Double Cask
EXCEPTIONAL CRAFTSMANSHIP MATURED IN SHERRY SEASONED OAK CASKS.
The Macallan Double Cask Collection is a complex sensorial journey. Beautifully balanced by European and American Oak, sherry seasoned in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain.
DOUBLE CASK BY ERIK MADIGAN HECK
To bring the multi-faceted sensorial experience of the Double Cask collection to life, we have collaborated with acclaimed artist Erik Madigan Heck.
Through the lens of Erik's unique and signature style, this collection is captured through still life photography that brings the flavour notes of each whisky to life, each inspired by classic, Flemish still life paintings of the 17th century. Through his use of props, texture and colour, Erik has captured the flavour notes of each whisky variant in the Double Cask collections.
In Collaboration with
Erik Madigan Heck
Describing himself as a painter who uses photography, Erik’s work is a contemporary extension of Romanticism, showcasing and celebrating both nature and beauty, much like The Macallan. Working with natural light and combining in-camera effects with digital post-production, Erik produces evocative and alluring images that are simultaneously timeless and futuristic.
His work is elegant and unashamedly beautiful, exploring the intersections of fashion, painting and classic portraiture.
ABSTRACT PHOTOGRAPHY
Through his expert eye for colour, texture and light, Erik has captured a selection of abstract photography at The Macallan Estate, each telling a different story. These photographs celebrate the inherent nature that surrounds us, the importance of wood and The Macallan ultimate sensorial experience.
THE MACALLAN ESTATE
The Macallan story begins on our 485 acre Estate located on the banks of the River Spey, an area of exceptional natural beauty that supports a rich and varied ecosystem. We are custodians of this precious land and are inspired by the inherent nature that surrounds us. Captured by the duck pond, this photo is an encapsulation of the complex yet delicate process of creating The Macallan Double Cask. Here, Erik has portrayed a visual reflection of an ecosystem which is rooted in flavour, aroma and natural colour.
Wood
It takes over five years of craftsmanship to create The Macallan’s Exceptional Oak casks, which account for up to 80% of The Macallan’s flavours and 100% of the natural colour. In this photograph, Erik showcases the beautiful balance of European Oak and American Oak. The blue hues depict American Oak, whilst the red pantones are a visual representation of European Oak.
A SENSORIAL JOURNEY
Each sip of The Macallan is a truly sensorial journey with a complex, myriad of flavours which mingle with each of our senses, from taste to scent, to mouthfeel and natural colour. Captured at The Macallan barley fields, Erik visually depicts this complex sensorial journey in his artistic representation of The Macallan’s foundational rich, fruity, full bodied flavour experience.
A Sensorial Experience
THE STORY OF DOUBLE CASK
Worthy of their name, our Exceptional Oak Casks are the single greatest contributor to the outstanding quality and distinctive aromas, flavours and natural colours of The Macallan. The Macallan Double Cask collection has a prominent, unmistakable sweetness which is attributed to the higher proportion of American sherry seasoned oak casks used for maturation.
Mastery of this union and the insistence of only using the finest ingredients results in a perfect partnership of both American and European oak sherry seasoned casks, that combined, create a collection with extraordinary tasting notes of toffee and vanilla.
The Macallan owes its exceptional quality to our people, and it is their mastery of wood and spirit that define our whisky. Their skill, craftsmanship and creativity, passed down through many generations, create the consistent quality of every bottle.
Each sip of The Macallan is a truly sensorial experience. It is underpinned by the foundational rich, fruity, full bodied flavour which is attributed to the finest cut of the new make spirit produced from our Curiously Small Copper Stills, combined with our mastery of wood.
A Story of Nature at its Best
We source wood from two continents, which both contribute distinct attributes that play a crucial role in the resulting flavours of The Macallan Double Cask.
Rising to the Challenge
Two worlds meet for the first time to face the fire in the cooperates in Jerez, Spain.
Uncompromised Excellence
Under the hot Spanish sun, newly formed casks are filled with Rich Oloroso sherry and left to patiently mature.
Mastery of Wood and Spirit
Once filled with our new make spirit, the casks slowly mature in our warehouses, until The Macallan Whisky Mastery Team artfully unites two matured casks.