As a cask comes to maturity, Finn curates sampling sessions in interesting and relaxing environments, with friends, whisky experts and trusted partners to discover the personality of each cask and gauge the experience each dram evokes.
All the best distillers pride themselves on crafting whisky with a distinctive flavour, which is determined by the water source, grain and barley, the peat and malting, and their distilling processes. High quality original spirit is integral to every cask we bottle.
The cask itself interacts with the whisky over time. The type of wood plays a big role, as do treatments such as the whiskies are aged in a variety of types of casks. The whiskies are aged in former sherry or bourbon casks, augmenting the cask influence. External conditions such as air temperature, pressure and humidity also interact with the cask producing a knock-on effect that makes the spirit inside unique.
Finn uses these factors to balance each FT whisky experience. He may sample a cask and decide to leave it on the rack, allowing age to further develop its personality. He might decide to re-rack a whisky in a new cask to add a finishing touch. Or, he might simply deem it ready. When Finn decides the flavour is perfectly balanced, it’s time to bottle the whisky.
Now, in 2025, we turn the page to Chapter Two: Duncan Thomson, the pioneer who established the family’s first distillery at Grandtully. To honour his legacy, we release an extraordinary 40-Year-Old Macallan, a whisky of
remarkable provenance and depth, embodying both the history of Grandtully and the timeless pursuit of excellence that defines our family.
This is not simply a whisky. It is a piece of history, captured in liquid, entrusted to just nine bottles.
Out of all the distilleries in Scotland there are few that have contributed more to our family story than Macallan. Macallan was the most prominent malt whisky in the Beneagles blend in the 1970s and as a result my grandfather, Michael, built a strong relationship with the Macallan team.
In 1983 Alan Shiach and Willie Phillips travelled to Perth to meet with Michael to pitch the Macallan single malt as a new agency brand for Peter Thomson's, granting them exclusivity of sales in the UK. In the minutes that we have of
that very meeting, they proclaimed that Macallan was the "Rolls Royce of malt whiskies". Yet at this time, sales of Macallan had mainly been focused in the North of Scotland and the hope was that Peter Thomson's could introduce the brand further afield. In the years that followed, the work of my grandfather contributed towards Macallan being recognised as one of the most regarded single malt brands of the time, truly laying the foundations for it becoming the iconic brand that it is today.
This relationship meant the family was able to easily source Macallan casks for our blending purposes, but this 1985 sherry butt was laid down for future years. This cask is an example of Macallan at its finest - matured in a high quality sherry cask for four decades, this is a taste of that old style Macallan which has become so sought after across the world.
This is the old style of Macallan that made the brand so loved around the world. Classic sherry maturation balanced with the richness of the 1980s Macallan spirit has produced a true ‘Rolls Royce’ of a whisky.
Now, in 2025, we turn the page to Chapter Two: Duncan Thomson, the pioneer who established the family’s first distillery at Grandtully. To honour his legacy, we release an extraordinary 40-Year-Old Macallan, a whisky of
remarkable provenance and depth, embodying both the history of Grandtully and the timeless pursuit of excellence that defines our family.
This is not simply a whisky. It is a piece of history, captured in liquid, entrusted to just nine bottles.
Out of all the distilleries in Scotland there are few that have contributed more to our family story than Macallan. Macallan was the most prominent malt whisky in the Beneagles blend in the 1970s and as a result my grandfather, Michael, built a strong relationship with the Macallan team.
In 1983 Alan Shiach and Willie Phillips travelled to Perth to meet with Michael to pitch the Macallan single malt as a new agency brand for Peter Thomson's, granting them exclusivity of sales in the UK. In the minutes that we have of
that very meeting, they proclaimed that Macallan was the "Rolls Royce of malt whiskies". Yet at this time, sales of Macallan had mainly been focused in the North of Scotland and the hope was that Peter Thomson's could introduce the brand further afield. In the years that followed, the work of my grandfather contributed towards Macallan being recognised as one of the most regarded single malt brands of the time, truly laying the foundations for it becoming the iconic brand that it is today.
This relationship meant the family was able to easily source Macallan casks for our blending purposes, but this 1985 sherry butt was laid down for future years. This cask is an example of Macallan at its finest - matured in a high quality sherry cask for four decades, this is a taste of that old style Macallan which has become so sought after across the world.
This is the old style of Macallan that made the brand so loved around the world. Classic sherry maturation balanced with the richness of the 1980s Macallan spirit has produced a true ‘Rolls Royce’ of a whisky.