The Macallan 18 Year Old Sherry Oak Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Situated on a ridge above the banks of the River Spey, the Easter Elchies House has been the spiritual home of The Macallan for over three centuries. In 1820, Alexander Reid began renting the home from Sir Lewis Grant of Grant. Reid was a farmer, and soon after he sowed the fields surrounding the home with barley, Reid established the first licensed distillery on the estate, which he named Macallan after an ancient church that had been destroyed by fire during the 15th century. Today, the Macallan Estate encompasses 370 acres, 95 of which are devoted to the production of the Macallan Estates Minstrel barley (a single acre produces about 2.5 tons of barley each year, enough to yield 1,800 bottles of The Macallan). In 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 barley is harvested in late August and early September, it is malted before being mashed in one of The Macallans 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 Macallans copper-pot stills. Following distillation, The Macallan distillers remove the heads and tails of the whisky and collect approximately 16 percent 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 rich whisky.Macallan 18 Year Old Sherry Oak Single Malt Scotch Whisky is aged for nearly two decades in a combination of sherry-seasoned Spanish oak and sherry-seasoned American oak casks. The Macallan takes great care to source, craft, season and care for these casks, as they account for approximately 60 percent of the final aromas and flavors of the whisky, according to a study commissioned by the distillery.As a result of the sherry-casks, The Macallan 18 Year Old Sherry Oak Single Malt Scotch Whisky has an aroma of toasted oak and ginger, along with notes of vanilla and cinnamon. The palate is bursting with orange citrus and clove, as well as a very subtle wood smoke, and leads an elegant finish filled with toffee, oak, almonds and dried mangos.The Macallan 18 Year Old Sherry Oak Single Malt Scotch Whisky received a rating of 92 points from Wine Enthusiast, which called it, "Balanced and complex."Pick up a bottle today!