Macallan

Owner.. Edrington group..
Founded.. 1824.
Region.. Speyside.
Capacity.. 9 800 000 litres.
Tel.. 01340 871471
Web.. http://www.themacallan.com

visitor centre…

 

The Spiritual Home..
Easter Elchies House, built in 1700, lies at the heart of The Macallan estate

Built in 1700 Easter Elchies House is a fine example of a Highland manor house. The Macallan estate lies in an area of great natural beauty; its scale and diversity is unique among distilleries and is managed in harmony with the beautiful landscape. The estate covers 390 acres (158 hectares), of which some 90 acres are sown in the spring with our own exclusive Minstrel barley variety to make The Macallan. Sheep and highland cattle are at home here and woodland, beetle banks and areas of unharvested crop and unmown grassland attract biodiversity. The river Spey, one of Scotland’s most famous salmon rivers, borders the estate to the south and south-east.

The Curiously Small Stills ..

The Macallan’s curiously small spirit stills are the smallest on Speyside. Their unique size and shape give the spirit maximum contact with the copper, helping to concentrate the ‘new make’ spirit and provide the viscosity and rich, fruity, full-bodied flavours so characteristic of The Macallan. There are fourteen of these curiously small stills, crafted from copper, each holding an initial ‘charge’ of 3,900 litres. These stills are so famous that they have appeared on the back of a Bank of Scotland £10 banknote!

 

The Macallan’s oak casks are the single greatest contributor to the outstanding quality, natural colours and distinctive aromas and flavours of The Macallan. In fact 60% of the flavour of a whisky is derived from the cask it is matured in. Because of this, The Macallan spends more per cask than any other distillery in sourcing, crafting, seasoning and caring for its casks. Spanish sherry seasoned oak casks deliver flavours and aromas of chocolate orange, dried fruits and spices; American sherry seasoned oak casks primarily provide sweet citrus, light spice, vanilla and light oak flavours and aromas; American bourbon seasoned oak barrels give flavours and aromas of sweet citrus, coconut and oak.