For more than three centuries, The Macallan has called the Easter Elchies House, perched on a ridge above the banks of the River Spey, their spiritual home. Sir Lewis Grant of Grant rented the house to Alexander Reid in 1820. As a farmer, Reid quickly planted barley in the fields around the house. He then built the first authorized distillery on the property, which he called Macallan after an old church that had burned down in the fifteenth century. Reid would ferment and distill his excess grains into whisky during the winter, when the farm was not as busy. This whisky was frequently consumed straight from the still or sold to tourists who were traveling through the town.

Currently, 95 of the 370 acres of the Macallan Estate are used for the production of Minstrel barley (an acre yields around 2.5 tons of barley year, which is sufficient to make 1,800 bottles of The Macallan). To produce a rich and fatty whisky, the distillery also enters into agreements with farmers to buy barley that is high in starch and low in nitrogen.

In late August and early September, the barley is harvested, malted, and then mashed in one of The Macallan’s two mash tuns, a process that takes four to eight hours. Following fermentation with a specially cultivated yeast, the barley is twice distilled using copper-pot stills at The Macallan. The stills’ copper serves as a catalyst, promoting the production of delicious esters while reducing contaminants like sulfur. Furthermore, production manager Alexander Tweedie claims that the oddly tiny stills, which are among “the smallest stills within the Scotch whisky industry,” yield a whisky with a rich, greasy flavor.

After distillation, the Macallan distillers separate the whisky’s heads and tails and reserve around 16% of the spirit to put into maturation casks. This “cut,” one of the highest of any Scottish distillery, makes the whisky richer and fuller.

There is no other Macallan like this one. This expression, which was introduced as a part of the 1824 Master Series, is a blend of carefully chosen European and American oak casks that have been seasoned with 100% sherry. This unique whisky was aged in fewer than 100 casks at The Macallan distillery for this limited edition smoky expression. Under the careful supervision of Macallan’s Master Whisky Maker, these enigmatic casks remained undisturbed in the dim warehouses of The Macallen scotch.

There aren’t many left, and these casks will disappear after they are used. Rare Cask Black, a unique smokey spirit from Macallan, is incredibly surprising and unique in flavor, with a full-bodied richness that narrates a tale of ingenuity and inventiveness. In addition to telling a distinct tale of the Macallan spirit and barrels, this whisky also conveys a tale of rarity.

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Notes on Tasting

Strong notes of classic peat smoke in the aroma. Rich but sweet, it combines the notes of dried fruit, nutmeg, ginger, and exquisitely polished oak with dates, figs, and raisins. Softer wood tones take the place of a dry smokiness on the palate. It has a delicious, lingering finish with subtle oak smoke.