The Macallan is one of the two or three most popular single-malt scotch whiskey brands worldwide. They rank among the priciest whisky brands available worldwide. And I’m not just talking about the expensive bottles of whisky constantly breaking records (in the millions). There is a cause for this, however. In actuality, five factors contribute to Macallan whiskies’ high price.
1. They Are Composed of the Finest Barley Grains
Because they are crafted from the finest barley grains, Macallan whiskeys are pricey.
Just malt Scotches are already costly since they are prepared entirely from malted barley. Barley is a more expensive grain to manufacture wnm,l;’123hiskies from. Since it must go through the time-consuming malting process, which other grains do not have to go through. This is especially true for single malts because no other, less expensive grains may be used.
Also, the best barley is used to create Macallan whiskies. This drives up production costs and. Consequently, the price of the finished goods. Macallan continually assesses their barley and tries to improve it. Even so, they have invested in their own strain, which they cultivate on the estate of the Macallan distillery and other farms in Scotland.
A portion of the barley cultivated on their estate is used to produce one of their expressions, the Macallan Estate. Often saved for more expensive editions. Consider how much it would have cost if it had been produced using more than “a share” of the estate’s barley.
2. They are Distilled in Incredibly Tiny Stills
The second factor contributing to their high price is that Macallan whiskies are distilled in tiny stills.
Pot stills, not column stills, must be used to distil all single malt Scotches. A pot still distils alcohol in batches and has a narrow neck and bowl-shaped bottom. A continuous still, also known as a column still, looks like a column and continually distils alcohol.
Again, this factor raises the price of all single-malt Scotches. Because batch production is less cost-effective than continuous production. However, because pot still distillation yields a distillate with more congeners (flavour compounds). Thus, more flavours, it is employed for single malt Scotches.
Pot stills come in various sizes and forms, which affect the distillation and the congeners in different ways and, consequently, the whisky flavour, another distinction between pot stills and column stills. To produce whiskey with the desired flavours, distillers make considerable efforts to make sure that their stills are of the ideal size and form.
Some of the tiniest pot stills in the business are used by Macallan. As there is less distance for the alcohol vapour to travel in a small still, heavier and more flavourful vapours will enter the condenser. The heavier vapours are more likely to fall back into the liquid in larger, higher stills where they have further to travel, and only the lighter, less flavoured vapours are collected.
It is understandable why Macallan’s whiskies are more expensive because, while employing smaller stills enables them to produce a more flavoured distillate, doing so also makes their distillation process even less efficient and more costly than it currently is.
3. They’re From a Very Finely Cut Distillate
The fact that Macallan only uses a very small (fine) cut of their distillate further drives up production expenses and the price of the finished product.
Alcohol at the beginning and end of the run is not utilised to distil whisky because it includes unfavourable (and occasionally harmful) components that give the whisky a sour flavour. Stillman’s task is to cut the distillate and only collect the best part of it, and the closer the alcohol is to the middle or heart of the run, the better it is.
The distillate is chopped differently by each brand; naturally, they only want to use the best parts, but doing so is expensive. The distillate that is gathered is better when cut more narrowly, but it is also used less and costs more money to produce whisky. When sliced more broadly, more unwanted components will be present in the distillate, but the whisky will cost less overall.
However, remember that single malts are batch-distilled in pot stills, which means that this cut occurs frequently. (With constantly running column stills, cutting the distillate is done less often.)
An exceedingly small portion of the distillate, one of the best in the business, is used to create Macallan whiskeys. They take these steps to guarantee that their whiskies have the “signature thick mouth-feel and fruity scent and flavour” of the Macallan. But there is a cost involved.
4. They’re Aged in Superior Casks
Macallan puts a high priority on every step of the six-year process that their wood goes through to become a barrel because they believe that more than 80% of the flavour of their whiskies comes from the cask during the maturing phase. Some of these elements include:
- They use oak that is 100 years old throughout Europe and America.
- To preserve the flavour of the wood needed for maturing and ensure its heavy oils don’t taint the whisky, they air dry the logs for a year.
