For all whisky mavens, The Macallan has a pride of place. This is also true amongst Jews, for whom Scotch, in general, and Single Malts in particular, has become the chosen spirit. Looking back, it is amusing to relate that I have had a personal happening with The Macallan Whisky approximately every twenty years. Though the distillery has changed, grown and developed, it still maintains its position on a pedestal as one of the very finest Single Malt Whiskies.
I first came to know the distillery in the mid-1980s. I was in the British drinks industry and a whisky lover even then. The Macallan had an image of quality, without being the massive global brand it has become today. It was still family owned, and was still based in the quaint Easter Elchies House. The Macallan had a few unique features in its favor. Firstly, they traditionally used unusually small stills for a commercial distiller. They were the smallest in Speyside. When they invested in new ones, they followed the same recipe. Secondly, their whiskies became most famous because they were aged in used sherry casks. The sherry nose, flavor and finish made The Macallan the favorite dram of many, including yours truly. Finally, they fortuitously had an extensive inventory of old whiskies, which was greatly to their benefit. This was either from luck or foresight, but it set The Macallan apart from its competitors.
In those days the entry level whisky was 10 or 12 year old, depending in which country, then there was the 18 year old and the 25 year old, which came in a rather impressive wooden box. When I was wine buyer for a major hotel group, we became closer to the distillery, organizing promotions throughout the chain. The regular The Macallan was in the bars, the 18 year old was in the restaurant bars and on the liqueur & digestif trolleys. As for the 25 year old we made a point of using it as an after dinner drink in banquets instead of cognac, serving it in a brandy balloon rather than a tumbler or thistle glass. I enjoyed the wonderful experience of visiting the distillery. I felt privileged to be hosted at Easter Elchies House and I have a picture of myself wearing tartan holding bag pipes to remember the occasion! What I was trying to do, I don’t remember so well, the whisky dulled my memory, but every picture tells a story. What is clear is that we were having a good time. Anyway, The Macallan in those days was homey and very authentic. I remember the distillery as unpretentious and modest, as though the fame it received was almost a surprise and an embarrassment. It felt like the essence of Scotland.
Twenty years later, I was by now a fully-fledged Israeli, living and breathing the Israeli wine scene. In 2005, I spent a week with my son David, touring Speyside. On the visit we visited many of the top distilleries, but The Macallan was the one we were most looking forward to. This time, things had already changed. It felt more international. We were received in a plush new visitors’ center. Everything was more in keeping with the global brand that The Macallan had become. Smooth and slick, but maybe, with less soul. Not as authentic. That was perhaps an inevitable casualty of success. However, it was the most formal and professional presentation and tasting we experienced during the week. In other words, still crème de la crème, but in a different way. We tasted through the range, but funnily enough, we both preferred the 12 year old, rather than the older whiskies we were also given. The new core list was made up of a new concept, the Fine Oak series, which were whiskies matured in ex-bourbon casks as well as the traditional sherry casks.
Fast forward another twenty years, I meet The Macallan again in 2024-25. This time as wine writer for the Jerusalem Post, I was invited to some rather grand, well run events in Israel. The most exclusive was the launch of a special expression to celebrate the distillery’s two hundredth year. To mark the anniversary they launched a rare, expensive special edition whisky called TIME : SPACE. If you want a wee dram, the bottle will cost you a mere NIS 10,000! As always with The Macallan, the presentation and packaging is creative, totally original and outstanding; in fact, a work of art in itself. Of course, an expression like this is for the super-rich collector. A history of 200 years is both impressive and unusual. There is definitely a justification for looking back at a remarkable story.
The distillery was established in 1824 at Craigellachie by Alexander Reid, on the banks of the River Spey. Reid was a barley farmer and teacher. To put this in perspective, Sir Moses and Judith Montefiore made their first visit to the Holy Land and Jerusalem in 1827. Our oldest existing winery, Zion Winery, was founded in 1848. So it was, in the words of singer-songwriter Don Mclean, “a long, long time ago.” At the time most whisky production was underground to avoid crippling taxes. The word “Macallan” is made up of the Gaelic word Magh, meaning fertile ground, and allan, after a local stream. The land included the iconic Easter Elchies House, which was to become the symbol of the distillery. The Reid family remained in charge until 1858, but then there was continuity because their partners carried on. For a time the distillery was known as Macallan–Glenlivet. In 1892 the distillery was sold to Roderick Kemp. He made improvements, including investing in a new distillery. After his death, the Roderick Kemp Trust was set up to preserve the family ownership.
