The Macallan Whisky distillery

A dedication to mastery

Deep roots

The Macallan, located in the Speyside region of Scotland, was established in 1824 by Alexander Reid. The name Macallan is most likely derived from two ancient Scottish Gaelic words: “Magh,” meaning fertile ground and “Ellan,” referring to the Monk St. Fillan who held a close association with the church that stood on the grounds of The Macallan Estate until 1400.

An obsession with quality has been intrinsically linked to The Macallan since it was founded on a plateau above the River Spey. The distillery is surrounded by a 485-acre estate called The Macallan Estate.

The mastery of wood and spirit

The Macallan's reputation for the extraordinary is characterised by the exceptional oak casks. Sourced, crafted, toasted and seasoned under the watchful eye of The Macallan Master of Wood, the hand-picked casks are delivered to the demanding specifications of The Macallan Whisky Mastery Team. With up to 80% of The Macallan’s final character and flavour determined by cask quality, the oak cask is the most prominent factor in ensuring and delivering the quality and style of its single malt.

Unmatched Quality

All of The Macallan whiskies take 100% of their colour from the wood in which they are matured. Each tree is different and in turn, imparts different flavours and colours to the whisky during maturation. The skill of its whisky makers ensures colour is as consistent as possible from bottling to bottling, through the management and selection of the casks which provide the range of natural colour essential to The Macallan single malt.

Acorn to glass

The Macallan works closely with fully integrated ‘tree to finished seasoned cask’ companies in Spain; to identify the oak trees in the forests of northern Spain, fell the trees, saw, and air dry the oak staves before shipping them to the south for further air-drying to reduce the moisture even more. The casks are then seasoned for 18 months before making the journey to Scotland where they are filled with The Macallan new make spirit.