Sherried, for Tomorrow: Lead Whisky Maker, Euan Kennedy, Shares the Prestige of The Macallan Sherry Oak 25 and 30

The Macallan Sherry Oak 25 and 30 Year Old, two whiskies shaped by decades of patience, sherry-seasoned oak, and an unbroken lineage of mastery, stand at the apex of The Macallan’s craft. These expressions, shaped over two decades, capture The Macallan’s deepest flavours of rich sherry warmth, concentrated sweetness, and the quiet power of time itself. Guiding The Macallan Sherry Oak 25 and 30 Year Old’s legacy is Euan Kennedy, Lead Whisky Maker at The Macallan, whose role sits at the intersection of heritage, intuition, and meticulous cask expertise.

Growing up in Dumfries & Galloway and now living in Speyside, whisky has always been close at hand for you. Was a career in whisky always a calling?

From a young age, I was fortunate to travel to Asia and Europe, and I was amazed to find that Scotch whisky could be found in bars worldwide. For me, it’s beautiful to come full circle now, travelling for work to educate and engage with people who appreciate Scotch whisky.

You’ve been with The Macallan since 2022. What’s something unexpected about The Macallan that you have learnt during your time at the distillery and working with Kirsteen Campbell?

You’d have an understanding of The Macallan’s quality even if you knew it from a distance. However, what surprised me was what that looks like on a day-to-day basis, such as the effort that goes into the craftsmanship and the quality checks we conduct as a team. The team’s focus and attention to detail are incredible, from seasoning casks in Jerez, Spain, to checking the quality of our new-make spirit at the distillery.

What are your responsibilities and day-to-day like as Lead Whisky Maker?

It’s a lot of fun. Every morning at 10, our team of whisky makers gathers not to drink, but to taste and approve recent batches of whisky. The day then involves answering emails, engaging in collaborative conversations, assessing the whisky’s qualities, and planning for the future. What I love is how involved we are with every aspect of whisky production.

The Macallan Sherry Oak 25 and 30 Years Old are often described as pinnacle expressions. In your own words, what makes them stand apart in The Macallan’s portfolio?

It’s a huge number of things, but let me hone in on a couple, the first being time, to help explain it. The Sherry Oak 25 and 30 Years Old are whiskies that really deserve reflection and a real consideration for the passage of time.

These are whiskies from casks that were laid down in the last millennium; that’s why I ask people to consider what their lives were like 25 years ago when they’re approaching it. What happens at the distillery over that time is that generations of whisky makers and craftspeople have had the patience to nurture these casks forward into the future.

Apart from patience and craftsmanship, we’re losing a bit of whisky, commonly known as the angel’s share, at this age. So even though we’re losing whisky, the flavour remains in the cask, and after 25 years and those seven extra years of maturation [from the 18 Year Old], we get this amazing concentration effect that hugely increases the whisky’s complexity.

Could you walk us through what happens inside a sherry-seasoned cask over decades that gives these whiskies their unmistakable character?

The beautiful thing about whisky is that it can be both incredibly complicated and, in a way, really simple. We start with our unique new-make spirit, produced in our curiously small stills, which possess a lovely richness of flavour and weight of spirit, with a great balance between cereal and fruity characteristics.

With the influence of sherry-seasoned cask, rich flavours of dry fruit begin to appear. But the third and most important thing for whiskies like these is that with time, you have a transformation of flavour and character, and that’s what really sets these whiskies apart.

What does the new-make spirit taste like?

It’s got a beautiful balance of flavour between the lovely fruitiness of apples and pears, and the nutty cereal character from the barley. What sets The Macallan apart is that you’ve got those flavour characteristics, but also a lovely weight of spirit with its richness and robustness. That weight of spirit is crucial because it means the spirit can hold up well for long-term maturation.

Beyond age statements, how would you describe the whiskies in one word?

For me, these whiskies embody The Macallan, and I would love for people to have The Macallan Sherry Oak 25 and 30 Year Old in mind when they think of The Macallan. Honestly, that one word is indescribable, in a beautiful way. My job is to come up with tasting notes, and that’s an incredibly hard thing to do for whiskies like these. These whiskies have to be experienced if they are to be believed. If there’s an opportunity to celebrate with loved ones, consider opening a special whisky like these. A lot of work, patience and time have gone into crafting these whiskies, and sometimes, we forget to craft those moments for ourselves.

For you personally, is there a memory or tasting note from these expressions that stands out as unforgettable?

I remember the first time I made the Sherry Oak 30 Year Old, and it was a beautiful experience. We make just one small batch of the Sherry Oak 30 Year Old from a handful of casks every year, so having the privilege of being the person to do that is special. Privilege is one word, but the other word I would use is responsibility to ensure consistency in quality.

These whiskies are from the previous millennium, as you mentioned, and in turn, you’re shaping whiskies for future decades. Does it come with a profound meaning that you’re preparing whiskies for the future?

That’s absolutely the case. My job is twofold; I’m lucky enough to make the whiskies of today that my predecessors have left behind, but a huge amount of our focus is on laying down the right quality of casks for tomorrow. I think we’ll be able to, in 10, 20 or 30 years, look back at the times that we’re in charge, and say we made good decisions.

The Macallan has just marked its bicentennial. From your perspective, what does this longevity say about the brand’s spirit, and how do you see it shaping its future?

That’s something that The Macallan does so well, which creates an element of pressure in my position. We’ll always have an eye on the future and see ourselves as a barometer of standards and a source of inspiration. We don’t want to be reactive; we want to set the tone, and that’s what we’ll continue to do.

Suppose you could pour a dram of the Sherry Oak 30 Years Old for anyone, past or present, who would it be with, and where’s the perfect place to have it?

If I may, there are actually two people. I’m getting emotional talking about it — I would love to share one of these whiskies with both of my grandfathers. It goes back to what I was saying earlier, that it’s worthwhile to open and share these whiskies with the people that you care about.

This article was first seen on MENS FOLIO

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