Credit all photography Ian Gavan.

THE MACALLAN EMBARKS ON NEW ERA OF INNOVATION & MASTERY

NEW DISTILLERY & VISITOR EXPERIENCE IN SPEYSIDE, SCOTLAND

OFFICIALLY OPENING IN JUNE 2018

New York, May 22, 2018 – The Macallan, the world’s most admired single malt Scotch whisky, has revealed its new distillery and visitor experience – officially opening June 2, 2018.

Located on the stunning Easter Elchies estate, the property  has been home to The Macallan since 1824. From humble beginnings, the brand has become the leading international single malt by value and enjoys top positions in some of the world’s most significant Scotch whisky markets including the United States, Taiwan, and Japan.

It is the first distillery in Speyside to be designed by an internationally acclaimed and award winning architect, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, known for their groundbreaking work on projects such as the Terminal 4 Madrid Barajas Airport and International Towers in Sydney.

Edrington, The Macallan’s parent company, is investing £500 million ($674M USD approx.) in the brand of which the £140 million ($255M USD approx.) distillery is the centerpiece. This program increases investment in whisky, warehousing, and particularly in The Macallan’s signature sherry-seasoned oak casks.

When the distillery and visitor experience opens its doors, guests will be able to experience The Macallan’s Six Pillars like never before. Each of the Six Pillar exhibits feature an interactive and tech-driven interaction that brings the brand’s legendary whisky making process to life. From the sherry casks seasoned in Spain, to the curiously small stills, each point of the production is showcased for visitors to experience.

Announced in 2012, the project build began in December 2014 taking three years and six months total to complete.

Elgin-based construction company Robertson has delivered the complex architectural design, working with 25 contractors to bring the vision for the new distillery and visitor experience to life. During construction, up to 400 people specializing in more than 20 different trades were employed on site.

The striking piece of contemporary architecture is cut into the slope of the land, taking its cues from ancient Scottish hills and maximizing the aesthetic beauty of the building whilst minimizing the visual impact on the Speyside landscape, which has been classified as an ‘Area of Great Landscape Value’. The undulating timber roof structure is one of the most complicated timber roof structures in the world, comprising 380,000 individual components.

The new stills within the working distillery were crafted by Scottish coppersmiths Forsyths, who have been making the brand’s distinctive, ‘curiously small’ stills for The Macallan since the 1950s – the new stills are an exact replica of the originals. While the new distillery will allow for production to increase, the same great quality of The Macallan will remain untouched.

Ian Curle, Chief Executive, Edrington, said: “This is an exciting occasion for Edrington and The Macallan. The unsurpassed quality of The Macallan is in high demand and we face the future confidently with this new distillery. It’s an authentic, abiding, ambitious investment that will match consumer expectations for generations to come. When the doors open in June, we expect this new Macallan enterprise to deliver significant benefits for the tourism industry, Scotch whisky exports, and the economy.”

Ken Grier, Creative Director, The Macallan, said: “As The Macallan has grown globally it has been very important that we make sure we can sustain demand for this wonderful amber liquid. We’ve taken exceptional care in making sure that the spirit that is produced in the new distillery is identical to the spirit that we produced in our previous distillery. This is the beginning of a really exciting new chapter in the evolution of this wonderful brand that is The Macallan.”

Graham Stirk, Senior Partner and Lead Architect, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners commented: “The Macallan estate truly is a special place; a place we have come to love and respect hugely. The vision was always ambitious but this enabled us to challenge our own thinking to create something so dramatic and awe-inspiring. It has been an honor to play our part in shaping the next chapter for The Macallan.”

For further information visit www.us.themacallan.com.

The new distillery and visitor experience in numbers:

• £140m was invested and 60 new jobs are set to be created
• During construction, up to 400 people specialising in over 20 different trades were employed on site
• The project has taken three years and six months to complete (Dec 2014 – May 2018)
• The roof is one of the most complicated timber structure in the world, comprising 1,800 single beams, 2,500 different roof elements, and 380,000 individual components, almost none of which are equal or the same
• The new distillery will allow production of The Macallan to increase by approximately a third

About The Macallan

Founded in 1824 in the heart of Speyside, The Macallan was one of the first distilleries in Scotland to be legally licensed. Since then it has built a reputation as one of the world’s finest single malt whiskies.  The story of The Macallan is built on the Six Pillars, each influencing the whisky in its own distinct way.  From the spiritual home of Easter Elchies House; curiously small stills giving richness to the pure spirit; finest cut or the best of the best of the distillation, to exceptional oak casks which account for up to 80% of the final flavor in the whisky; natural color and finally peerless spirit, The Macallan itself.  Wood sits at the heart of The Macallan.  The vital contributing influences of Spain, North America and Scotland, together with true mastery, set it apart from the rest. For more information on The Macallan, visit www.us.themacallan.com. The Macallan can also be found on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

About Edrington

Edrington owns some of the leading Scotch whisky and rum brands in the world, including The Macallan, The Famous Grouse, Highland Park, Cutty Sark, The Glenrothes, Brugal and Snow Leopard vodka. Edrington is headquartered in Scotland and employs around 3,000 people in its companies and joint venture operations worldwide, with over 70% employed overseas. The company owns its route to market in 13 countries, and operates the remainder through joint venture and third party agreements. Edrington’s principal shareholder is The Robertson Trust, which has donated over £250 million to variety of charitable causes since 1961.

www.edrington.com