Was massively impressed when I visited! Pretty epic and worth a visit even if you aren’t a Macallan fan as it’s so different to everything else. Very well done Macallan
Awesome video Roy! Thanks for the insider sneak peak:) What a truly breathtaking building....if only they would return to the things that made them great. Macallan reminds me a lot of the U.S. becoming a victim of their own success.
They're not really victims buddy - they're very successful. Unfortunately, their success excludes us a little. Still, damn good whisky - just too much other damn good whisky out there that's more affordable.
Glad the age statement is making a return. The new distillary for The Macallan looks awesome. 43% alcohol by volume or above is what I prefer. Anything less I bypass.
Your presentation on this subject is stellar. Now I almost feel like I've been there. I really enjoyed the way you combined the story with the amazing images. Here's proof of how much I enjoyed this episode and your presentation... after enjoying your story I went immediately for Google Earth hoping to swoop down and see this facility. Darn! imagery at Macallan is from 2004... what? Way too old. So I started looking via street view... 2012... darn! I'm looking forward to seeing more of this building... this creation. Great job! Thanks so much! Cheers
So glad you could catch it raster. In the recent Islay video I did you'll see Loch Indaal. When I was looking out I imagined you landing your Buccaneer on the water and running up the slip to visit a distillery. Very cool. Thanks for commenting.
Visited this on Saturday Roy, superb, impressive building, looks like something from a James Bond movie from the outside. I really liked it, something different. I can see the points of view from others with regards not having the magic of an older style building etc, but sometimes change is good thing, especially for the future. I think Macallan have pulled this off very well. The tour was really good
I do agree with your description and advise, I had visited it few months ago, and I do agree - doesn't matter your relationship with that brand are good or not, I strongly recommend to visit it if you have a chance. And if anybody really want to visit it - don't forget to book your tour at advance (few weeks before you go to visit it). Thank you for your video Roy.
Thank you Roy for the Great presentation, like many others that have already commented, I'am hoping for better things from them and with age statements like the Macallan of old
Cracking introduction to the new distillery. The way it looks is breathtaking, with all the stills looking pristine, beautiful and so picturesque. Saying that I think reputation and prestige set the price for the whisky thats going to be produced. I would graciously accept a dram from this distillery, but as far as my hard earned cash, I'll probably go else where.
Fantastic review Roy, what a cool facility and amazing engineering. I hope to get to Scotland in the next couple of years and hope to check out several Distilleries.
When I first seen pics of this I wasn’t sure but the more I’ve seen the more I think it is pretty cool. Not had much Macallan myself but definitely want to visit here at some point. Great video, cheers.
Sounds worth the trip just to smell the casks. Hope to visit Scotland next year. Wasn’t going to visit Mac, but may have to add this to the itinerary. Thanks
Great review of the new distillery, Roy. Looks futuristic and the scale looks huge. As long as they can keep their prices down😳, I'll be interested in their bottles. The 18 is still one of my favorites. Cheers!
Good job, Roy. The 1824 series expressions weren’t available in the US, but I picked up the Sienna expression while in Canada. Sienna was very nice, although quite expensive. If I had to guess, I would say the Sienna was a 15 year whisky. I visited the old Macallan distillery a few years ago and wasn’t that impressed. With so many distilleries putting more effort and money into the tours (and ultimately sales) it makes sense for Macallan to up their game.
They can install all the new facilities they want, but it still wont make me buy their whisky. I went to the distillery in 2017 and got shooed away by a employee as soon as I stepped out of the parking lot. The muppet said something like "This is a working distillery, you cant be around here without a guide" or some shiet like that. I went straight back into my car and drove to Glenfarclas where I was welcomed with such hospitality and care.
Why do they "water down" the ABV on the European releases? In the U.S. Macallan 12 and Double Cask are both 43% ABV. I noticed in one of your Recycle Reviews Buffalo Trace reduced the ABV in their bourbon. Enjoy the Recycle Reviews and VPubs. Keep up the great work.
Aah, Macallan, I remember you like an old friend. 1994 - the start of my journey/obsession. You and my gateway Talisker 10 at £15 for a bottle of 10 year old respective loveliness. (A Springer 12 old style was similar money - I now regard this as a celestial hint akin to the 2nd coming - that very nice bearded fellow I met in that pub whose number I kept for some reason, a lovely, genuine man, quieter and more introvert than his friends, but with deep held convictions if pushed. who I knew I would meet again). As a newcomer to whisky, just after the early 80s apocalypse I thought all whisky was like this (and much of it was, in it's way). 25 years later, "Tally" is in a boy band tribute act, trying to still wear leather trousers
Roy do you know what a 'driver's ticket' is for the SMWS meetings? I'm not a member, but they are having a tasting in Dundee next month and I wondered if I'd get in if I purchased that?
Hi buddy, yeah the drivers ticket is a good initiative, but I think you still need to be a member or be invited by one. Give them a call! If your train ride into Edinburgh is easy you'll get use of Kaleidoscope in Queen st. and the awesome Vaults. I enjoy it.
