There are places where locals get their share of booze and then there is Macallan. Perhaps the most touristic distillery in the entire country, as no sane Scot would pay a visit here. Overpriced, commercial scotch owned by a big conglomerate? That's a perfect place for Americans to grab a drink! With all that out of the way, it has to be said that the newly constructed distillery is a piece of art. Integrated into the hills of Craigellachie, this sustainable architecture is a wonder to behold, if you don't have a sip so scotch. The atmosphere inside is modern with very kind people working throughout. It's much more equivalent to coming into a Michelin starred restaurant than most distilleries in Scotland. Yet, the original house, pictured on every Maccallan bottle still stands on the grounds and is an architectural wonder no less than the modern building. The tastings are extremely well arranged with deep knowledge among the staff and many touring opportunities. The vault is a very cool place. The staff even went above and beyond calling our hotel to arrange some food to be ready in the room after enjoying all the drinks. While this experience is without a question crafted by a major commercial entity, it is absolutely worth the visit to Maccallan for the architecture, vast tastings and a carefully assembled team who go above and beyond. read more

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Ok, I'll start by saying that this place is visually impressive on another level, but that's where the pros end. We arrived on a cold rainy day, and from the parking lot and it was unclear which direction to go in to get to the entrance. We figured it out, but with the weather it was not nice to be in the elements so long between the parking lot and the lobby. We were greeted by an attendant who checked us in and we had a chance to look around before our tour started. When the tour started the guests were provided a "cocktail" which was a mix of whisky and too much vermouth. Since I was driving I was giving a glass of house made peach soda, which wasn't bad. We were informed by our guide, Collum, that their video projector was down and he would have to provide the history of The Macallan the old fashioned way, by mouth. This was frustrating since the tour was supposed to be a visual marvel. This tour was the most expensive of the local options and we could have simply read the plaques instead of listening to him paraphrase. When we got to the distillery he gave the shortest talk on how whisky is made and distilled I've ever heard. Given all the money they spent on grand high ceilings and renewable energy, the small lit up table showing the stages of production was underwhelming. Nothing against Collum, he was friendly and engaging, but the whole place wreaks of pretension, and it is definitely not worth it. Save your money and take a tour somewhere else. We were given some Macallan glasses to make up for part of the tour being unavailable, but I can't say it was an even trade. I will add, that I am not a whisky drinker, but their 18 year old Colour Collection was served as part of the tasting and that was one of the better whiskies I ever gotten to sample. read more

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An amazing lunch and a glimpse of what can be achieved in a world class food and beverage experience in Scotland with a bit of thought and the right resources. read more

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We had a fantastic time, everyone at the distillery made us feel very special, we loved the new restaurant and every single team member at the distillery. Thanks for the truly Scottish hospitality you showed us. read more

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My wife and I did the Mastery experience here a few weeks ago. Hands down one of the best tours/tastings/experiences we have ever had! I have been telling everyone that even if you are not a whisky fan, this is an absolute can't miss experience if you come to Scotland. We had eaten dinner at a Michelin star restaurant in Edinburgh the night before and this totally blew that out of the water. Not exactly an apples to apples comparison I know, but the attention to detail on this Macallan experience was amazing! read more

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The place is spectacular. In phase with the nature around. The lunch at the restaurant was wonderfull. Nice food, really tasty ! The food is prepared by a 3 stars Michelin's restaurant from Spain. Once in a lifetime expérience. The service was perfect. I would recommend to anyone even if you don't like whisky. read more

On my driving tour, this is a must visit distillery. I came in between tours and since I was trying to hit several others in a day, did not have the time to wait for the next one. Nevertheless, that didn't stop the young lady from offering me anything on the tasting menu which was just a nice touch. Thanks for all of the staff who made my short but memorable visit a pleasure. They are in the midst of a huge expansion at the distillery, so another visit in the future would be well worth the drive again. read more

