The Six Pillars are the foundation stones for the fame and character of The Macallan. They encompass the strong sense of place at the heart of the distillery and the estate, together with our long experience of distilling and maturing a single malt whisky.
Built in 1700 from locally quarried sandstone for Captain John Grant, our Spiritual Home, Easter Elchies House, is a fine example of a Highland manor house. The 390-acre Macallan Estate lies in an area of natural beauty and is farmed sensitively, in harmony with the environment.
The Macallan’s Curiously Small Stills are amongst 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 rich, fruity, full-bodied flavours characteristic of The Macallan. There are fourteen of these spirit 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!
We carefully select the finest quality spirit from our stills to ensure we create the best single malt whisky. This finest cut ensures we produce our signature viscous mouth-feel and fruity aroma and flavour. This small portion, or ‘cut’ is incredibly selective and one of the finest in the industry. It is primarily responsible for the full-bodied richness of The Macallan new make spirit. This clear colourless spirit is selected at just under 70% alcohol by volume. Distinctly robust and characterful this ‘new make’ spirit is the starting point for all Macallan.
Our exceptional oak casks are the single greatest contributor to the outstanding quality, natural colours and distinctive aromas and flavours of The Macallan. These oak casks are crafted to our own specifications and account for up to 80% of the final aromas and flavours of The Macallan. Because of this, we spend more per cask than any other distillery in sourcing, crafting, seasoning and caring for its casks.
All colour in The Macallan whiskies, bottled by the distillery, is natural. Only the interaction of the ‘new make’ spirit with the oak of the maturation casks delivers the rich and natural diversity of colour throughout the range, from light oak through to darkest mahogany. These natural colours remain ‘fixed’, as opposed to artificial colour which fades relatively quickly in bright sunlight. Great skill is required by the Master Whisky Maker to achieve consistency of natural colour from bottling to bottling
From place and production, to people and passion. The Macallan is the result of such defining mastery and intricacy, it is unmatched; peerless in each and every way.