International premium spirits company Edrington has revealed its new $253 million distillery and visitor experience for The Macallan.
Edrington is investing a total of $902 million in the brand, with the new distillery as the centrepiece – allowing production of The Macallan to increase by approximately a third. Other focuses of the investment include warehousing, particularly in The Macallan’s signature sherry-seasoned oak casks.
The distillery is designed by an internationally acclaimed architect, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, who were selected to lead the project after an international competition.
The striking piece of contemporary architecture is cut into the slope of the land, taking its cues from ancient Scottish hills and maximising the aesthetic beauty of the building while minimising the visual impact on the Speyside landscape, which has been classified as an ‘Area of Great Landscape Value’.
In particular, the roof of the structure is one of the most complicated timber structures in the world, comprising 1,800 single beams, 2,500 different roof elements, and 380,000 individual components, almost none of which are equal or the same.
“The Macallan estate truly is a special place; a place we have come to love and respect hugely,” said Graham Stirk, Senior Partner and Lead Architect for Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners.
“The vision was always ambitious, but this enabled us to challenge our own thinking to create something so dramatic and awe-inspiring.”
During the build, up to 400 people specialising in more than 20 different trades were employed on site.
The new distillery is located on the Easter Elchies estate in Speyside. The project was announced in 2012 and the build began in December 2014, with the first whisky running through the stills in December of last year. The visitor experience opened its doors to the public on 2 June.
“As The Macallan has grown globally it has been very important that we make sure we can sustain demand for this wonderful amber liquid,” added Ken Grier, The Macallan’s Creative Director.
“We’ve taken exceptional care in making sure that the spirit that is produced in the new distillery is identical to the spirit that we produced in our previous distillery. This is the beginning of a really exciting new chapter in the evolution of this wonderful brand that is The Macallan.”
