The process of making whisky is fairly standard. It doesn’t matter the brand or the whisky, they take the same raw ingredients and distil it into Scotch. What makes visiting different whisky distilleries so interesting (for me anyway), is the chance to learn about the unique brands, their often colourful history and having the chance to sample their whisky right where it was made.
Last month, I received an invite from The Macallan to visit their sprawling estate in Speyside and to try out their Macallan Mastery Experience.
The Macallan Mastery Experience is a distillery tour like none I’d taken before and at £250 per person, it’s maybe one for the more discerning whisky fan or to mark a special occasion. The visit kicks off with an exquisite meal in The Macallan’s very own fine dining brasserie along with wine pairings and a series of drams (I think I counted 6) throughout the 4-hour experience, it certainly makes for a memorable day.
The Macallan Estate in itself is a beautiful corner of Speyside is home to their sustainability-focused distillery and warehousing but also Easter Elchies House, the spiritual home of the brand and the building that you’ll recognise from the whisky bottle’s labels.
After our delicious lunch, we were joined by our host for the tour itself which takes in the history of the whisky and a look around their mini archive before heading into the heart of the whole process with an up close and personal wander around The Macallan stills and mash tuns.
The groups on their tours are small and given that there is a lot more time than on the standard experience, you have plenty of chances to ask questions.
The highlight of the whole day for me was seeing inside the impressive Macallan Cave Privee, the home of the private cask collection and having he chance to enjoy a dram inside.
At the conclusion of the Mastery Experience, guests then have the opportunity to purchase some very rare Macallan malts that are not currently available to the general public before being free to enjoy a cocktail or 2 in their lovely bar at their leisure.
The Macallan Estate is located in Speyside, Scotland.
Book the Macallan Mastery Experience here.
Disclosure: I was invited to visit The Macallan Estate as part of an organised press trip. All words and opinions are my own.
