The Macallan distillery was founded by Alexander Reid, a barley farmer and school teacher. The original name of the area was “Maghellan”, taken from the Gallic word “magh”, meaning fertile ground and “Ellan”, from the Monk St.Fillan - who held a close association with the church that stood in the grounds of The Macallan Estate until 1400. Farmers had been making whisky on their Speyside farms in the area for centuries, using their surplus barley during the quieter winter months.

All of our whiskies take 100% of their colour from the wood in which they are matured. As wood is a natural product, each tree is different and in turn, imparts different flavours and colours to the whisky during maturation. The skill of the whisky makers ensures colour is as consistent as possible from bottling to bottling, through the management and selection of the casks which provide the spectrum of natural colour essential to The Macallan single malt.

The Macallan works closely with fully integrated ‘tree to finished seasoned cask’ companies in Spain; to identify the oak trees in the forests of northern Spain, fell the trees, saw and air dry the oak staves before shipping them to the south for further air-drying to reduce the moisture even more. The casks are then seasoned for 18 months before making the journey to Scotland where they are filled with The Macallan ‘new make’ spirit.