Very descriptive overview Roy, I've been eyeing off a travel retail 750ml edition of 12 year sherry oak for $125.00 AUD....for some time now & will now acquire without hesitation
I'm really glad you posted this Roy. It's high time we talked Macallan as I believe their history, journey and future direction represent something unique in the whisky world. I'm old enough to remember gulping down Macallan 10 with paxarette in the late 80s. The biggest disengagement of Macallan, for me, is their outrageous pricing. I would accept their whisky, even with the old fashioned low abv, if the prices were sensible. Okay, they can sell their whisky to those that fawn over the name and have enough money to ignore the price/quality ratio, but it's kind of painful for real whisky people to see such an iconic whisky marketed to the dollar. The new distillery itself looks as though they've taken a leaf out of the book of the incredible Spanish wine bodegas built over the last 20 years. Not surprising when we consider Macallan's close connection with Spain. Whisky distilleries are a long way behind the visitor experience of good European wine producers. I'm glad Macallan have joined in. Excellent video my friend. I seriously hope Macallan will make and market proper whisky again at proper prices. They have no excuse not to. Cheers. WT
I think they'll remain firmly marketed as a luxury brand Welsh. We'll be gifted drams and happen upon them now and again, but as whisky fans we'l probably get our fixes elsewhere. Thanks for the comments, support and watching.
I felt it's 100% marketing. And for sure they have done an incredible job at that. Now compare that to somewhere like springbank. Did you not feel like it was gimik like. Definitely a must see experience for sure
I did a tour of the old Macallan distillery about a month before it closed and out of the 20 odd distillery tours I’ve been on that was easily the worst tour I had been on, that sounds a bit overly harsh, it wasn’t a terrible experience it just wasn’t great in any particular way. They had a complete blanket ban on photography inside the distillery which isn’t unique but it is quite rare, the irony is you could only take photos of the outside of the distillery but it was so industrial looking and just aesthetically awful you had no desire to take photos of the outside. A couple of years later I returned to Speyside staying at the Highlander Inn in Craigellachie as I normally do and I was surprised that everyone I spoke to was generally quite negative about the new Macallan, I guess they just considered it something more like Disney Land than a traditional distillery. I did a tour of the new distillery and while my preference is for for small old-fashioned distilleries, I thought the new Macallan distillery was phenomenal, it is totally unlike any other distillery tour and hugely impressive. Every aspect of the tour was a massive improvement from the old distillery. The only thing I thought was a big shame they missed out was a maturation warehouse visit, I assume that’s why they did that circular cask walled room which is cool but it doesn’t come close to a substitute for a warehouse visit.
Macallan's market saturation in America is very high. The standard 12 has always been around it seems, and now there is the Fine Oak series, editions 2 and 3 the M, double cask, the 25, etc. Their brand recognition to people who normally don't drink whisky is very high and often associated with luxury. Thanks for the insight. However, while whisky demand is now going through the roof, so is buyer awareness thanks to internet and video channels such as yours. I think consumers now have so much more information to aid in their purchasing choices. It is now very easy to help or hinder your product very easily. Moreover, the information spreads fast! They will need to keep their quality high to maintain that growth IMHO. I guess we all need to plant oak trees, because that many stills require that many more barrels, and the sherry barrels are even hard to come by. Might squeeze out others looking for sherry barrels?
Thanks Roy, but as impressive as it seems, at the end of the day, what would come out of these stills and what will be bottled (after chill filtration, coloration, reduction to 40 % mainly, etc...) is what it counts, and we'll judge that beyond all the investments & marketings tricks, and for now I'm not enthousiastic at all, and about sherry, they are outdated by foreign distilleries such as AMRUT or KAVALAN in my opinion...
Because it's Macallan there's a desperate desire for them to return to the fold and become one of us again. The evidence is quite the opposite. They are corporate material. Whisky to impress due to ownership. Macallan can afford the very best sherry casks so why do so many believe things have gone downhill? Answer, because it's all about the dollar.
I don't know, I"d rather say yes thre ownership is probably not concerned enough to please whisky anoraks and fail to impress where with less budget GLENFARCLAS & GLENDRONACH in Scotland for instance & KAVALAN do a better use of sherry casks, and even GLENGOYNE, TAMDHU, and of course SPRINGBANK with the 12 yo C.S.. They seem to be obsessed with wide western market as well as Eastern market where (I believe that) it is more tied to age statement than they think. The switch to get back to new age statement expressions is a plus, but with such a steep price for still average quality in my opinion, the distillery fails to impress....so this investment is risky ...
Macallan are 100% natural colour. Time will tell, but while King Car and Amrut bring fantastic whiskies to us, there are arguments to be had there. My take on whisky is that it need three elements to bring true balance and a deep complexity - good spirit, good wood and a lot of time. You want a good quality Kavalan solist? It will be young and you're going to have to pay for it. It will be great, but I've yet to try one that moved me. Are Macallan capable of moving me? As you mention - I'll likely never know, I can't afford to join their club.
Nice vid Roy, very informative. After growing up in wineries in Coonawarra as a child, I love the granduer of places like this. This very much reminds me tho', as a far away observer, of a lot of modern Australian and NZ winery experiences. Cutting into hillsides, reducing the carbon footprint to run, heat, cool etc and a more industrial feel are becoming more common. Old stone building with creaky wooden doors making way for something a little sleeker. My only issue with that is what comes next? Is it just all about a flashy new facility that can produce a lot more of the same middling stuff? That might be a little cyncial but I wish Macallan would put as much thought into what they put in their bottles as they do about having the largest distillery in Britain (would be interesting to compare it to Kavalan) and the latest fancy package or bottle stopper. One of my biggest criticisms of Macallan is they I find them all a little soulless. Impressive dimensions, the use of man made hills and grasses (probably more needed in a country like Australia) from an environmental POV aside, now their facility looks a little soulless as well.
