Why is The Macallan the "Rolls-Royce of whiskeys"?
Macallan is one of the most famous and best-selling whiskey brands in the world today, and is known as the "Rolls-Royce of whiskey". Why is Macallan so famous? The wine market is a very complex consumer market. There are many factors that affect the price of wine. Commercial factors may sometimes account for much more weight in product prices than the product itself. However, the fundamental reason for a brand to be popular in the market for a long time is It also depends on the quality of the wine. Only by maintaining good quality for a long time can we gain long-term recognition from the market.
Putting aside various commercial factors, why has the quality of Macallan whiskey been recognized by the market for a long time? Personally, I think there are mainly the following factors:
1. Unique distiller. The still used by Macallan Distillery is the smallest in the Speyside production area, only 4 meters high (1 meter = 1 meter). This kind of still has not changed over the years, and the distillery has only added more distillers over the years. The number of distillers (increased from 6 to 12 in 1965, and another 6 in 1974, the total reached 21 in 1975, and the new factory built in 2018 has 36 distillers) without changing its shape, size. The small distiller means that the wine body has more contact with the still (the copper on the still can remove impurities in the wine body, especially the odor of sulfide in the wine body, making the wine body cleaner), and then cooperate with The sloping Lynn arm makes the distilled wine rich and full-bodied.
2. Low alcohol content interception rate. The spirit extraction rate in the whiskey industry is generally about 30%, but Macallan's spirit extraction rate is only 16%. During distillation, the first wine that comes out has the highest alcohol content, but it is turbid and rich in highly volatile compounds, such as methanol. When the distillation is about to end, the alcohol content decreases, the content of fusel oil, fatty acids, etc. increases, and the wine body changes. Turbidity, relatively speaking, the wine body in the middle of the distillation process is cleaner and contains less harmful substances such as methanol and fusel oil. Therefore, the less wine core is taken during the distillation process, the cleaner the wine body is.
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3. Use a high proportion of sherry barrels. The most used oak barrels in the Scotch whiskey industry are bourbon barrels, accounting for more than 90%, but Macallan has long maintained a high proportion of sherry barrels. Overall, in terms of color and taste, whiskey aged in bourbon barrels is not as rich as that aged in sherry barrels. Whiskey matured in sherry barrels is full-bodied and fruity, with flavors of pepper, caramel, dried fruit and orange, and a darker amber color.
The alcohol content of Macallan 12 Years Old, 1700 Connoisseur White Label and 1700 Connoisseur Gold Label is all 40%vol.
The Macallan Distillery is located in Speyside, Scotland's main whiskey producing region, home to about half of Scotland's malt whiskey distilleries. Speyside whiskey is famous for its floral and fruity aroma, but each distillery has its own characteristics. The fact that The Macallan can stand out among them shows that its quality has maintained a stable high quality for a long time. In my personal opinion, Macallan whiskey is most characterized by its sweetness, fullness, and silky smoothness.
