Macallan Easter Elchies Black 2018

It may be hard to imagine today, but for much of the 20th century, Macallan was primarily a constituent malt in blends. It was not until the 1980s downturn in the market that the distillery decided to focus on its single malt brand. Fortuitously, this coincided with the crest of a wave of enthusiasm for the high quality releases that the distillery had licensed to Campbell, Hope & King and Gordon & MacPhail in the 1960s and 1970s. These remain some of the most collectible on the market. While global single malt sales volume is still lead by Speyside neighbours, Glenfiddich and Glenlivet, Macallan is easily the most sought after. So much so in fact, that they had to open a brand new distillery in 2018, a subterranean architectural masterpiece within the Easter Elchies estate, boasting 36 copper pot stills.

2018 was very much about the “new” at Macallan, with their state of the art new distillery opening in the summer. However, November also found time for a long-awaited return from the past, the Easter Elchies series. The first releases to bear the name of the distilleries famous manor home were the Easter Elchies Seasonal Selection, launched in 2005, followed by a highly acclaimed and equally sought after single cask series. The last of these was bottled in 2013.

After a five year hiatus, Macallan launched the Easter Elchies Black. The release was intended to embody the “warmth” and “timeless luxury” of the eponymous house, and advertises notes of citrus, apple and sweet peat smoke.

One of just 1,958 bottles.