Fantastic show. They are going all in and this kind of thing can only inspire others to follow. Off this topic I just discovered "THT WHISKEY COUCH" channel and was blown away by how much high quality content Gustave has produced in a short time. His food pairing style adds a great dimension to his shows. Was hoping you would be interested in doing a live stream with him? It appears that south Africa is only 1 or 2 hours off your time zone. Hint Hint Cheers
The Couch and I are already connected - he's doing great stuff and I'm sure there will be collab opportunities for us in future. Did you catch his live with No Nonsense Whisky? ruclips.net/video/UWrPNHFIAPM/видео.html
Thanks for the link. Had not subbed to No Nonsense for some reason but am now. I am trying to sub to all the Whiskey Tubers especially the ones under 1K to help them get over that point. Numbers wise we are a niche community on RUclips If you were making videos about putting on makeup or StarWars You would have 300,000 subs by now at least.
Taking a sip from my father's glass of Macallan decades ago was my access to sherried whisky and to Scotch in generell and fascination took hold of me immediately. But learning more about whisky over the years i figured out , that Macallan is more about image, reputation and marketing hype than about the intrinsic quality of their products. All of the whiskies they sell over here are bottled at a weak 40%abv , basically, or 43% at most, if you're lucky. Also i feel that the caliber of the casks employed is not anymore what it used to be. I think Glendronach is a far better option for afficionados of sherried whisky, offering higher quality and much better value for money. GD21, GD18 or one of their amazing single cask bottlings will blow any expression of Macallan out of the water easily, imho.
Don´t get me wrong here, please Roy, your video is very well made again, thank you very much! You are a marketing professional. So let us take a rational look at this: Edrington actively positions malt whisky in the luxury item category. You mentioned that briefly in connection with the 18yo expression. Due to the power of Edrington, this will have an impact on the whole market and it will be an accelerated upward price trend. Again. Who else but the consumers will have to pay? Ralfy often talks about intrinsic quality of smell and taste. The cost of this distillery is probably three times higher compared to conventional designs, so that money can not be invested in product quality. But that is exactly what we desire, isn´t it? The more Russian oligarchs buy whisky, the tougher it will be to purchase a good malt at a reasonable price. Simple example: Macallan 12 Sherry is at least 70 Euros today and it was even higher recently. Erik, are you sure it still is available at US$47? That would be 40 Euros, so you better buy some bottles now. The only hope I have is that economies of scale will help us out: given the impressive size of the new operation, their production cost should be rather low in the long run. And demand may shrink, so that could be another option to relieve the urge for further price hikes. I hope I´m wrong.
I’m able to get Macallan 12 for $40-45 in Colorado (USA). It’s so common and prominently displayed in its various renditions at every liquor store I visit that I usually overlook it. That might be a problem for Macallan....being the Coca Cola of Scotch you lose a bit of your novelty. Plenty of Macallan is still sold here even though I’m not actively buying any of it. I know Macallan 12 will always be there for me, so I’m going for the more unique or harder to find whiskies from other distilleries. The new Macallan distillery is very pretty. From the outside, the distillery looks like a hobbit distillery if there ever was one. I’m a bit superstitious though with whiskies, and this new facility as efficient and beautiful as it is, will be missing “something” I think. I’m of the school of thought that advocates that if it’s not broken, don’t fix it. That being said, I may buy a new bottle of Macallan 12 sometime in the distant future to compare with a bottle from the old distillery. I guess in the end Macallan wins, because my attention is now distracted enough to get me to buy a new bottle for this comparison. Macallan is a very good Scotch in my opinion and the investment in this new distillery is indeed a statement of the corporation’s faith in the future of whisky. I’m glad that faith is there and that people see a future for whisky......however, I wonder if that future is one that I will be pleased with and be able to afford. I’m glad I’ve been stocking up now, just in case. Cheers!
I hear you Doc, and we can only watch these things, we're not really able to control anything. As a community we can share the stuff that brings quality, character and value though.
Mac 12 in DC area routinely sells for $70 American. However they also sell a 375 ml version for $36.99 and a 1.75 l for $144. So they smartly (IMHO) have covered numerous price points. In looking at their facility, it looks like with modern technology and a sustainable design will improve quality control allowing for more consistency of the product. The cool roof will help maintain temperature. There should be much less variation in the new make. The barrels on the other hand....Edrington could use their buying power to corner the market on barrels and in turn drive up prices/hurt their competitors. As long as their are reasonable alternatives Glendronach, Glenfarclas for example I will likely go that way, however, if you want to drink in most American restaurants in bars in America, you have a choice of Mac, Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, and sometimes Talisker. The US and UK/Euro markets seem to be so different when I hear you guys talk.
Correct, we can´t control anything, but we have some power to influence the market, e.g., by buying reasonably priced high quality malts from "non-luxury" distilleries and recommend others to do the same. But as explained above, my fear is that other producers will hop on the "luxury" train. I know some people who already drifted away from malt and now buy Grappa or Rum, offering a much better price/performance ratio. Even Ralfy (see his latest video #728)...
Looks impressive...but my opinion, no character ! Its so important in the whisky industry to maintain the real character the old fashioned distillery offers. Deanston, all Islay distilleries, and many more, still have the look,history and romance of malt whisky that I love, all wrapped up in their distilleries.
