

His ratings across the board for the entire Macallan line…a score of 81 for a Seven year old Macallan to a rating of 95 for The Macallan 25-year-old. Michael Jackson viewed anything over a rating of 75 worth purchasing. The distillery rated five out of five stars. “‘The Rolls-Royce of Single Malts’ is a soubriquet often bestowed upon this persistent winner of competitions.” Taken from Michael Jackson’s Malt Whisky Companion: My thoughts on The Macallan mean nothing in comparison to what the premier expert in the field of Scotch whisky had to say. The Macallan 12 is readily available and at a reasonable price point for the quality. It is a great example of a Highland Speyside malt, one that appeals to newcomers and connoisseurs alike. The Macallan 12 is the real bedrock of The Macallan line. It would certainly encourage further exploration into The Macallan line. Sampling The Macallan 12-year-old may whet your appetite to explore the vast array of single malts. His opinions not only helped shape the single malts people decided to sample, but his views influenced how distilleries developed single malts globally. Although Michael Jackson passed away August 30, 2007, his influence lives on in his writings and throughout the single malt whisky world. He was perhaps the most noteworthy Scotch whisky writer in history. His evaluation and scoring of whisky is highly regarded in the liquor industry. Michael Jackson was a chief reviewer of whiskies and beer. The best source to go to for not only The Macallan, but nearly every malt whisky available up to 1998 is Michael Jackson’s Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch (fourth ed.).

Peerless Spirit – Bob Dalgarno, Master Whisky Maker keeps a watchful eye on each cask, selecting the moment when each is perfect for bottling to create “The Macallan…the world’s most precious whisky.” Natural Color – Spirit and wood alone combine to create The Macallan. (To read exactly what that means you absolutely must visit the site.)Įxceptional Oak Casks – The Macallan Master of Wood, George Espie, selects only the finest in hand-crafted or hand-picked oak casks for The Macallan to ensure the proper aroma, flavor and color in each variety.
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Their unique size and shape ensure the rich, fruity, full bodied flavors.įinest Cut – The Macallan takes only the finest “cuts” or the best of the best of any distillery in Scotland. The Macallan’s reputation is built upon the foundation of six pillars (found on their website Spiritual Home – Easter Elchies House built in 1700 which looks out across hills, fields and rivers that provide the backdrop and fundamental ingredients for The Macallan.Ĭuriously Small Stills – The Macallan is distilled in the smallest stills on Speyside. What causes this Scotch whisky to stand apart from all others begins with the reputation of The Macallan itself. For good reason The Macallan is an exceptional Scotch whisky. This is the whisky all others are measured against.

It is little wonder The Macallan has been named Best Malt in the World and Best Whisky by spirit connoisseurs. The story of The Macallan speaks for itself as does a single taste. A cabinet housing the decanter was crafted using wood from a fallen elm tree, which is thought to have been on The Macallan Estate in 1940.“From the refreshing, delicate, fruit flavors of Fine Oak, to the rich, spicy, chocolate orange characteristics of Sherry Oak and the eclectic, individuality of Fine and Rare, The Macallan portfolio is acknowledged by whisky experts as being of the highest quality and greatest diversity in the world.” – quoted from The Macallan website When I was asked to sample The Macallan, my answer was of course “YES!” However, The Macallan needs no evaluation. According to the Speyside distillery, each hand “represents those who played a part in this whisky and The Macallan’s legacy from 1940 to the modern day and beyond” (that would include the distillery workers in 1940, former chairman Allan Shiach and current Master Whisky Maker Kirsteen Campbell, who selected the cask). The 288 available decanters of the liquid ($125,000 each) are housed in mouth-blown glass, cradled by three bronze hands created by Scottish sculptor Saskia Robinson. Just released, The Reach is an 81 year-old single Scotch malt whisky distilled in 1940 - the distillery says it’s their oldest release ever, and from what we can tell, it’s now the oldest by anyone. It was just last fall when we were praising what was then the world’s oldest single malt, Generations 80 Years Old from Glenlivet Distillery, a very limited-edition bottling from Gordon & MacPhail.īut that record was just broken by The Macallan.
