Exceptional Single Cask

Imagine yourself stepping into the secluded world of The Macallan Whisky Makers right at the heart of The Macallan Estate. Laid out on the legendary whisky making bench is a stunning array of Macallan whiskies sampled straight from the cask. This is where the story of The Macallan Exceptional Single Cask begins...

The Sampling Process

The Whisky Makers' Bench

An amazingly diverse selection of samples crosses The Macallan whisky making bench every day. Standing at the bench, the Whisky Makers patiently lay the foundations of the entire Macallan range by meticulously nosing and assessing each and every sample. It is here, in the hidden depths of the estate that extraordinary aromas and flavours first fully reveal themselves.

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One of the fundamentals in the creation of every Macallan expression lies in the careful planning of cask selection.

The warehouse sampling team, led by the warehouse operations manager, draws the precious samples from the casks shortlisted by The Macallan Whisky Makers.

The cask samples are then labelled and hand delivered to the whisky making bench, ready for the careful consideration of the Whisky Makers.

The Whisky Makers then assess every sample, taking into account the detailed nuances that each displays through the natural colour and the complex aromas. Most of these whiskies are then combined to make The Macallan whisky in question but some may be returned to the warehouse for deeper and longer maturation.

Occasionally, just very occasionally, a particular sample will stand out and the cask will be set aside for The Macallan Exceptional Single Cask.

An Exceptional Selection

Every single bottle of The Macallan Exceptional Single Cask is unique in its own particular way. Each individual cask selected by The Macallan Whisky Makers was chosen for its distinctive characteristics. Now you can explore and enjoy the same sensations in aroma and flavour and experience some of the discoveries made at The Macallan's whisky making bench.