery building with a visitor centre. The ultra-modern facility has been cut into the hillside with a spectacular rolling, grass-covered log cabin roof. There are now 12 wash stills, plus 24 stills. Production will be increased by one-third. The former total of 14 stills is said to be the smallest in Speyside, although each still has a capacity of 3,900 litres.
McCallum has been described as the Rolls Royce of whisky, and as well as being a must-have for whisky lovers, some of McCallum's special releases are among those that collectors splash out on at auctions. In 2018, a bottle of 1926 Macallan 60 Year Old sold for £1.45 million (HK$14.6 million), not only setting a record for Macallan, but also becoming the most expensive whisky ever sold.
This whisky is an annual limited edition tribute to the 200th Anniversary. The fourth release in the Harmony Series was created in partnership with Cirque du Soleil to tell the story of our oak in an imaginative, visual and innovative way.
The whisky was matured by a team of Macallan distillers in the first 🇺🇸 American white oak sherry casks. Carefully selected to deliver classic American oak flavours, including vanilla, citrus and sweet oak, which occur naturally during maturation, delivering a medium sweetness on the palate, with a subtle and long finish.
