Est. 1824 • Easter Elchies, Craigellachie, Speyside, Scotland

Macallan

"Speyside, matured in sherry oak"

Macallan is a Speyside single malt made at the Easter Elchies estate above the River Spey. Where much of Speyside leans light and floral, Macallan is built on sherry-seasoned oak, which gives it a fuller, richer character. Expect dried fruit, orange peel, warm spice and dark chocolate over a deep, rounded body. It is one of the most recognised single malt names in the world.

1824

Founded

Speyside

Region

Easter Elchies

Home

Sherry oak

House Style

Built on Sherry Oak

Where Macallan sits among the Speyside malts

Macallan was founded in 1824 at the Easter Elchies estate, on a rise above the River Spey near Craigellachie. It is one of the first farms in the region to hold a licence to distil, and it has stayed on the same ground ever since.

What sets Macallan apart is the oak. The distillery leans hard on sherry-seasoned casks, mostly European oak, and that choice shapes the whole character. Where much of Speyside is light, floral and fresh, Macallan is fuller and richer. Think dried fruit, orange peel, ginger and dark chocolate over a deep, rounded body. The colour comes from the wood, not from anything added.

To place it in the wider region, read our guide to the whisky regions of Scotland, and browse the wider Scotch whisky catalogue.

The Range

How the core Macallan bottlings sit against each other, everyday to occasion

The everyday sherry style

Macallan Double Cask 12 Year Old

Matured in both European and American sherry-seasoned oak. Honey, vanilla and dried fruit with a soft, rounded sweetness. An easy first step into the house style.

The classic starting point

Macallan Sherry Oak 12 Year Old

Aged fully in European oak seasoned with sherry. Richer than the Double Cask, with dried fruit, ginger and clove over a deeper, spicier body.

The step up

Macallan Sherry Oak 18 Year Old

More years in sherry oak build weight and depth. Dark dried fruit, orange, chocolate and a long, warming spiced finish. The bottle the house is best known for.

The occasion pour

Macallan Double Cask 18 and older bottlings

Extra time in oak deepens the fruit and spice into treacle, raisin and polished wood. Bottlings for slow sipping, neat, with time in the glass.

How to Drink It

Macallan is made for sipping neat. Pour the 12 Year Old into a tulip glass and give it a few minutes to open, then add a drop or two of water to lift the dried fruit and spice. The richer sherry-oak bottlings reward patience, so take them slowly after dinner, where the chocolate and orange notes sit well against something sweet.