0094. MACALLAN EXCEPTIONAL NO.05 2002 (15 YEARS)
MACALLAN 2002 – 2017 EXCEPTIONAL SINGLE CASK NO. 5
Situated on a ridge above the banks of the River Spey, the Easter Elchies House has been the spiritual home of The Macallan for over three centuries. In 1820, Alexander Reid began renting the home from Sir Lewis Grant of Grant. Reid was a farmer, and soon after he sowed the fields surrounding the home with barley, Reid established the first licensed distillery on the estate, which he named Macallan after an ancient church that had been destroyed by fire during the 15th century.
In the winter — when there was little activity on the farm — Reid would ferment and distill his excess grains into whisky, which was often drunk straight from the still or sold to travelers passing through the town.
After the barley is harvested in late August and early September, it is malted before being mashed in one of The Macallan’s two mash tuns, a process that takes between four and eight hours. Then, the barley is fermented with a specially cultured yeast before being distilled twice through The Macallan’s copper-pot stills. The copper comprising the stills acts as a catalyst, and enhances the formation of sweet esters while minimizing impurities such as sulphur. In addition, the curiously small stills — some of “the smallest stills within the Scotch whisky industry,” according to production manager Alexander Tweedie — produce a whisky with a heavy, oily flavor.
Released in 2017, The Macallan’s Exceptional Single Cask Series features a range of sherry-seasoned casks. All of which are bottled with natural color, no chill filtration, and at cask strength. Every single bottle of The Macallan Exceptional Single Cask is unique in its own particular way. Each cask hand-selected by The Macallan Whisky Makers for their distinctive characteristics.
Each and every sample of this incredible estate range is meticulously nosed and assessed. It is here, in the hidden depths of the estate that extraordinary aromas and flavors first fully reveal themselves. This stunning batch was distilled on March 4, 2002 matured in a European oak sherry butt, and bottled August 31, 2017 at 117 proof. Only 286 bottles were produced.
Strength: 58.5%
Bottle Size: 70 cl
Distillery / Blender: Macallan
Region: Speyside
Cask No: 5
Cask Type: Sherry Butt
Lot Type: Full Size