I get your point, and when you consider their market, it's a perfectly honed product. As whisky geeks though, we seek out the character. Thankfully, there's a helluva lot of choice out there right now.
I see this and I can't connect it to the bottle that's on the shelf in the store here in suburban Toronto. At this scale, it feels like I'm incidental to their plans. This is clearly aimed at a market I'm not familiar with. Most likely China. I think I'll go for whiskies where it feels like I matter.
I've noticed that many distilleries have lost focus with all the difference juice flavored whiskys and such. I doubt with their increase in production that Macallan's prices will come down to where they were 3 or 4 years ago. I hope we don't see Lemon Macallan or Peach Macallan,
No chance of the price drop. Less chance of the flavoured whisky. I don't know of a single juice flavoured Scotch - it's not legal. If you wan juice in your Scotch you need to add it at home ;)
Visited today. It was like walking up to and entering Area 51 secret base ( or how i could perceive it t be). Quite a feat of engineering/architecture.
Truly eye opening, yes indeed Roy. As a someone really enjoying my " journey" in all things whisky this was a must to visit. The grandeur of the place is very difficult to put into words and Edrington can take great credit into how they have built this new distillery. To be honest I dont think there are many brands that could have pulled this off other than Macallan because of how the whisky itself sits as a premium/luxury brand but again,credit to Edrington because they have gone against the grain to produce a state of the art distillery that will serve them well for many years to come. The tour. I thought it was ok. I dont want to be too critical as this can only get better with time and relevant feedback but with all the gadgetry and virtual stuff it still feels a bit like your on the outside looking in. Other places allow a bit more up close and personal. A few of the " displays" seemed a bit pointless but that is a matter of opinion also Id say. The tastes. Hmmmm?? New make spirit, Double Cask 12, Triple cask 12, Sherry cask 12, and Rare cask. To be honest my favourite was the 12 triple cask but I dont think I will be buying any of them soon. In my opinion there are a lot better whiskies out there for the money. All in all for 15 pounds you also get a copita glass to take home so I thought the tour was good value for money. It is truly a site worth seeing and a sight to behold.
I disengaged as well, their whisky isn't bad quality, but it seems to me that now they've copied Balvenie, going to 2 cask from 3 cask & Lower ABV here in Canada vs United States, which is simply greed in my opinion. No tax increase in my area unless it went over 50% abv. But all that being said, great job Roy! They architecture is amazing! Thank you for Sharing!
Thanks for sharing Roy, the facility looks incredible, like you I’m in the disengaged camp. And you wonder (if it is indeed the case!?) given the provenance of a lot of successful distilleries being built on the sites of illicit stills that were found by trial and error over years of this new facility will produce the “same” spirit
Macca, is adapting to modern times embracing the essence of soulless luxury premiumisation and hanging round with his rich new equally shallow friends, And Springy? Not changed a bit, knew who he was then, knows who he is now, remembers his friends (who include the fat one with the beard who always presses the send button too early with his big sausage fingers)😁
Macallan is not really a briney malt, I guess you've tried Old Pulteney, Oban and Talisker? Those are obvious choices for that type of palate. Thanks for watching.
Wow! What a great walk through of what is clearly an amazing facility.Thanks Roy!
Thanks for taking the time to stop by and watch my friend!
Was massively impressed when I visited! Pretty epic and worth a visit even if you aren’t a Macallan fan as it’s so different to everything else. Very well done Macallan
It sounds, and looks, incredible - a cathedral to whisky. Great video Roy, thanks for sharing your experience, which sounds brilliant. Cheers, Ed
thanks for watching Ed. Go visit. It's pretty cool. Then nip up the road and buy a Glenfarclas. :p
Always a real pleasure to watch, Roy. Haha, thats sounding like a great road trip! All the best, Ed
Great posting! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experiences with us all. Sláinte maith!
Thank you Aimee, you're very welcome!
Awesome video Roy! Thanks for the insider sneak peak:) What a truly breathtaking building....if only they would return to the things that made them great. Macallan reminds me a lot of the U.S. becoming a victim of their own success.
They're not really victims buddy - they're very successful. Unfortunately, their success excludes us a little. Still, damn good whisky - just too much other damn good whisky out there that's more affordable.
Glad the age statement is making a return. The new distillary for The Macallan looks awesome.
43% alcohol by volume or above is what I prefer. Anything less I bypass.
Without a doubt a breathtaking new facility. Looking forward to good sherried whisky with age statements... ;-)
It truly is spectacular!
Your presentation on this subject is stellar. Now I almost feel like I've been there. I really enjoyed the way you combined the story with the amazing images. Here's proof of how much I enjoyed this episode and your presentation... after enjoying your story I went immediately for Google Earth hoping to swoop down and see this facility. Darn! imagery at Macallan is from 2004... what? Way too old. So I started looking via street view... 2012... darn! I'm looking forward to seeing more of this building... this creation.
Great job! Thanks so much!
Cheers
So glad you could catch it raster. In the recent Islay video I did you'll see Loch Indaal. When I was looking out I imagined you landing your Buccaneer on the water and running up the slip to visit a distillery. Very cool. Thanks for commenting.
Visited this on Saturday Roy, superb, impressive building, looks like something from a James Bond movie from the outside. I really liked it, something different. I can see the points of view from others with regards not having the magic of an older style building etc, but sometimes change is good thing, especially for the future. I think Macallan have pulled this off very well. The tour was really good
Thank you for making these videos! They pair quite nicely with a wee dram.
