The Macallan is doing everything it can to celebrate its 200th anniversary. At the beginning of the year, the legendary Scottish brand introduced Tales of The Macallan Volume II, a 1949 vintage Scotch whisky that comes in special Lalique decanters. Then in March, it unveiled Tales of The Macallan Volume II, a collaboration between the distillery and British carmaker Bentley, which Knife Edge. And just last month, it added a 73-year-old whisky to its Red Collection. But as it turns out, those were just the appetizers. The Macallan has just introduced its Time:Space Collection, and there are only 200 available.
Whisky should always be appreciated as a journey through time, but The Macallan has taken special care to ensure that the Time:Space Collection (with an additional Time:Space Mastery edition) is a true coming-of-age spectacle that brings together the past and the future.
Courtesy of The Macallan
The Time:Space bottle has been designed to hold both an 84-year-old 1940 vintage single malt whisky, one of the oldest whiskies in the world, and a five-year-old 2018 vintage whisky, one of the youngest whiskies ever released by the Speyside distillery. The whiskies come in two interlocking containers that fit into an oak sculpture designed to highlight the colour of the whisky. Alternating layers of American and European oak were chosen to create the display sculpture, a nod to the brand’s dedication to sherry-infused oak casks.
The 1940 vintage was flavoured with sherry in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain and then matured in Scotland, made from first fill American oak casks and second fill European oak casks. Bottled at 43.6% alcohol by volume, this is a deep, complex whisky where aromas of dark chocolate-coated ginger, sticky dates and leather combine with antique oak and delicate hints of aromatic peat and ground coffee. Charred pineapple and stone fruit explode on the palate, giving way to splashes of crystallised ginger, anise, blackberry jam and sweet wood smoke. The long finish offers more notes of dark chocolate and oak.
While the 1940 liquid is likely to open wallets, the single malt found in the central compartment of the container may be more interesting and impactful. At 54.9% ABV, the 2018 vintage liquid is the first whisky to emerge from The Macallan’s new distillery on the Easter Elchies estate in Scotland. It offers vibrant aromas of fresh green apple and ripe pear, leading to rich sticky toffee, honey, vanilla custard and soft wood spice. On the palate, golden raisins and baked apples emerge, which fade into sweet, buttery pastry, followed by hints of citrus and vanilla shortbread. The finish is medium-length and creamy with notes of sweet oak.
Courtesy of The Macallan
“It was an absolute privilege to be able to step back in time and select stock from the 1940s to honour and celebrate our 200th anniversary,” says The Macallan Master Whiskey Maker Kirsteen Campbell. “As a team of whisky makers, our roles are unique in the sense that we can travel back in time; selecting whiskies from the past produced by our predecessors, whilst also preparing casks for future generations of whisky makers and consumers. It is an extremely rare event in the life of a whisky maker to be able to smell, taste and select whisky created eighty years ago and I will cherish it.”
But if you thought The Macallan was done for after introducing some of its oldest and youngest whiskeys in the same container, think again. Aside from its “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 spiced casks, American oak sherry spiced casks, American oak bourbon casks, and the finest refill casks. On the nose, aromas of Medjool date, sweet baked fig, and rich milk chocolate, with hints of honey and tropical fruit. On the palate, there’s sweet, sherry-soaked dried fruit, orange jam, and honeycomb honey, evolving with notes of ginger and cinnamon. The finish features caramelized pineapple, creamy vanilla, dark chocolate, and coffee.
The Macallan's Time: Space is available for purchase from The Macallan by invitation, price upon application. The Mastery is available for purchase from TheMacallan.com and The Macallan Society.
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