The distillery expanded but with the same small stills and the same investment in sherry casks, which The Macallan used to control from tree to cask and then age Oloroso Sherry in them, before shipping them to their maturation warehouse for their precious whiskies. In 1977 Easter Elchies was restored and it became a reception center for visitors. At this stage, the distillery was renamed “The” Macallan, just to sharpen the message. Their first release of a 60 year old whisky created enormous interest. The further release of old whiskies and the burgeoning image in UK, America and the Far East, catapulted The Macallan to the forefront of the wish list for whisky lovers. Later the Macallan Fine & Rare Collection kept the connoisseurs and collectors alike happy. Until today, the most expensive whiskies ever auctioned, are under their name.
In 1986 Suntory acquired 25% of the business. So on my first visit, it was still family owned. Easter Elchies was still the focal point, and The Macallan was benefiting from its investment in quality, old stocks and a new interest in all things Single Malt. It was still a family place in atmosphere. In 1996 Highland Distillers purchased the remaining 75%, and in 1999 Edrington, a private Scottish company, bought out Highland Distillers. In the Edrington stable are Highland Park, in its own right a very characterful malt whisky and Famous Grouse, the largest selling whisky in Scotland and one of the largest selling blended whiskies in Great Britain. The new visitors’ center I visited was opened in 2001. In 2004 the Fine Oak label was launched. These were whiskies matured in three casks: sherry seasoned European and American oak casks and ex-Bourbon American casks. These Fine Oak Malt Whiskies became the core list and more age statement whiskies were released, so that the range was from 10 year old to 30 year old. However, the core list was the 12, 15 and 18 years old.
In 2018 a magnificent new distillery and visitors center was launched with a unique design. It was made with local stone, timber and a meadow roof, merging into the Speyside scenery. It is a triumph of the imagination in terms of design and has won awards for its originality, yet the objective was to emphasize roots and a sense of place. It is a place where past and future meet; a cathedral to excellence.
In Israel, The Macallan is represented by Akkerman, a family company founded by Menachem Akkerman in 1962 in Haifa. They became the leading spirits importer here and in 2014 they took on The Macallan. The distillery also has its own team of two working alongside the distributor. Nir Ben-Laiche is The Macallan Ambassador in Israel. He is a dynamic, smiling presence, enthused with the distillery story. Prior to this job he worked for Tempo, who represent Pernod Ricard’s spirits in Israel. In addition, there is Tsipi Levin, who is Brand Manager for Edrington in Israel. I first met her when she was part of the marketing team at Carmel, responsible for launching Carmel Signature (the quality label of Carmel Winery) and looking after Yatir Winery. To work with The Macallan is not a bad job for both of them, if you are lucky enough to get it! They are a great team, professional, creative and pleasant. They have brought The Macallan back into my line of vision because of a series of innovative events they have staged. By their activities, they have added value to the brand.
When I used to work with Macallan, all those decades ago, it was very easy. There was a range, each with its age statement and its own colored box. There was no overlap. Since those early days, as the demand exploded there has been an explosion of new styles, special editions and unique releases that have made things far more complicated. I am very conservative and easily pleased. I prefer the Sherry Oak series. For me the 12 year old and 18 year old are outstanding. These are always my first choices, though I have sometimes found them more scarce and difficult to find than the Fine Oak was. I would often go in search of the Sherry Oak edition, only to be told that the Fine Oak was it. I was confused, and so it seems were the retailers. Certainly the plethora of other releases is confusing. The Fine Oak, which later became known as Triple Cask, and the Double Oak were confusingly similar in price, style and look. Now it seems that the Double Cask, made from sherry seasoned American and European oak, is taking a lead particularly in the Israeli market. The 12 and 15 year old will be available in most bars, and the 18 year will be in the more prestigious restaurant and hotel bars.
The Harmony Collection is a new special edition series reflecting a new message of sustainability, timed to be launched around the 200th anniversary. I tasted them and liked the Vibrant Oak best. This celebrates the relationship the distillery has with oak. This whisky is aged in a combination of first fill American oak, and second fill sherry seasoned oak casks. Furthermore, oak chippings from their own casks, were used in the innovative presentation box and labels. The Vibrant Oak was exquisite, which The Macallan sum up in five descriptors: vanilla, lime, sweet oak, apple and toasted almonds.
It is clear The Macallan still has what it takes. Looking forward to our next encounter in twenty years’ time!
Adam Montefiore is a wine trade veteran and winery insider turned wine writer, who has advanced Israeli wines for 38 years. He is referred to as the English voice of Israeli wine and is the Wine Writer of the Jerusalem Post. www.adammontefiore.com