You're welcome Lippy - nice to have you enjoying them!
I do agree with your description and advise, I had visited it few months ago, and I do agree - doesn't matter your relationship with that brand are good or not, I strongly recommend to visit it if you have a chance. And if anybody really want to visit it - don't forget to book your tour at advance (few weeks before you go to visit it).
Thank you for your video Roy.
Great job Roy and wonderful description of the distillery. You're new job will be in marketing! 😉
Make me an offer. It's all just a question of price. Cheers boys!
Excellent story and recounting of your tour! Could use a few more pictures though.
This was embargoed, I wasn’t allowed to shoot video on a preview visit 😇 thanks for watching 🙏
Thank you Roy for the Great presentation, like many others that have already commented, I'am hoping for better things from them and with age statements like the Macallan of old
Be nice if they were affordable too. Thanks Marque.
Cracking introduction to the new distillery. The way it looks is breathtaking, with all the stills looking pristine, beautiful and so picturesque. Saying that I think reputation and prestige set the price for the whisky thats going to be produced. I would graciously accept a dram from this distillery, but as far as my hard earned cash, I'll probably go else where.
You speak the opinion of so many whisky fans Paul.
This looks great! Will watch in full after I get up 😍🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃
Cheers Mark 👍
Fantastic review Roy, what a cool facility and amazing engineering. I hope to get to Scotland in the next couple of years and hope to check out several Distilleries.
Awesome Locknes, keep me posted of your plans!
When I first seen pics of this I wasn’t sure but the more I’ve seen the more I think it is pretty cool. Not had much Macallan myself but definitely want to visit here at some point. Great video, cheers.
For the spectacle alone Chris, it's worth it!
Glad the Mac 12 is coming back. Still holding on to my half bottle of Distiller’s Edition #1.
That's a difficult one to find now Hoyet.
Aqvavitae I’m savoring it, slowly 😉👍
Sounds worth the trip just to smell the casks. Hope to visit Scotland next year. Wasn’t going to visit Mac, but may have to add this to the itinerary. Thanks
Just for the spectacle alone - you should.
Gonna have to visit. Should have dropped in when I visited Glenfarclas and Glenallchie
Great review Roy . Hoping to visit in person one day. Keep up the great work.
Thank you Tony! I'll do my best!
Great review of the new distillery, Roy. Looks futuristic and the scale looks huge. As long as they can keep their prices down😳, I'll be interested in their bottles. The 18 is still one of my favorites. Cheers!
You're optimism is endearing Richie - but stock up on that 18 at the current US prices, believe me.
Good job, Roy. The 1824 series expressions weren’t available in the US, but I picked up the Sienna expression while in Canada. Sienna was very nice, although quite expensive. If I had to guess, I would say the Sienna was a 15 year whisky. I visited the old Macallan distillery a few years ago and wasn’t that impressed. With so many distilleries putting more effort and money into the tours (and ultimately sales) it makes sense for Macallan to up their game.
Sienna is a nudge and a wink older than that Frank, and I recommend that if any should be snatched up - it should be that one 😉 Thanks for watching.
They can install all the new facilities they want, but it still wont make me buy their whisky. I went to the distillery in 2017 and got shooed away by a employee as soon as I stepped out of the parking lot. The muppet said something like "This is a working distillery, you cant be around here without a guide" or some shiet like that. I went straight back into my car and drove to Glenfarclas where I was welcomed with such hospitality and care.
Probably because they weren't even open for tours for the majority of 2017 while the new distillery was being built.
thanks for your input and impressions!
Thanks for watching and commenting Jason!
Why do they "water down" the ABV on the European releases? In the U.S. Macallan 12 and Double Cask are both 43% ABV. I noticed in one of your Recycle Reviews Buffalo Trace reduced the ABV in their bourbon. Enjoy the Recycle Reviews and VPubs. Keep up the great work.
Great video as always!
Thanks Bill! 👍
Great Job Roy. I always try to pick up the 12 Sherry Oak when I am in the USA (not available in Canada).
I think it's headed back there!
Aah, Macallan, I remember you like an old friend. 1994 - the start of my journey/obsession. You and my gateway Talisker 10 at £15 for a bottle of 10 year old respective loveliness. (A Springer 12 old style was similar money - I now regard this as a celestial hint akin to the 2nd coming - that very nice bearded fellow I met in that pub whose number I kept for some reason, a lovely, genuine man, quieter and more introvert than his friends, but with deep held convictions if pushed. who I knew I would meet again). As a newcomer to whisky, just after the early 80s apocalypse I thought all whisky was like this (and much of it was, in it's way). 25 years later, "Tally" is in a boy band tribute act, trying to still wear leather trousers
Thanks for sharing! Super interesting😊
Thanks for watching boys!
Roy do you know what a 'driver's ticket' is for the SMWS meetings? I'm not a member, but they are having a tasting in Dundee next month and I wondered if I'd get in if I purchased that?
Hi buddy, yeah the drivers ticket is a good initiative, but I think you still need to be a member or be invited by one. Give them a call! If your train ride into Edinburgh is easy you'll get use of Kaleidoscope in Queen st. and the awesome Vaults. I enjoy it.