- The American oak is then shipped to Spain, where it can dry for a further year in the sun to get the ideal moisture content.
All of these factors have one thing in common: they raise the price of the barrels. You must have seen the trend by this point.
It costs money for Macallan to source, make, season, and take care of its barrels. That is what makes Macallan single malt Scotches some of the best in the world because it provides such a significant influence on the whisky’s overall flavour. But it also makes them some of the most expensive whiskies in the world because so much money is spent on exceptional casks. Shocking news, a cask was even auctioned for nearly 1.3 Million.
Allow me to introduce some of our popular Macallans.
The Macallan “Inspired By Intense Arabica” release expresses the beauty of coffee and the fascinating story of the beans. Macallan and experts in the coffee industry are collaborating to share expertise, innovation, and enthusiasm to bring this intriguing idea to reality. To find environmentally sustainable packaging, coffee husks were provided with a new lease on life to design this revolutionary display box containing an exclusive whisky.
The Macallan Classic Cut [2022] Single Malt Scotch Whisky
It has a robust and rich flavour profile because it is a cask-strength whisky bottled at 55.5% ABV. The whisky is aged in a mixture of sherry-seasoned American and European oak casks, which give the finished product a rich and deep flavour. The Macallan Classic Cut 2022 has vanilla, ginger, and wood spice flavours with a lengthy and warming finish. It has been aged for at least 15 years. Connoisseurs and collectors prize it for its remarkable quality and distinctive flavour character, making it a highly sought-after whisky.
The Macallan 25 years Sherry Oak [2022 Release] Single Malt Scotch Whisky
A premium whisky aged for nearly a quarter century inside Spanish oak casks that once contained sherry. This release from 2022 is a special edition sought-after by whisky lovers. The whisky has a rich, deep amber color and a complex aroma that combines notes of dried fruit, spice, and wood smoke. It’s full-bodied and silky in the mouth and has flavors of dried fruit, such as nuts, spices, nuts, and notes of oak and vanilla. The end is long, warm, and sweet, with a lasting sweetness and a hint of smoke from peat. Overall, it’s an exceptional whisky that showcases the skill of Macallan’s master distillers and the distinct impact of sherry casks on aging.
To explore our extensive range of Macallan products, visit our Macallan collections. Here, you can browse through our collection and easily find your needs.
5. Its Colour Is Pure Natural
Several distilleries flavour their whiskey with E150a or caramel colouring. They do this because they can more easily produce whiskies with a constant colour. As distillate is a clear liquid and whiskey begins with no shade, this is not something that would naturally occur. Instead, the barrel in which whisky is aged gives it all colour. Each barrel produces a varied colour of whisky since each is unique.
Even though colour constancy is beneficial, many whisky drinkers prefer their spirits to have a natural hue. One of the few Scotch distilleries, Macallan, doesn’t add caramel colouring to their whiskies. Thus, they all retain their original colour.
This makes it considerably more challenging to maintain the consistency of the colour of their whiskies since the Master Whisky Maker is forced to combine several barrels from various batches until the desired hue is obtained without adding caramel colouring. As a result, specific barrels won’t be able to be used (at least as intended) since they will produce a whisky that is the wrong colour.
It’s yet another restriction on how Macallan makes whisky, raising manufacturing costs and, consequently, the cost of their whiskeys.
Final Thoughts
The high quality, meticulous attention to detail, distinctive maturing processes, constrained output, scarcity, and powerful branding of Macallan whisky make it worth its price. These elements work together to give the whisky an air of exclusivity, luxury, and sophistication that raises its perceived value. For many whisky connoisseurs, the high price reflects the exceptional calibre and rarity of the drink.
The Liquid Collection is a renowned Singaporean company where we take pride in customers’ satisfaction during transactions. Our products are of the finest quality so be rest assured.’
Furthermore, The Liquid Collection has a large range of Macallan Whiskies which will cater to various taste buds. What are you waiting for? Get a bottle of macallan with us now! Contact us if you have any further enquiries.