The Macallan is one of the largest producers of Scotch whisky. It is internationally renowned as the pinnacle of premium single malts and is the producer of the world’s most expensive whisky, a title it holds more than any other distillery, by the way. Mark Littler contacted the team at The Macallan and asked fans to share six things. maybe I don’t know about Scotland’s fourth largest distillery.
The Macallan’s ‘strangely tiny still’ is one of Speyside’s smallest
“Curiously Small Stills” is one of the Macallan Six Pillars (six points that Macallan uses as the basis of its whisky), and its size plays an important role in making Macallan whisky.
“These copper stills are one of the hallmarks of our distillation process and play a key role in creating a fruity, malty spirit,” says Kirstin Campbell, Master Whiskey Maker at The Macallan. explained Mark Littler via email.
“The size of these stills maximizes the spirit-to-copper contact that is essential to creating this flavor balance.” I spent most of my time on a project investigating the importance of copper as a material, more specifically the interaction between spirit vapor on copper surfaces and how this affects flavor. It’s up to you to give it.”
The Macallan completed construction on its new distillery in 2018, allowing it to produce the highest quality whiskey for a global audience. The stills used today are replicas of the original miniature stills, so I asked Campbell how he created the new setup. “We asked Forsyth, our long-time copper experts, to create an exact replica of the still at the old distillery. It was exactly the same shape, size and line arm as the original copper still. This maintains the character of our new makeup spirit and makes it consistent.
The Macallan collaborates with Cirque du Soleil
As you may have already noticed, this year Macallan celebrates its 200th anniversary. As well as collaborating with Bentley, the world’s oldest whisky, and releasing new releases from Fine & Rare, we have also collaborated with internationally renowned performance house Cirque du Soleil.
Jaume Ferras, creative director of The Macallan, said: “We wanted to share The Macallan’s story in a playful and creative way, while keeping nature at its heart. “Soleil has come to the forefront of our thinking,” explained Jaume Ferraz, creative director of The Macallan. Exchange of emails discussing collaboration. “We started a conversation and we were both interested and inspired to create a one-of-a-kind immersive experience. A love letter to the natural world of the Highlands. This is , a call to reconnect with our natural world and raise a glass to this realm of which we are all guests.
“Our collaboration was born out of a shared belief that nature remains the ultimate sensory experience. We are dedicated to constant innovation, inspired by creativity and a shared respect for the natural world. Two brands.”
The Macallan is known for its extensive collaborations dating back to the 1980s, when it commissioned artists to design its 1926 label. Recent examples of celebrations celebrating our 200th anniversary include: bentley motorsmusic video by Emily Sande and David Tennant.
Macallan Distillery has Europe’s largest wildflower roof
In 2018, The Macallan unveiled a brand new distillery and has since won numerous awards. In its design, The Macallan aimed to reimagine the distillery in ways that go beyond the ordinary, reflecting values such as protecting the future and the Scottish homeland.
The length of the roof itself is over 200 meters. Planted with Speyside longgrasses and wildflowers, it has been designed to integrate with and support the Speyside ecosystem that surrounds the distillery. It was a true feat of engineering and was described by the manufacturer at the time as “the most intricately designed wooden roof structure in the world”.
David Holmes has designed over 250 advertisements for The Macallan
The 1960s were a boom time for the Scotch whiskey industry, when blended whiskeys dominated almost entirely. The Macallan was one of the first brands to focus on single malt, along with Glenfiddich in the 1960s. In the late 1970s, they enlisted the help of David Holmes, a prominent advertiser known for his work with Peter Blake (later Sir), who created quirky and unusual campaigns that were also hugely successful. Holmes and Macallan’s relationship lasted more than 40 years.
When I asked David in an email what he had said, Mr. Ferras, creative director of The Macallan, said: “Holmes has been instrumental in shaping the tone of The Macallan brand on the global stage. ” and conveyed the personality and authenticity that helped form the core of the brand.” Holmes’ most important contributions to Macallan were:
“He used his extraordinary talent to create captivating advertisements of the 70s and 80s with a distinctive style. , a handmade loose-leaf pamphlet tied with sturdy cloth string, and the brand’s first advertisement, which ran next to a crossword on the back page of The Times.
Mr Holme’s first ad for The Macallan challenged the conventional wisdom of the time by being deliberately unusual and unique. It features a small black-and-white sketch and a note about the name “Macallan,” which is thought to be derived from a saint named Ma Colum.
Holmes went on to create more than 250 advertisements for The Macallan and worked on many other projects, including 1926, the hand-painted label series and the ongoing Archive Folio release. Although he passed away in 2018, his legacy at The Macallan lives on in the many series he worked on.
The McCarran Estate is home to over 60,000 trees and over 70 species of wildlife
The 485-acre property was home to The Macallan for almost 200 years. The spectacular setting and distinctive Easter Elches House are as synonymous with the brand as the whiskey itself.
The site guarantees a unique team working in close consultation with ecologists and environmental and agricultural consultants to help protect the wildlife and nature that calls McCarran home. With more than 60,000 trees, the site is a wildlife haven for more than 70 species of animals, birds and fish, including seven European protected species such as red squirrels, badgers, otters, swifts and pine martens. It has become.
The Macallan 1926 Adami sells for over $2.7 million at Sotheby’s in London
of Macallan 1926 Single Malt is one of the most popular Scotch whiskey bottles in the world. The five bottles included in this release hold the record for most expensive whisky, a total of 10 times over the past 40 years.
This was distilled in 1926 when the distillery was under the management of Managing Director Janet Harbinson, and is the only bottle of whiskey to sell for more than £1 million at auction. The current record was set in November 2023 at Sotheby’s in London for a Valerio Adami record for $2,714,250 (£2,187,500). The previous record was $1.9 million (£1.45 million), held by the Fine and Rare edition of this release, which took the record from Michael Dillon’s 1926 hand-painted version.
The Macallan is a powerhouse in the world of whiskey, and we hope you’ve learned something new about the brand, its home, and its history. The Macallan is celebrating their 200th anniversary with new releases throughout 2024, so we’re looking forward to seeing what else they have planned to commemorate this.
The original version of this article was written by me for Forbes.com