Very descriptive overview Roy, I've been eyeing off a travel retail 750ml edition of 12 year sherry oak for $125.00 AUD....for some time now & will now acquire without hesitation
& the glenfarclas cask strength is also good value too: www.nicks.com.au/whats-hot?variety=18919
That's about square with our prices here. A quality dram that I so wish I could experience at a wee bit higher ABV.
Nice. Thanks for posting Roy.
Thank you Cato, thanks for watching.
I'm really glad you posted this Roy. It's high time we talked Macallan as I believe their history, journey and future direction represent something unique in the whisky world. I'm old enough to remember gulping down Macallan 10 with paxarette in the late 80s. The biggest disengagement of Macallan, for me, is their outrageous pricing. I would accept their whisky, even with the old fashioned low abv, if the prices were sensible. Okay, they can sell their whisky to those that fawn over the name and have enough money to ignore the price/quality ratio, but it's kind of painful for real whisky people to see such an iconic whisky marketed to the dollar.
The new distillery itself looks as though they've taken a leaf out of the book of the incredible Spanish wine bodegas built over the last 20 years. Not surprising when we consider Macallan's close connection with Spain. Whisky distilleries are a long way behind the visitor experience of good European wine producers. I'm glad Macallan have joined in. Excellent video my friend. I seriously hope Macallan will make and market proper whisky again at proper prices. They have no excuse not to. Cheers. WT
I think they'll remain firmly marketed as a luxury brand Welsh. We'll be gifted drams and happen upon them now and again, but as whisky fans we'l probably get our fixes elsewhere. Thanks for the comments, support and watching.
I felt it's 100% marketing. And for sure they have done an incredible job at that. Now compare that to somewhere like springbank. Did you not feel like it was gimik like. Definitely a must see experience for sure
I did a tour of the old Macallan distillery about a month before it closed and out of the 20 odd distillery tours I’ve been on that was easily the worst tour I had been on, that sounds a bit overly harsh, it wasn’t a terrible experience it just wasn’t great in any particular way. They had a complete blanket ban on photography inside the distillery which isn’t unique but it is quite rare, the irony is you could only take photos of the outside of the distillery but it was so industrial looking and just aesthetically awful you had no desire to take photos of the outside.
A couple of years later I returned to Speyside staying at the Highlander Inn in Craigellachie as I normally do and I was surprised that everyone I spoke to was generally quite negative about the new Macallan, I guess they just considered it something more like Disney Land than a traditional distillery. I did a tour of the new distillery and while my preference is for for small old-fashioned distilleries, I thought the new Macallan distillery was phenomenal, it is totally unlike any other distillery tour and hugely impressive. Every aspect of the tour was a massive improvement from the old distillery. The only thing I thought was a big shame they missed out was a maturation warehouse visit, I assume that’s why they did that circular cask walled room which is cool but it doesn’t come close to a substitute for a warehouse visit.
Can’t disagree with anything here. It’s a spectacle. But one that’s easy to tick and walk away from perhaps.
This distillery is outstanding. Seems to have a Star Trex feel inside
It really does, just missing the swishing sliding doors!
Macallan's market saturation in America is very high. The standard 12 has always been around it seems, and now there is the Fine Oak series, editions 2 and 3 the M, double cask, the 25, etc. Their brand recognition to people who normally don't drink whisky is very high and often associated with luxury. Thanks for the insight. However, while whisky demand is now going through the roof, so is buyer awareness thanks to internet and video channels such as yours. I think consumers now have so much more information to aid in their purchasing choices. It is now very easy to help or hinder your product very easily. Moreover, the information spreads fast! They will need to keep their quality high to maintain that growth IMHO. I guess we all need to plant oak trees, because that many stills require that many more barrels, and the sherry barrels are even hard to come by. Might squeeze out others looking for sherry barrels?
Good points. You should hear what they have to say about protecting the oak supply chain too, very insightful.
Thanks Roy, but as impressive as it seems, at the end of the day, what would come out of these stills and what will be bottled (after chill filtration, coloration, reduction to 40 % mainly, etc...) is what it counts, and we'll judge that beyond all the investments & marketings tricks, and for now I'm not enthousiastic at all, and about sherry, they are outdated by foreign distilleries such as AMRUT or KAVALAN in my opinion...
I share your scepticism. We shall see.
Thanks....yes, you'll never know, but I 'm not convinced
Because it's Macallan there's a desperate desire for them to return to the fold and become one of us again. The evidence is quite the opposite. They are corporate material. Whisky to impress due to ownership. Macallan can afford the very best sherry casks so why do so many believe things have gone downhill? Answer, because it's all about the dollar.
I don't know, I"d rather say yes thre ownership is probably not concerned enough to please whisky anoraks and fail to impress where with less budget GLENFARCLAS & GLENDRONACH in Scotland for instance & KAVALAN do a better use of sherry casks, and even GLENGOYNE, TAMDHU, and of course SPRINGBANK with the 12 yo C.S.. They seem to be obsessed with wide western market as well as Eastern market where (I believe that) it is more tied to age statement than they think. The switch to get back to new age statement expressions is a plus, but with such a steep price for still average quality in my opinion, the distillery fails to impress....so this investment is risky ...
Macallan are 100% natural colour. Time will tell, but while King Car and Amrut bring fantastic whiskies to us, there are arguments to be had there. My take on whisky is that it need three elements to bring true balance and a deep complexity - good spirit, good wood and a lot of time. You want a good quality Kavalan solist? It will be young and you're going to have to pay for it. It will be great, but I've yet to try one that moved me. Are Macallan capable of moving me? As you mention - I'll likely never know, I can't afford to join their club.
