Clear Objectives: Transparency within the distillery

At The Macallan, our history and heritage shape us, and the centuries spent refining our whisky and taking the time at every step of the process means that we are naturally both proud, and mindful of protecting our single malt whisky. Yet we have chosen to lay our valued process bare.

When the decision was made to build a new Distillery and Visitor Experience in one building, set under one roof, it was done with the conscious awareness that this was a bold step away from the expected. Traditionally, whisky distilleries tours have their visitor experience separate from the actual distillery – you dip in and out during the tour but there are many areas that are never revealed to the public. We chose to view this ambitious new project as an opportunity to change expectations, and give visitors a means of connecting with our brand story in a way which is immersive, engaging and memorable.

This was an internal challenge as well, we wanted to raise the bar for our own standards of what was considered a true Macallan experience. A brand home that was a celebration of all those years of sacrifice and dedication combined with how we are continually pushing ourselves to innovate.

Refusing to let this deter us, we chose to have a bespoke glass wall constructed. Yet another hurdle was presented when we learned that the only facility which possessed the capacity to test a glass wall of this size was located hundreds of miles away in Warrington. While others might have given up at this point or chosen to compromise, we decided that this element was integral to the greater vision – a vision that was both literal and metaphorical. Thus the component parts were individually certified and assembled for a sample wall, and then shipped to Warrington to be set on fire to demonstrate the wall complied with fire rating regulations.