The Macallan travels back in time with the TIME:SPACE to celebrate 200 years of whisky-making mastery.
It is not every day that a brand celebrates 200 years of existence. When one does, it is clear that a boundary is transcended. This year, Speyside Scotch distillery The Macallan celebrates its 200th anniversary. Within the area of Scotch whisky, they have established themselves as industry leaders and have led the charge to anchor what Scotch is within the shifting tastes and consciousness of the modern day. From being the identifiable whisky of choice for James Bond and Harvey Specter, to pushing the limits to pushing the limits of whisky-making with their 81 Year Old The Reach expression, the distillery is the embodiment of mastery, innovation and heritage when it comes to single malt Scotch.
The Macallan has achieved this by staying true to these foundational principles, enabling it to navigate the swiftly shifting sands of contemporary tastes and sensibilities. Hence, it comes as no surprise that the distillery’s celebratory release — christened TIME:SPACE — aims to capture the essence of time travel by combining a rich past and hopeful future in an otherworldly package.
A combination of an 84 Year Old, 1940 vintage with a 5 Year Old, 2018 vintage, contained in separate chambers, the former represents The Macallan’s rich past, while the latter represents the distillery’s hope for the future. The 43.4% ABV 1940 vintage comprises whiskies from two meticulously hand-picked casks: a first-fill American oak cask and a second-fill European oak cask, both seasoned in Jerez de la Frontera sherry. This translates to dark chocolate, ginger and leathery oak on the nose — hallmarks of the European oak casks. Flavour-wise, sweet top notes of charred pineapple and baked peaches lead into ginger, blackberry jam and caramelised sugar. The European oak influence shines through on the lasting finish, with notes of dark chocolate lingering and mixing with earthy tones from the toasted oak note.
Although the 2018 vintage has been aged for just five years, it is a special expression in its own right, being the first-ever whisky to come out of The Macallan’s new distillery, and a spirited symbol of the distillery’s commitment to its signature taste and quality through the transition. It is bottled at a cask strength of 54.9% ABV, with a more American oak-forward profile than the 1940 vintage and one that will delight purists. Fresh top notes of green apples and pears come through on the nose before evolving into sweeter notes of toffee, vanilla custard and honey. On the palate, sultanas and baked apples develop into buttery pastry before hints of lemon, lime and vanilla shortbread take the stage. The finish is a medium one — as expected of such a vintage — but is delightfully creamy and succinctly rounded off with a sweet, oaky note.
Housed in a vessel that could easily have come straight out of a sci-fi movie, it — and the sculpture it is housed in — is awash in symbolism. The vessel’s bright red visage is a tribute to the same shade that The Macallan has been associated with through the years. Its circular shape represents the circle of life and a manifestation of how the distillery’s past will always be intertwined with its future. On the other hand, the sculpture housing is fashioned from alternating layers of European and American oak as a nod to the sherry-seasoned European and American oak casks that The Macallan’s whiskies are aged in. Intricate patterns on the vessel and the sculpture housing are derived from origami art, highlighting how craft and mastery are at the heart of what The Macallan is and what it strives to protect as it progresses into the future. In an age when brands are quick to forgo their roots to remain relevant in an ever-changing landscape, institutions that keep heritage at the forefront of what they do — like The Macallan — are always a welcome sight for all.
The Heart of the Spirit experience is open to public from 7th to 22nd September at Clarke Quay Warehouse B where guests can enjoy a bespoke celebratory cocktail and The Macallan Sherry Oak 18 Years Old. Tickets are available at SGD 48 and more information can be found here.
Once you are done with this story, click here to catch up with our September 2024 issue.