Distilled in 1976 and bottled in 1994, this is a vintage-labelled Macallan 18 Year Old in the 70cl size at 43% ABV. It came in the white box with a watercolour of Easter Elchies House, the packaging of that period.
About This Whisky
Vintage-dated 18 Year Olds were released annually from the 1980s until the design changed in 2004. This 1976 was laid down in sherry casks, left for 18 years and bottled in 1994 for the European market in a 70cl bottle. Collectors know these releases by their white boxes with a purple sash and the painting of Easter Elchies House.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Plum, raisin and fig, with orange zest, cinnamon and a polished, woody sherry note.
- Palate: Creamy, with fruit cake, toffee, ginger and a firm spine of European oak.
- Finish: Warming, with dark fruit and old wood that hold on.
Serving & Food
Pour at room temperature into a small tulip glass, taste it neat, then try a few drops of water. Serve it with slow-roasted pork belly, a hard sheep's cheese such as Manchego, or a slice of fruit cake.
How to Enjoy
Someone born in 1976, or a drinker who wants to taste Macallan from its vintage-labelled years.
Product Details
Producer: The Macallan
Distillery: The Macallan, Easter Elchies, Speyside
Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Range: Sherry Oak
Vintage / Bottling: Distilled 1976, bottled 1994
Age: 18 years
Cask Type: Sherry cask
ABV: 43%
Volume: 700mL
About the Distillery
In The Macallan's own telling of its history, the next name after Alexander Reid is Roderick Kemp, who took over the distillery in 1892. The business changed hands and grew over the following century, but it never left the estate above the Spey near Craigellachie. At its centre stands Easter Elchies House, which The Macallan calls its spiritual home. The house became the emblem of the brand, and it is the building painted on the boxes of the vintage-dated 18 Year Olds from this period.