The Macallan distillery

At the mere mention of the word “sherry’, the name Macallan comes to mind in the olfactory memory of any whisky enthusiast, evoking its smooth notes of candied orange, chocolate and walnut husks.

Macallan’s tradition of using sherry casks for maturation has become the emblematic signature of its style, so much so that it can almost claim Andalusia as one of its regions of production. It has even signed contracts with a cooperage in Jerez to ensure the regular supply of Spanish oak casks that have been seasoned for at least two years with dry oloroso sherry.

A proportion of the sherry casks used are made from American oak, but these are normally reserved for blends. Nevertheless, Macallan’s recent about-turn has shown, with the newly-launched Fine Oak range, that maturation has always been diversified. In fact, the bonded warehouses hold a surprisingly large quantity of ex-bourbon casks and second-fill (or more) hogsheads.
This new release further brings out the floral, fruity character of this Speyside classic.

But of course, it will always be the old vintages, aged in first-fill sherry casks, that give Macallan its exceptional “collector’s” status. Brought together in the Fine & Rare range, which includes vintages from most years between 1926 and 1975, these bottlings will be the pride and joy of any collector lucky enough to get their hands on one.