Nice vid Roy, very informative. After growing up in wineries in Coonawarra as a child, I love the granduer of places like this. This very much reminds me tho', as a far away observer, of a lot of modern Australian and NZ winery experiences. Cutting into hillsides, reducing the carbon footprint to run, heat, cool etc and a more industrial feel are becoming more common. Old stone building with creaky wooden doors making way for something a little sleeker. My only issue with that is what comes next? Is it just all about a flashy new facility that can produce a lot more of the same middling stuff? That might be a little cyncial but I wish Macallan would put as much thought into what they put in their bottles as they do about having the largest distillery in Britain (would be interesting to compare it to Kavalan) and the latest fancy package or bottle stopper. One of my biggest criticisms of Macallan is they I find them all a little soulless. Impressive dimensions, the use of man made hills and grasses (probably more needed in a country like Australia) from an environmental POV aside, now their facility looks a little soulless as well.
I don't think "soul" was even part of the brief! thanks Andrew.
Aqvavitae no I suspect not - more's the pity
I can't wait to taste Daftmill's first release! Francis knows malt.
Great video!
Thank you VV!
Fantastic show. They are going all in and this kind of thing can only inspire others to follow.
Off this topic I just discovered "THT WHISKEY COUCH" channel and was blown away by how much high quality content Gustave has produced in a short time. His food pairing style adds a great dimension to his shows. Was hoping you would be interested in doing a live stream with him? It appears that south Africa is only 1 or 2 hours off your time zone. Hint Hint
Cheers
The Couch and I are already connected - he's doing great stuff and I'm sure there will be collab opportunities for us in future. Did you catch his live with No Nonsense Whisky? ruclips.net/video/UWrPNHFIAPM/видео.html
Thanks for the link. Had not subbed to No Nonsense for some reason but am now. I am trying to sub to all the Whiskey Tubers especially the ones under 1K to help them get over that point. Numbers wise we are a niche community on RUclips If you were making videos about putting on makeup or StarWars You would have 300,000 subs by now at least.
We evangelise about what impassions us, for me that just happens to be whisky. Partial to Star Wars too right enough. Make up, not so much. ;)
Taking a sip from my father's glass of Macallan decades ago was my access to sherried whisky and to Scotch in generell and fascination took hold of me immediately. But learning more about whisky over the years i figured out , that Macallan is more about image, reputation and marketing hype than about the intrinsic quality of their products. All of the whiskies they sell over here are bottled at a weak 40%abv , basically, or 43% at most, if you're lucky. Also i feel that the caliber of the casks employed is not anymore what it used to be. I think Glendronach is a far better option for afficionados of sherried whisky, offering higher quality and much better value for money. GD21, GD18 or one of their amazing single cask bottlings will blow any expression of Macallan out of the water easily, imho.
Great job Roy!
Thanks Mark! Nice to have you stop by and watch!
Sounds like something from Total Recall!
Don´t get me wrong here, please Roy, your video is very well made again, thank you very much!
You are a marketing professional. So let us take a rational look at this: Edrington actively positions malt whisky in the luxury item category. You mentioned that briefly in connection with the 18yo expression.
Due to the power of Edrington, this will have an impact on the whole market and it will be an accelerated upward price trend. Again. Who else but the consumers will have to pay?
Ralfy often talks about intrinsic quality of smell and taste. The cost of this distillery is probably three times higher compared to conventional designs, so that money can not be invested in product quality. But that is exactly what we desire, isn´t it?
The more Russian oligarchs buy whisky, the tougher it will be to purchase a good malt at a reasonable price. Simple example: Macallan 12 Sherry is at least 70 Euros today and it was even higher recently. Erik, are you sure it still is available at US$47? That would be 40 Euros, so you better buy some bottles now.
The only hope I have is that economies of scale will help us out: given the impressive size of the new operation, their production cost should be rather low in the long run. And demand may shrink, so that could be another option to relieve the urge for further price hikes.
I hope I´m wrong.
I’m able to get Macallan 12 for $40-45 in Colorado (USA). It’s so common and prominently displayed in its various renditions at every liquor store I visit that I usually overlook it. That might be a problem for Macallan....being the Coca Cola of Scotch you lose a bit of your novelty. Plenty of Macallan is still sold here even though I’m not actively buying any of it. I know Macallan 12 will always be there for me, so I’m going for the more unique or harder to find whiskies from other distilleries.
The new Macallan distillery is very pretty. From the outside, the distillery looks like a hobbit distillery if there ever was one. I’m a bit superstitious though with whiskies, and this new facility as efficient and beautiful as it is, will be missing “something” I think. I’m of the school of thought that advocates that if it’s not broken, don’t fix it. That being said, I may buy a new bottle of Macallan 12 sometime in the distant future to compare with a bottle from the old distillery. I guess in the end Macallan wins, because my attention is now distracted enough to get me to buy a new bottle for this comparison. Macallan is a very good Scotch in my opinion and the investment in this new distillery is indeed a statement of the corporation’s faith in the future of whisky. I’m glad that faith is there and that people see a future for whisky......however, I wonder if that future is one that I will be pleased with and be able to afford. I’m glad I’ve been stocking up now, just in case. Cheers!
Good points Eric, and yes, stocking up is allowed if it's for popping and enjoying later 😉
I hear you Doc, and we can only watch these things, we're not really able to control anything. As a community we can share the stuff that brings quality, character and value though.
