Macallan Exceptional Cask 2017 #5234-09

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.

The Macallan Exceptional Casks were bottled in 2017 mostly for the United States and parts of Asia. This range takes it's name from a number of single cask bottlings Macallan released during the 1990s, which are often described as some of "the greatest Macallan of them all."

Distilled on the 30th March 2005 and bottled over 12 years later after maturing in single European oak sherry butt #5234 (Ref: 2017/ESB-5234/09).

Selected by Sarah Burgess, this was the ninth cask to be reserved for the 2017 series on 24th July of the same year.

One of only 468 bottles.