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The Macallan distillery

Coordinates: 57°29′3.74″N 3°12′27.28″W / 57.4843722°N 3.2075778°W / 57.4843722; -3.2075778
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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Spectre9 (talk | contribs) at 05:30, 10 February 2011 (add sales references, notability of Macallan as a "top 3" single malt brand). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

57°29′3.74″N 3°12′27.28″W / 57.4843722°N 3.2075778°W / 57.4843722; -3.2075778

The Macallan
Region: Speyside
OwnerEdrington Group
Founded1824
StatusOperational
No. of stills10 wash
5 spirit
The Macallan Fine Oak
Age(s)8-year-old
10-year-old
12-year-old
15-year-old
17-year-old
18-year-old
21-year-old
25-year-old
30-year-old
Cask type(s)Bourbon
Sherry (both American and European oak)
The Macallan Sherry Oak
Age(s)10-year-old
10-year-old (cask strength)
12-year-old
Elegancia 12-year-old
18-year-old
25-year-old
30-year-old
Cask type(s)Sherry (mostly European oak)
The 1824 Collection
TypeSelect Oak
Whiskey Maker's Edition
Estate Reserve

The Macallan is a brand of single malt Scotch whisky first distilled in 1824 at The Macallan Distillery near Easter Elchies House, at Craigellachie. The Macallan is currently distilled and bottled by The Macallan Distiller's Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Edrington Group which purchased the brand from Highland Distillers in 1999.[1]

In 2009, The Herald (Glasgow) reported that Macallan "the world’s third largest-selling single malt (behind Glenfiddich and Glenlivet) with over 500,000 cases a year, and second largest by value."[2] The Scotsman published a quote from Ken Grier on August 16th, 2009 stating "We have now overcome Glenfiddich to move into the second biggest selling single malt by volume behind Glenlivet" [3]

Since The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 came into force labeling of bottles of Scotch whisky has been regulated, and currently produced bottles of The Macallan indicate it is a Highland Single Malt. However the website for the brand indicates that "The Original and Spirtual Home" of The Macallan is Speyside[4], an area near Strathspey.

Originally, The Macallan was only matured in oak sherry casks brought to the distillery from Jerez, Spain. Beginning in 2004, The Macallan introduced a new main product, the Fine Oak series, with the whisky mellowed in bourbon oak casks as well as sherry ones.[5]

In 2007, a bottle of 1926 vintage The Macallan was sold at a Christie's auction for $54,000, making it one of the most expensive bottles of liquor ever sold.[6]

In 2010, a bottle of The Macallan 64-year-old single malt whisky in a one-of-a-kind "Lalique: Cire Perdue" crystal decanter was sold for $460,000 in an auction at Sotheby’s in New York City. All proceeds from the sale were donated to "charity: water", an organization that helps to provide access to clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations.[7]

Bottlings

The distillery produces a number of expressions, the most generally available being the 12-year-old, though the 18-year-old is also well known. Expensive 25- and 30-year-old versions can also be found. Additionally, a 58% cask strength (i.e., non-diluted) version is widely available. The Elegancia, a 40% ABV (as opposed to 43%) 12-year-old, is available only at duty-free shops. The Macallan is one of the ingredients of The Famous Grouse blend.[citation needed]

The Core Range

Sherry Oak series

  • The Macallan 10 years old
  • The Macallan 12 years old
  • The Macallan 18 years old
  • The Macallan 25 years old
  • The Macallan 30 years old
  • The Macallan Elegancia

Fine Oak series

  • The Macallan 10 years old
  • The Macallan 12 years old
  • The Macallan 15 years old
  • The Macallan 17 years old
  • The Macallan 21 years old
  • The Macallan 30 years old

The 1824 Collection

  • The Macallan Select Oak

Matured in Spanish and American oak casks selected by George Espie, The Macallan’s Master of Wood. From acorn to glass takes over 100 years to produce and results in a sweet, smooth spirit.

  • The Macallan Whisky Makers Edition

Distilled from barley grown on The Macallan’s Estate, Whisky Maker’s Edition is crafted by The Macallan’s Whisky Maker, Bob Dalgarno and bottled at his preferred strength of 42.8% ABV.

  • The Macallan Estate Reserve

Drawn from casks selected to achieve maximum intensity and depth of flavor, including some traditional sherry seasoned hogshead casks specially reserved for this expression. It is non-chill filtered and bottled at the old-style 80 proof, more commonly known as ’20 under’.

