Let’s just jump right into it: What exactly goes into a $190,000 whisky?
It’s no surprise that this price tag is attached to a new release from The Macallan. The Speyside distillery, known for some of the whisky world’s most lavish releases, recently announced TIME : SPACE, a new dual chamber whisky set that features a 1940 vintage liquid and a five-year-old single malt from The Macallan’s new $250 million distillery. The 84-year-old whisky comprises two casks selected from a first-fill American oak butt and a second-fill European oak butt, both seasoned with sherry in Jerez de la Frontera and matured in Scotland. Both bottles are housed in a circular oak vessel that displays them in a unique structure (complete with a removable flask).
TIME : SPACE is part of a larger initiative that includes Mastery, a new single malt featuring 14 cask types and a Macallan immersive “experience” in New York debuting in mid-October, where patrons can pre-purchase Mastery bottles. The Mastery release is a mere $1,400. That dual bottle TIME : SPACE set costs over 100 times more. Can any whisky live up to that price tag? We emailed a few questions to Kirsteen Campbell, The Macallan’s Master Whisky Maker, about how she ensures the liquid matches the grandiosity of the collection’s packaging and price tag.
InsideHook: When The Macallan creates a project like this, how much say do you have in the final project? Is the liquid you choose entirely up to you, or does someone come and say, “We want a 1940 vintage.”
Kirsteen Campbell: As you can imagine, our 200th anniversary has been in our sights for many years, and there has been significant planning to mark this landmark milestone. We wanted a whisky that was representative of our journey through time, connecting the past, present and future of whisky making. As such, we explored some of our most precious and aged expressions, like the 1940 vintage, that would commemorate The Macallan’s rich history.
The final decision on which casks to use and how they’re integrated into the collection is based on a meticulous process of tasting, evaluation and craftsmanship. At The Macallan, we are very hands-on in understanding the development of our maturing whiskies and have a significant process of assessing our maturing stocks. When it is felt that certain casks can keep maturing for longer and achieve great age, they are nurtured even more to ensure the cask, and the single malt it contains, are both working together harmoniously until we feel it is the right time to release that whisky for the world to enjoy — creating a balance between the creative vision and the art of whisky making.
This new release will offer consumers the opportunity to time travel and experience a sensorial journey. At 84 years old, TIME : SPACE contains the oldest single malt whisky that The Macallan has ever released, signifying the rarity and the incomparable richness of maturation across nine decades. The 5-year-old whisky housed in the center chamber represents a glittering glimpse of the future with the unique first bottling from the new The Macallan Distillery.
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The combination of our rich and robust spirit, our exceptional sherry-seasoned oak casks along with the Speyside climate means this expression is of high quality and has a well-balanced profile. There are tasting notes such as dark chocolate-coated ginger, sticky dates, leather, antique oak and hints of aromatic peat and ground coffee. Our careful selection and distillation process ensured that the whisky developed beautifully without becoming overly oaky.
As for the 2018 vintage: that’s relatively young! Is what you’re making there consistent with what was being produced at the old distillery?
When we began thinking about what whisky we wanted to release from The Macallan’s new distillery, we considered a variety of options that would not only be great to enjoy but also offered the classic Macallan quality. To do so, The Macallan went to exacting standards to secure the continuity of the single malt quality and signature taste from the old distillery to the new.
How long do these special releases take to put together (minus the aging, of course)?
Excluding the maturation period, it can take several years for special releases to be completed. The entire process requires careful planning, from selecting the right casks to creating the bespoke vessels.
Do you get a bottle?
With only 200 bottles available in the world, TIME : SPACE is one of the rarest whiskies ever released by The Macallan. Despite not owning a bottle, myself and the Whisky Mastery team understand the privilege we have to be amongst the very few in the world to date to have nosed and sampled both whiskies within the release.
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