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Although I wouldn't call it my favorite scotch, I am a fan of the Macallan brand. Apparently, they have one of the most modern visitors' facilities in the country. A tour of their distillery was a must-stop on my weeklong jaunt around Scotland. They have a lovely grounds here, but I never made it inside. The lady tending the front desk very ungently informed me that they require reservations for the tour, and that they were booked until 10am the next day (this was 9:30am on a Friday). I protested that I never read the reservation policy in any guidebook, pamphlet, or website (including their own). She was unyielding; they take only twelve per tour group, no exceptions. I told her that I would stand in the corner and be quiet. No dice. I even tried to bribe both her AND the tour guide £20 each. Nyet. I was welcome to book the 10am appointment the next day. So I slunk away filled with curses for the Macallan. I still drink their whisky, and maybe I will tour their distillery on my next trip. For that day, I had two other distilleries on my itinerary. So I pushed on. read more

The Macallan Distilers - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Aberlour, MRY

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The Macallan Distillery owned by the Edrington Group, is the finest Whiskey Label and hands down the best place to Whiskey Taste and Tour. Macallan 'Scotch' Whiskey is my version of Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa Valley Red Wine, class of it's own from flavor, presentation, bottling and customer service. The Visitor Section has some of the finest/oldest Macallan Whiskey's on display such as the 50, 55, and 57 year old Laliques which are the 3 younger siblings of the 64 Year Old Macallan bottled in Lalique Crystal that was auctioned off for charity in New York for $465,000 USD. The Macallan Scotch Distillery production process is amazing, comparable to Bentley's automobile production process in paying attention to every little detail from the type of water being used, to the oak cask used from Spain and the US which may be previously barreled with Sherry or Bourbon to create just amazing Single Malt Scotch Whiskey's. Most of the Macallan's Whiskey's from 10 year to 30 year have a nice smooth and sweet finish, I personally prefer the Macallan Fine Oak 18 & 30 Year Old Whiskey, more so the 18 year old since it's almost 120 Pounds cheaper per bottle. If you can only make one Scotch Distillery in the Spey Side Region, The Macallan Distillery is the one to visit and be sure to call days in advance ahead to reserve as space is very limited. Tours range from 10 to 20 pounds each person and runs for about two hours, very in depth history along with great education on the Scotch Whiskey origin, process, and the amount of regional HEART that goes into each bottle. Slaandjivaa read more

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What an absolutely stunning place Macallan Distilers is. They spent £140 mil on the visitors center. The restaurant is great and filled with Scottish treats like haggis pie. The whiskey here is top notch. Staff is beyond amazing. Come visit. read more

Awesome - I did The Precious Tour and of the 4 distilleries I visited in Scotland, Macallan was easily the best. It was a good tour with lots of hands on activities and good photo opportunities. We learned not only about the whisky, but also about the barrels - they're even an entire section of the museum dedicated to the barrels (it's where the whisky gets so much of its flavor). At the end, the tasting was incredible - so professional and we were all challenged to guess each vintage. I sampled 5 whiskies all the way up to those aged beyond 20 years. It's a great tour and I would recommend splurging for the Precious Tour - it's only $20 and lasts well over 2 hours. read more

I remember the first time I ever tried scotch and thought it was the most disgusting thing ever. Then I met someone who offered me Macallan. Unlike most, it is aged in sherry casks which gives it a much sweeter taste than most. I've graduated on to much more peaty brands now but I do attribute Macallan to getting me over the hump and appreciated scotch for what it is. 3.5 stars read more

The Whiskey Region of Scotland is a beautiful area. Besides the green landscape scenery, barrels and barrels of whiskey are being produced daily by many distillers. If you are a fan of whiskey, you definitely need to plan to visit a distiller while visiting the region. I didn't visit any other distillers while in Scotland, however my guess is that your enjoyment of the specific distiller's tour will be based upon if you like whiskey and if you are a fan of the brand. Since most of my whiskey experience is with The Macallan, I had to make their location our main stop during this leg of the trip to Scotland. During the tour, you get taken around the property and learn how whiskey is made. Yes, it's similar to how other alcoholic beverages are made, but it's still cool to learn about the history of the specific brand. They really do a great job of explaining how they get the flavors out of their whiskey, why people prefer certain types to others and what drives the price on older bottles. After touring the distillery, they provide you with a sampling of about 5 different whiskeys. If you aren't a fan of whiskey, this might not be your thing, however its a great way to get some exposure to it. As with most tourist spots, the tour ends in the gift shop where you can buy bottles of Macallen, foods flavored with Macallan, Macallan postcards, Macallan glassware, Macallan books, you name it! read more

