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Alexander Reid - A legend named "Red"
The history of The Macallan estate dates back to 1824. Alexander Reid, a skilled barley farmer and teacher, renovated Easter Elchies Castle and its surrounding landscape to cultivate barley. From the surplus barley during the winter months, Alexander realized the crucial role time played in transforming Speyside barley into a priceless beverage, enduring through history. This event also laid the foundation for the brand's creation and development.
Alexander Reid is depicted between a barley plantation and Easter Elchies house, as portrayed by Javi Aznárez in the collection's debut film.
It could be said that without Alexander Reid's pioneering vision, there would be no The Macallan estate as it exists today. And coincidentally, the name Reid, in Scottish, not only means "red" but also implies a pioneer.
Roderick Kemp - Bringing distinction from oak casks bearing the "Red" mark.
In 1892, Roderick Kemp, a businessman knowledgeable in single malt whisky, acquired The Macallan estate. Recognizing the estate's exceptional potential, Roderick expanded and modernized the distillery. He also renamed it The Macallan-Glenlivet (the Glenlivet suffix was later dropped in 1980).
Roderick Kemp discovered the difference between whiskies aged in sherry-aged oak casks.
To distill the most perfect single malt, Roderick Kemp pays special attention to the origin of the oak casks. Roderick Kemp, with his innovative sherry-aged oak casks, launched the “Choice Old Whisky” collection. The success of this collection has made The Macallan estate's name more renowned than ever. To commemorate the creation and express the distinct value of these sherry-aged casks compared to ordinary ones, Roderick Kemp has engraved a red mark on them.
Allan Shiach - Celebrating the value of time with red ribbons.
More than 80 years after the release of “Choice Old Whisky,” the brand’s new chairman, Allan Shiach, has taken this single malt whisky aged in sherry casks to a new level.
Guided by the principle of honoring tradition and long-standing heritage while also embracing the future, he challenged conventional distillation methods to create the oldest single malt ever produced. As a result, bottles of single malt aged 40 and 50 years were released, opening a new chapter in the development of The Macallan estate.
The moment Allan Shiach decided to release a 40-50 year old single malt whisky.
To honor the legacy inherited from his two predecessors, Allan had a red ribbon tied around the bottle, marking a half-century journey of a single malt whisky matured in sherry-aged oak casks.
Additional information
Alexander Reid, Roderick Kemp, and Allan Shiach appear together in a film introducing the Red Collection, in collaboration with the renowned Spanish painter and illustrator Javi Aznarez. These three shared inspirations, centered around the iconic "red," have created a legacy deeply rooted in their era.
