SPEYMALT - Macallan 1940

Rare old vintage.

Colour: Deep golden brown. Nose: Sherry with dark chocolate notes and wood smoke aromas. Floral and dry grass hints. Palate: Sherry wood with some smoky notes. A rich, spicy fruitiness develops.

Body: Rich and mellow. Finish: Sherry wood with subtle smokiness. Cask Type: First fill sherry butts. Whisky Style: A traditional Speyside - balanced fruit and smoke elements with rounding sherry character.

There has probably been whisky made on the Macallan site, on a small hill overlooking the Spey near Craigellachie , since the late 1700s. The first licenced disllation at Macallan is said to have taken place in the earliest days of legalised production, in 1824.

The distillery changed hands several times throughout the 19th century and in 1894 the distillery was bought by Elgin merchant, Roderick Kemp ( who also owned Talisker on Skye).

Due to demand for the whisky the distillery has been modernised and extended over the years. In the 1950s the output was trebled and further increased in the 1960s. Warehousing was also increased at this time. In 1990 a vast cask warehouse was built - at the time the largest single roof warehouse in Europe.