Die Brennerei The Macallan hat 1 Million Pfund in Sanierungen und Bauarbeiten auf ihrem Gelände in der Speyside gesteckt und die Ergebnisse jetzt präsentiert. Das Herzstück ist eine Anlage für Besucher, in der die Geschichte von Eichenholz, Fassreifung und Fassmanagement und ihre Bedeutung für den charakteristischen Macallan Geschmack erklärt werden. Außerdem wurden die historischen Gebäude Jacobean Manor, Easter Elchies House aus dem Jahr 1700 und das Ghillies Cottage saniert, um jetzt zum ersten Mal auch Übernachtungen bei The Macallan anbieten zu können.
The Macallan Unveils 1M Story of Oak at Speyside Home
The Macallan single malt officially unveiled a £1 million development on its Speyside estate on Friday 3rd November.
The centrepiece is a unique visitor experience dedicated to explaining the critical importance of oak wood, cask seasoning and unparalleled cask management in delivering the distinctive styles of The Macallan.
The investment also includes the refurbishment of the Jacobean manor, Easter Elchies House, built in 1700, and of the Ghillies Cottage, to allow guest accommodation on The Macallan estate for the first time.
Officially opened by Ian Good, chairman of parent company Edrington, the investment marks an exciting phase for The Macallan, which has grown at three times the rate of the single malt market over the last five years.
Housed in Warehouse 7, both the general public and trade visitors will have the chance to discover ‘The Story of Oak’ and the crucial role it plays in producing The Macallan single malt – often called the “most precious whisky in the world.” The brand uses the highest percentage of sherry oak casks in the Scotch whisky industry – they are also the most expensive – and the new wood visitor area showcases the exceptional oak casks it sources from Jerez, Spain, and premium bourbon barrels from America.
The developments have also focused on creating guest accommodation for brand education visits on the estate for the first time. Easter Elchies House, The Macallan’s spiritual home, has been refurbished to the very highest standards and the Ghillies Cottage, previously the home of the distillery manager, has also been converted to accommodate trade and corporate guests.
David Cox, director of brand education, said: “The Macallan has a remarkable, and rapidly growing, reputation all over the world. Our extraordinary oak casks play a critical role in making this great single malt whisky and we go to great lengths to ensure our casks are the most exactingly sourced, and best cared for, in the industry. We wanted to showcase this, looking at the properties of the oak, the provenance and careful selection of our casks and the skills involved crafting them. It’s a first for the industry.
“We are also delighted with the refurbishments at Easter Elchies House and the Ghillies Cottage, which will offer a wonderful ‘home from home’ for our trade and corporate guests.”
Maturation develops in sherry casks, crafted from both Spanish and American oak, and in bourbon barrels, the combinations differing for The Macallan Sherry Oak and Fine Oak, but all producing a particularly smooth, delicate, yet complex single malt.