The Macallan No.6 The Masters Decanter Series Single Malt Scotch

Situated on a ridge above the banks of the River Spey, the Easter Elchies House has been the spiritual home of The  for over three centuries. In 1820, Alexander Reid sowed the fields surrounding the rented home with barley and established the first licensed distillery on the estate, which he named  after an ancient church that had been destroyed by fire during the 15th century. In the slow winter days, Reid would ferment and distill his excess grains into whisky, which was often drunk straight from the still or sold to travelers passing through the town.

Today, The Macallan Estate encompasses 370 acres, 95 of which are devoted to the production of The Estate’s Minstrel barleyIn addition, the distillery contracts with farmers to purchase barley that is low in nitrogen and high in starch, resulting in a rich and oily whisky.

After the harvest, the barley is malted and mashed in one of The  two mash tuns, a process that takes between four and eight hours. Then, the barley is fermented with a specially cultured yeast before being distilled twice through The Macallan’s copper-pot stills. The copper whisky comprising the stills acts as a catalyst and enhances the formation of sweet esters while minimizing impurities such as sulfur. In addition, the curiously small stills — some of “the smallest stills within the Scotch whisky industry,” according to production manager Alexander Tweedie — produce a whisky with a heavy, oily flavor.

The Macallan No.6 The Masters Decanter Series Single Malt Scotch.

Following distillation, The  distillers remove the heads and tails of the whisky and collect approximately 16% of the spirit to fill into casks for maturation. This “cut,” which is among the highest of any Scottish distillery, results in a more full-bodied and richer whisky.