The Macallan 18 Year Old Fine Oak Scotch Single Malt Whisky

About The Macallan 18 Year Old Fine Oak Scotch Single Malt Whisky

Situated on a ridge above the banks of the River Spey, the Easter Elchies House has been the spiritual home of The Macallan for over three centuries. In 1820, Alexander Reid began renting the home from Sir Lewis Grant of Grant. Reid was a farmer, and soon after he sowed the fields surrounding the house with barley, Reid established the first licensed distillery on the estate, which he named Macallan after an ancient church that had been destroyed by fire during the 15th century. In the winter — when there was little activity on the farm — Reid would ferment and distill his excess grains into whisky, which was often drunk straight from the still or sold to travelers passing through the town.

Today, the Macallan Estate encompasses 370 acres, 95 of which are devoted to the production of the Macallan Estate's Minstrel barley (a single acre produces about 2.5 tons of grain each year, enough to yield 1,800 bottles of The Macallan). In addition, the distillery contracts with farmers to purchase barley that is low in nitrogen and high in starch, resulting in a rich and oily whisky.

After the barley is harvested in late August and early September, it is malted before being mashed in one of The Macallan's two mash tuns, a process that takes between four and eight hours. Then, the barley is fermented with a specially cultured yeast before being distilled twice through The Macallan's copper-pot stills. The copper comprising the stills acts as a catalyst and enhances the formation of sweet esters while minimizing impurities such as sulfur. In addition, the curiously small stills — some of "the smallest stills within the Scotch whisky industry," according to production manager Alexander Tweedie — produce a whisky with a dense, oily flavor.

Following distillation, The Macallan distillers remove the heads and tails of the whisky and collect approximately 16% of the spirit to fill into casks for maturation. This "cut," which is among the highest of any Scottish distillery, results in a more full-bodied and rich whisky. This 18 Year The Macallan Fine Oak is triple cask matured for 18 years in a combination of hand-selected European sherry, American sherry, and American bourbon oak casks. Expect otherworldly smooth notes of honey, sweet vanilla, and fruits.

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