Built in 1700 Easter Elchies House is a fine example of a Highland manor house. The Macallan estate lies in an area of great natural beauty; its scale and diversity is unique among distilleries and is managed in harmony with the beautiful landscape. The estate covers 390 acres (158 hectares), of which some 90 acres are sown in the spring with our own exclusive Minstrel barley variety to make The Macallan. Sheep and highland cattle are at home here and woodland, beetle banks and areas of unharvested crop and unmown grassland attract biodiversity. The river Spey, one of Scotland’s most famous salmon rivers, borders the estate to the south and south-east.
The Macallan’s curiously small spirit stills are 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 viscosity and rich, fruity, full-bodied flavours so characteristic of The Macallan. There are fourteen of these curiously small 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!
Colour Amber
ABV 40%
Nose Polite, almost apologetic at first, with a floral, citrus sweet nose that gains presence, commanding a chorus of vanilla notes over freshly harvested grain. Raisin, sultana and cinnamon look on as toffee apples and candy floss step into the limelight.
Palate Fresh green apples and lemons mingle with cinnamon. Ginger notes hover as fruit takes over, with subtle oak lingering in the wings. Finish Light to medium with soft fruits and cereal, slightly dry.
| Style | Blend |
| Region | Scotch |
| Alcohol | 40% |
| Nose | 6.5/10 |
| Taste | 7/10 |
| Finish | 6.5/10 |
| Overall | 6.5/10 |
"Smooth on the way down, burns in the chest after a while!"
"It's not incredibly alcoholic on the nose."
"It tastes like a cognac. It doesn't punch like a whisky."
"Sweet in the mouth and hints of aniseed"
"Not very morish"
"The aftertaste had hints of marzipan"
This is a nice whisky to drink, it's simplistic and sweet. It takes you on a Rollercoaster of burn and no burn in its finish. I'd buy this again even though it's scored quite low in the group.