Fine & Rare

  • The Macallan 1926: 60 years old
  • The Macallan 1937: 32 years old
  • The Macallan 1937: 37 years old
  • The Macallan 1938: 31 years old
  • The Macallan 1938: 35 years old
  • The Macallan 1948: 53 years old
  • The Macallan 1949: 52 years old
  • The Macallan 1949: 53 years old
  • The Macallan 1950: 52 years old cask 598
  • The Macallan 1950: 52 years old cask 600
  • The Macallan 1951: 51 years old
  • The Macallan 1952: 49 years old
  • The Macallan 1952: 50 years old
  • The Macallan 1953: 49 years old
  • The Macallan 1954: 47 years old
  • The Macallan 1955: 46 years old
  • The Macallan 1958: 43 years old
  • The Macallan 1959: 43 years old
  • The Macallan 1964: 37 years old
  • The Macallan 1965: 36 years old
  • The Macallan 1966: 35 years old
  • The Macallan 1967: 35 years old
  • The Macallan 1968: 33 years old
  • The Macallan 1968: 34 years old
  • The Macallan 1969: 32 years old cask 9369
  • The Macallan 1969: 32 years old cask 10412
  • The Macallan 1970: 31 years old
  • The Macallan 1970: 32 years old
  • The Macallan 1971: 30 years old cask 4280
  • The Macallan 1971: 30 years old cask 7556
  • The Macallan 1972: 29 years old cask 4014
  • The Macallan 1972: 29 years old cask 4043
  • The Macallan 1973: 30 years old
  • The Macallan 1974: 30 years old
  • The Macallan 1975: 30 years old
  • The Macallan 1976: 29 years old

Special releases

Lalique

(in order of release)

  • The Macallan Lalique I: 50 years old
  • The Macallan Lalique II: 55 years old

Masters of Photography

  • The Macallan Rankin Edition

Distillery Exclusives

  • The Macallan Ghillie's Dram
  • The Macallan Cask Selection 2008 Release

Others

  • The Macallan (dated, in order of release): 1961 (40yo), 1946 (52yo), 1948 (51yo), & 1951 (49yo)
  • The Macallan Replica (in order of release): 1861, 1874, 1841, 1876, and 1851
  • The Macallan Vintage Travel: 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s
  • The Macallan Exceptional: I, II, III, IV, V, & VI
  • The Macallan Cask Strength: US & UK
  • The Macallan 50 Years Old
  • The Macallan Adami
  • The Macallan Blake
  • The Macallan Gran Reserva 1979, 1980
  • The Macallan Gran Reserva 1982, 2002 bottling

Critical Acclaim

The Macallan spirits consistently have performed very well at international Spirit ratings competitions. Virtually without exception, the various vintages and strengths that have been submitted to the professional rating agencies have scored well. The 15, 21, and 30-year vintages have won double gold medals from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and earned scores of between 96 and 100 from Wine Enthusiast. Its 18yr Sherry Oak Cask has generally had the least impressive outcomes, with bronze and silver showings at the San Francisco competitions.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ English, Shirley. "Macallan begins testing for fake vintage malt." The Times (UK). 2003-11-03
  2. ^ Bain, Simon. "Macallan predicts ‘strong year’ as improved efficiency sends turnover up by £9m" The Herald. 2009-10-24 retrieved from <http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/corporate-sme/macallan-predicts-strong-year-as-improved-efficiency-sends-turnover-up-by-9m-1.926295> on 2011-02-09
  3. ^ Lyons, William. "Macallan has a taste for global domination." The Scotsman. 2009-08-16.retrieved from <http://business.scotsman.com/fooddrinkagriculture/Macallan-has-a-taste-for.5558155.jp> on 2011-02-09.
  4. ^ <http://www.themacallan.com/home.aspx> (page retrieved 9 February 2011)
  5. ^ <http://www.themacallan.com/range/fine_oak_index.html Macallan Fine Oak> (page retrieved 24 May 2006).
  6. ^ Scotch Whisky
  7. ^ <http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20101116006904/en/Macallan%C2%AE-Lalique-Break-Record-Expensive-Whisky-Crystal>
  8. ^ <http://www.proof66.com/single_display.asp?id=399> http://www.proof66.com/single_display.asp?id=399


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