Macallan
Macallan Single Malt Scotch is well known for its luxurious character and well balanced taste, and lives up to its name of being the “Rolls-Royce of Single Malts”. Offering a various range of single malts, such as the much desired Macallan 18 Fine Oak and the limited edition Macallan Lalique 65 years old, The Macallan is much loved by both single malt lovers and true classic whisky collectors.
The Macallan Distillery history begins somewhere around the eighteenth century in the beautiful town of Craigellachie in Speyside, one of Scotland’s single malt whisky capitals. Back then, a small farm distillery called “The Elchies” was located at The Macallan Distillery’s current location. It was situated next to the Easter Elchies House, a charming mansion that was manufactured around 1700 by Captain John Grant. The Easter Elchies House belongs to The Macallan since 1961, it serves as a reception area for the distillery’s visitors and with its charming character it reflects a symbolic value to The Macallan.
The Macallan became officially licensed 1824 under the supervision of its former owner Alexander Reid; widely acknowledged as the one and only true founder of Macallan. There by, The Macallan is one of Scotland’s first whisky distilleries ever to receive a legal status. When Reid passed away in 1847, the distillery was inherited by Reid’s eponymous son Alexander Reid, who also passed away approximately ten years later. The distillery was then sold to James Davidson and James Shearer Priest, and in 1868 the distillery was taken over by James Stuart, who also the co-founded the Glen Spey Distillery in 1883.
In 1892 the distillery was purchased by a former co-owner of The Talisker Distillery, named Roderick Kemp. Kemp rebuild the Elchies premises and renamed it as Macallan-Glenlivet. After Kemp’s death in 1909 the distillery was continued by his ancestors as a foundation called “Roderick Kemp’s Trust”, and later in 1946 listed as a private company called “R. Kemp Macallan-Glenlivet Ltd”. The Macallan acquired a stock market flotation in 1968, which granted both firms and private citizens the opportunity to obtain partial ownership of the company. Due to the numerous residents of the Craigellachie area that purchased some of distillery’s shares, The Macallan was called the “Malt of the People”. Eventually in 1996 the distillery was sold to Highland Distillery Ltd., until in 1999 it finally became 100% property of the Edrington Group.
One of The Macallan’s signature traits is the tradition of applying the best quality of barley. Currently the Macallan’s spirits are manufactured by using Minstrel barley, which is grown for the distillery exclusively by over 40 farmers. The Macallan spirits are very slowly distilled, and as the distillery uses shortest middle cut of the whisky industry, The Macallan spirits are deliciously fruity and full-flavored.
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