The Macallan No. 6 In LALIQUE

No. 6 is named after the six pillars of the Macallan’s heritage, foundations of the brand that include the Spiritual Home of Easter Elchies House—the 18th-century manor that remains the center and social focus of the distillery—and the Curiously Small Stills that, as some of the smallest in Scotland, contribute greatly to the whiskies’ unique character. Almost haunting in character, the No. 6 is a dark mahogany whisky presented in a Lalique decanter.

The Macallan offers no age statements for Reflexion or No. 6, as the continued existence of the whiskies will depend upon remaining stocks. “As the colors [of the different expressions] darken and the complexity of character develops,” Grier explains, “the pool of casks available gets ever scarcer and more valuable.”

Situated on a ridge above the banks of the River Spey, the Easter Elchies House has been the spiritual home of The Macallan for over three centuries. In 1820, Alexander Reid began renting the home from Sir Lewis Grant of Grant. Reid was a farmer, and soon after he sowed the fields surrounding the home with barley, Reid established the first licensed distillery on the estate, which he named Macallan after an ancient church that had been destroyed by fire during the 15th century. In the winter — when there was little activity on the farm — Reid would ferment and distill his excess grains into whisky, which was often drunk straight from the still or sold to travelers passing through the town.