Mac 12 in DC area routinely sells for $70 American. However they also sell a 375 ml version for $36.99 and a 1.75 l for $144. So they smartly (IMHO) have covered numerous price points. In looking at their facility, it looks like with modern technology and a sustainable design will improve quality control allowing for more consistency of the product. The cool roof will help maintain temperature. There should be much less variation in the new make. The barrels on the other hand....Edrington could use their buying power to corner the market on barrels and in turn drive up prices/hurt their competitors. As long as their are reasonable alternatives Glendronach, Glenfarclas for example I will likely go that way, however, if you want to drink in most American restaurants in bars in America, you have a choice of Mac, Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, and sometimes Talisker. The US and UK/Euro markets seem to be so different when I hear you guys talk.
Correct, we can´t control anything, but we have some power to influence the market, e.g., by buying reasonably priced high quality malts from "non-luxury" distilleries and recommend others to do the same.
But as explained above, my fear is that other producers will hop on the "luxury" train.
I know some people who already drifted away from malt and now buy Grappa or Rum, offering a much better price/performance ratio. Even Ralfy (see his latest video #728)...
Looks impressive...but my opinion, no character ! Its so important in the whisky industry to maintain the real character the old fashioned distillery offers. Deanston, all Islay distilleries, and many more, still have the look,history and romance of malt whisky that I love, all wrapped up in their distilleries.
I get your point, and when you consider their market, it's a perfectly honed product. As whisky geeks though, we seek out the character. Thankfully, there's a helluva lot of choice out there right now.
I see this and I can't connect it to the bottle that's on the shelf in the store here in suburban Toronto. At this scale, it feels like I'm incidental to their plans. This is clearly aimed at a market I'm not familiar with. Most likely China. I think I'll go for whiskies where it feels like I matter.
I've noticed that many distilleries have lost focus with all the difference juice flavored whiskys and such. I doubt with their increase in production that Macallan's prices will come down to where they were 3 or 4 years ago. I hope we don't see Lemon Macallan or Peach Macallan,
No chance of the price drop. Less chance of the flavoured whisky. I don't know of a single juice flavoured Scotch - it's not legal. If you wan juice in your Scotch you need to add it at home ;)
Visited today. It was like walking up to and entering Area 51 secret base ( or how i could perceive it t be). Quite a feat of engineering/architecture.
Would love to hear your opinions. Eye opening huh?
Truly eye opening, yes indeed Roy. As a someone really enjoying my " journey" in all things whisky this was a must to visit. The grandeur of the place is very difficult to put into words and Edrington can take great credit into how they have built this new distillery. To be honest I dont think there are many brands that could have pulled this off other than Macallan because of how the whisky itself sits as a premium/luxury brand but again,credit to Edrington because they have gone against the grain to produce a state of the art distillery that will serve them well for many years to come.
The tour. I thought it was ok. I dont want to be too critical as this can only get better with time and relevant feedback but with all the gadgetry and virtual stuff it still feels a bit like your on the outside looking in. Other places allow a bit more up close and personal. A few of the " displays" seemed a bit pointless but that is a matter of opinion also Id say.
The tastes. Hmmmm?? New make spirit, Double Cask 12, Triple cask 12, Sherry cask 12, and Rare cask. To be honest my favourite was the 12 triple cask but I dont think I will be buying any of them soon. In my opinion there are a lot better whiskies out there for the money.
All in all for 15 pounds you also get a copita glass to take home so I thought the tour was good value for money. It is truly a site worth seeing and a sight to behold.
I disengaged as well, their whisky isn't bad quality, but it seems to me that now they've copied Balvenie, going to 2 cask from 3 cask & Lower ABV here in Canada vs United States, which is simply greed in my opinion. No tax increase in my area unless it went over 50% abv.
But all that being said, great job Roy! They architecture is amazing! Thank you for Sharing!
Thanks for watching Daniel, yes, the 40% thing can frustrate but I agree the quality is still pretty damn good. Curious to see the future.
Thanks for sharing Roy, the facility looks incredible, like you I’m in the disengaged camp. And you wonder (if it is indeed the case!?) given the provenance of a lot of successful distilleries being built on the sites of illicit stills that were found by trial and error over years of this new facility will produce the “same” spirit
Only time (and budget!) will tell Gus! Thanks for watching.
11:12 « Spey station » « Spey ship »
pretty fuckin cool - and I'm not the biggest Mac fan. Thanks Roy.
One day we'll go Walt. It's pretty cool.
Macca, is adapting to modern times embracing the essence of soulless luxury premiumisation and hanging round with his rich new equally shallow friends, And Springy? Not changed a bit, knew who he was then, knows who he is now, remembers his friends (who include the fat one with the beard who always presses the send button too early with his big sausage fingers)😁
So THAT'S where all that Macallan profit has been going...
Yup!
I tasted sweet in the Macallan 12 double cask. I don't like sweet. I like purely woody, peaty, briney malts.
Macallan is not really a briney malt, I guess you've tried Old Pulteney, Oban and Talisker? Those are obvious choices for that type of palate. Thanks for watching.
@@Aqvavitae thanks. Only talisker so far
Teletubbies house on steroids... I like the design, but it's tough to beat an old stone shed!
You're not allowed to mention the "t" word 😉 Thanks Oliver.
Grass bunker.