It's the only distillery I visited so I can't compare. The visit in itself was very interesting. We were in a small group (around 10 people) and the guide was very nice. She didn't rush the group and took the time to answer questions. As you are in a small group you can easily ear the guide and see the distillery equipments. I don't exactly remember how long the visit lasted but it was more than 1 hour (price was £10). You visit the different rooms corresponding to the whole process of whisky making: fermentation, distillation, cask making and cask storage. I was a bit disappointed by the whisky tasting. The guide just put two trays with glasses filled with 2 different whiskies, explained what kind of whiskies it was, and leave! no explanations at all on how to taste it, what flavours or taste we should feel... Otherwise the visit was great. A little advice: if you don't speak english, or not very well, the visit can be very hard to understand because of all the technical terms - and the scottish accent ;). read more

At our trip we visited four distilleries - and this one was the most disappointing one. They had builded up some different effects on the tour but our guide did not use a minute to inform us about it. A tour around the distillery is the most expensive one of those we tried and they did not have any special deals or happenings that would make us remember our tour there. Not a place I would recommend - if any asked me I would go for one of the others in the area. read more

Friendly, Educated Staff that shared their wonderful Scotch with us. The Macallan is a top shelf Scotch, served and drank for special occasions only. read more

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Felt obligated to come due to the name, popularity and new visitors center. I will admit that I am not a fan of their spirits except a select few like the Rare Cask. Obviously a lot of money spent on special affects but it lacked the heart and warmth of the smaller distilleries like Aberlour. Felt very corporate. Bottles are more expensive to buy here. read more

We toured the "new" distillery and visitors center as it was only a couple of weeks old. It is very much a highly commercial and high end production but very well done. I am glad we did it. There is a cafe with limited menu to grab a snack as you wait for your tour to start. The tour guide we had was brilliant. He gave a great tour and answered some tough questions quite well. The tasting wasn't high end but the tour was only 10 pounds and they gave a "free" tasting glass as a souvenir. Overall I am glad we did it. read more

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I went to a Macallan tasting in Beverly hills 3 years ago and was blown away by the selection and their products. I have also truly enjoyed this brand for a few years now since I started coming to Scotland regularly. It was one of my "to do's" this trip. I have to say that I was very sadly disappointed. I do have to preface this by saying my family and I had done three prior tours during the week. Saving the best for last or so we thought. In hindsight that might not have been the best choice. We knew the basic process of making Whisky so when they told us it was going to be a two hour + tour we thought wow we were looking forward to learning something new! We were looking for some really innovative and new information. Our frustration was based on the fact that every aspect of the process was very drawn out. Every room was a bit over stimulating. Our tour guide was absolutely delightful, informative and shared many personal stories which made for a good tour to a point. The stories were very drawn out and lengthened the tour by an additional 30 minutes. It was unnecessary to discuss the cask and wood gathering process so much as well as how the wood "absorbs" the flavors. It is important in the process however standing for 30 minutes to go over the region of Spain where the trees that make the casks was just too much detailed information that could have been explained easily in 5 minutes or 10. I understand why because of what we were tasting and what they were pushing "Oak cask Whisky". Which quite honestly I was very disappointed in the taste. Very harsh and yet I know every palate is different and I do enjoy many different flavors in Whisky. I truly was looking forward to tasting and would suggest that they get whatever licensure it takes to just do those. I felt that being so big they could offer just that as well. I really felt as if they wanted just the price of the tour since they are frequently sold out and it wasn't for the love of the Whisky or the folks who truly enjoy their product. The Cost was way to high and I feel they have to "justify" it by making the tour 2+ hours. Very sad Macallan.... Bob rethink that. are you getting just "too big". read more