The Macallan is raising the stakes – and prices – on its collectible whisky and betting that single-malt aficionados will be willing to lay down double six figures for an extra-aged dram of “liquid history,” plus as a sneak peek into what the distillery’s future holds.
The two-bottle Time:Space Collection comes timed to the 200th anniversary of the single-malt Scotch brand and includes a rounded, doughnut-shape bottle of an 84-year-old whisky, the oldest and rarest from the distillery. Then in the centre of that bottle fits a 375ml flask of a five-year-old single malt, distilled in 2018 when the Speyside whisky maker opened its new campus; it’s notable as the first release from the new facility.
Just 200 of the dual-bottle packages will be released, priced at US$190,000. It’s a stratospheric figure to be sure, but the Macallan has a history of fetching the highest-ever price at auction. Collectors take note.
The 84-year-old is drawn from two casks, both distilled in 1940: a first-fill American oak butt and a second-fill European oak butt, both seasoned with sherry, which is typical of Macallan’s house style, and bottled at 43.6 per cent alcohol by volume.
It seems hard to imagine that a whisky this old wouldn’t be crazy over-oaked and tannic, but it’s true, says master whisky maker Kirsteen Campbell. “It’s this wonderfully rich, resinous oak note we find in old Macallans,” she says, describing the flavour as “antique oak.”
There’s also an uncharacteristic smoky waft to the bottling that sits beside the sherry-soaked house style. “It’s quite different from the rest of our ranges,” Campbell explains, “simply because in those days, the distillers at the time would have only been able to access peated malt.”
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Meanwhile, the five-year-old 2018 vintage, bottled at a stiff 54.9 per cent ABV, is still practically a baby, showing lively orchard fruit and spice. It’s unusual for a single malt to be released this young; most are a minimum of 12 years old. Scotch at this age can still be relatively raw and almost moonshine-like, without the benefit of adequate time to mellow and acquire some of the vanilla and spice character that oak casks can impart. It takes a certain chutzpah to include an immature spirit as part of a super-premium set.
In fact, it will be the only issue of the vintage at this stage; the rest will continue to age for at least another seven years.
“We wanted to give consumers the opportunity to see the future,” Campbell says. After sampling the distillate year after year, “we felt the confidence to release it at this age.”
(Of course, the bottle-within-the-bottle setup is prime marketing, too.)
The Macallan is rolling out a third, separate non-age-statement limited release, called Time:Space Mastery, which can be purchased separately for a modest, by comparison, US$1,400. The single malt is also packaged in a donut-shaped bottle as part of the bicentennial celebration and incorporates 14 different cask types.
“The heart of this whisky is European sherry oak,” Campbell says. “Along with that we have American sherry, sherry refills and some ex-bourbon casks,” as well as various cask sizes and ages meant to represent some of the whisky makers across the years. Campbell declined to disclose the age ranges of any of the whiskies in the blend, which is typical for their non-age-statement products.
While the whiskies in the US$190,000 duo are being kept under wraps, we mere mortal journalists were allotted a taste of the Mastery whisky: It’s rich and feels almost creamy, with fruitcake-like flavours. Marmalade and dried fig aromas lead into honey and dark chocolate-covered orange peel, finishing long, long, long with candied ginger and cinnamon.
Campbell declined to say how many Mastery bottles will be released, except to note “it’s a very, very small run.” You must email client services to be considered, and if you are interested in collecting exclusives like the Time:Space twofer, abide the Birkin bag principle – it’s best to become a valued Macallan customer now.
Other ultra-aged offerings have included the Macallan’s Red Collection, a permanent lineup of 40-, 50- and 60-year-old bottlings, plus occasional one-offs. The Reach was another release of 1940 vintage Scotch, sold in 2022 at the age of 81.
And Campbell hints that there’s more to come: “We didn’t just come across these casks,” she says. “We knew where it was and had nurtured it for some time.” That said, “To nose, taste and select whisky created over eight decades ago is an exceptionally rare occasion in the life of a whisky maker.” BLOOMBERG
