The Macallan: Tales of The Macallan Volume I, the spirit of Speyside

 The Macallan unveils the first limited edition single malt that captures the legacy of the whisky distillery 

Paying homage to Captain John Grant, The Macallan unveils Tales of The Macallan Volume I, The Laird of Easter Elchies (1659-1715) as the first of a series set to highlight the exceptional legacy of the whisky distillery. 

Grant founded the home of The Macallan whisky distillery on the Easter Elchies Estate in 1824, and with that a two-century long tradition of craftsmanship and excellence in the realm of whisky-making. 

When Grand returned from the war in the late 1600s, he transformed the family-owned estate into the garden of Elchies and ultimately the birthplace of The Macallan. There, he began growing barley and eventually established the Easter Elchies House in which The Macallan’s Spiritual Home stands today.

The Macallan’s Lead Whisky Maker, Sarah Burgess, honours the legacy of the distillery and the founder of the estate with Tales of The Macallan Volume I. Distilled in 1950 and bottled in 2021, the single malt offers a distinctive expression of flavours – the nose is rich with hints of grapefruit zest, antique oak, vanilla, wood smoke, nutmeg, ripe plum and almond, with peach and apple, wood spice with ginger and hints of clove, sweet wood smoke and yuzu landing on the palate that leads to a citrus and sweet oak finish. 

“Just like The Macallan Estate and Easter Elchies House, this precious whisky echoes of a very old tale. Wood spices, sweet wood smoke and antique oak are omnipresent and make a perfect liaison with the delicate symphony of ripe fruits and spices,” says Burgess. 

The single malt is captured in Lalique crystal at a limited run of 350 decanters worldwide. Housing each decanter is a leather book decorated with 24-karat gold leaf crafted by London-based bookbinders Shepherds, Sangorski & Sutcliffe and Zaehnsdorf. Captain John Grant’s story is told through the artwork of Andrew Davidson, a renowned illustrator known for his use of traditional wood engraving techniques for printing.

Davidson’s illustration also sets the scene for an animated feature that features original music by Nicola Benedetti.

Also see: The Macallan unveils partnership with Bentley Motors