Macallan 18 year old Sherry Cask 2021 Annual Release

The legendary Macallan 18 year old aged in Sherry Casks is back! This superb Speyside single malt has notes of bruised banana, dark chocolate, molasses and toffee popcorn. It is also released in very limited quantities every year. Grab it now or you will have to wait another year to get the chance to grab it!

Macallan distillery

The distillery is located in the area of Easter Elchies, Craigellachie, Scotland. It acquired its distilling license in 1824 and started operating as Elchies Distillery. Many whisky writers and historians argue that illegal distillation could have taken place on the same site way before the license was acquired. Like many distilleries built in the early half of the 19^th century, Macallan started as a farm distillery. The founder, Alexander Reid, owned and ran the distillery until 1868 when he sold it. The new owner, James Stuart, ran the distillery until 1892 when he sold it to the Kemp family who were among the biggest distillers during the Victorian era and beyond.  

In 1996 the current owners, Edrington Group (known as Highland Distillers back then), took over Macallan distillery. Prior to this, the distillery’s production capacity was increased in 1954, 1965 and 1975. Today 21 pot stills operate at this distillery.  

For most of its history, Macallan has produced malt whisky for blending. During the dreaded whisky glut of the 1980’s, production focused strongly on the single malt category.  

Since the 1970s, The Macallan brand has gone from strength to strength. It has released several whiskies with and without age statements. In 2013 the construction of a new distillery was announced and the finished project was unveiled in 2018. The distillery was completed at an estimated cost of £140 million.