The Macallan Just Dropped an Ultra-Rare Whisky With a Jaw-Dropping Age Statement

The Macallan has been going all out in celebration of its 200th anniversary. To begin the year, the storied Scotch brand unveiled the Tales of The Macallan Volume II, a 1949 vintage Scotch whisky that arrived in bespoke Lalique decanters. Then in March, it rolled out The Horizon, a collaboration between the distillery and British automaker Bentley that looked like something out of Blade Runner. And then just last month, it added a 73-year-old whisky to its Red Collection. But as it turns out, those were just appetizers. The Macallan has just unveiled the Time : Space Collection, and there are just 200 available.

Whisky should always be appreciated as a journey through time, but The Macallan has taken special care to make sure the Time : Space Collection (along with the additional Time : Space Mastery release) are true spectacles of age that bring together the past and the future. 

The Time : Space bottle was designed so that it could feature both one of the world’s oldest whiskies—an 84-year-old, 1940 vintage single malt—as well as one of the youngest the Speyside distillery has ever made available, a five-year-old, 2018 vintage. The whiskies arrive in two interlocking vessels that fit into an oak sculpture that's designed to accentuate the color of the whisky. Alternate layers of American oak and European oak were selected to craft the display sculpture, as an homage to the brand's commitment to sherry-seasoned oak casks.

The 1940 vintage was made from a first fill American oak butt and second fill European oak butt, both seasoned with sherry in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, and then matured in Scotland. Bottled at 43.6 percent alcohol by volume (ABV), it’s a deep, complex whisky in which aromas of dark chocolate-coated ginger, sticky dates, and leather combine with antique oak and delicate hints of aromatic peat and ground coffee. The palate bursts with charred pineapple and stone fruits, leading to splashes of crystalized ginger, aniseed, blackberry jam, and sweet woodsmoke. The long finish delivers more notes of dark chocolate and oak.

While the 1940 liquid is likely to open wallets, the single malt that comes housed in the vessel’s central chamber might prove to be more interesting and impactful. The 54.9 percent ABV, 2018 vintage liquid is the first ever whisky from The Macallan's new distillery at the Easter Elchies estate in Scotland. It offers vibrant aromas of fresh green apple and ripe pears, leading to rich sticky toffee, honey, vanilla custard, and soft wood spice. The palate delivers golden sultanas and baked apples, which develop into sweet, buttery pastry followed by hints of citrus and vanilla shortbread. The finish is medium in length and creamy with sweet oak notes.

"It was an absolute privilege to be able to reach back in time and select stock from the 1940s to honor and celebrate our 200-year anniversary," says The Macallan master whisky maker Kirsteen Campbell. "As a whisky mastery team, our roles are unique in the sense that we get to time-travel—selecting whisky from the past crafted by our predecessors, whilst simultaneously laying down casks for future generations of whisky makers and consumers. To nose, taste, and select whisky created over eight decades ago is an exceptionally rare occasion in the life of a whisky maker and one which I will treasure."

But if you thought Macallan would be done after unveiling some of its oldest and youngest whiskies in the same vessel, think again. On top of the “regular” Time : Space bottling, the distillery's Time : Space Mastery is a one-of-a-kind release featuring 14 cask types, including European oak sherry-seasoned casks, American oak sherry-seasoned casks, American oak bourbon casks, and the finest refill casks. The nose offers aromas of Medjool dates, sweet baked figs, and rich milk chocolate accompanied by hints of honey and tropical fruits. The palate is sweet, with sherry-soaked dried fruits, orange marmalade, and honeycomb that develop alongside notes of ginger and cinnamon. The finish features caramelized pineapple, creamy vanilla, dark chocolate, and coffee.

The Macallan's Time : Space is available to purchase through invitation from The Macallan, with price available upon application. Mastery will be available to purchase from TheMacallan.com as well as via The Macallan Society.

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