The Scottish whiskey distillery Macallan is celebrating 200 years since its founding, a reason to celebrate. To mark the occasion, the distillery revealed a new expression in a special edition created specifically for the 200th anniversary, TIME: SPACE Mastery, which, as expected from a Macallan special edition, comes in an impressive packaging with a price tag that is just as impressive.
True, not everyone will be able to afford to taste it, but join me for a brief journey through time following this distillery that combines ancient tradition with advanced technology, innovative vision, and sky-high marketing budgets.
The distillery was established in 1824 on a small hill above the River Spey in the northeast of Scotland. The founder, Alexander, was one of the first in the area to receive legal permission to distill whiskey. Reid named his distillery after the original name of the area: Maghellan, a combination of the Gaelic word Magh, meaning fertile land, and Ellan, an 8th-century monk who had a close connection with the church that is still present today on the Macallan estate.
Small Stills and Seasoned Barrels
One of the unique and prominent characteristics of Macallan is the aging process in oak barrels that once held Spanish Oloroso sherry wine. These barrels contribute to the quality of the whiskey, shaping around 80% of its final aromas and flavors, and from them, the final product receives most of its flavors, aromas, and color.
Today, the Macallan distillery has a vast variety of expressions, both new and old, some of which are in the hands of collectors worldwide and are increasing in price day by day. These days, another single malt aimed at "serious" collectors has been added: TIME: SPACE Mastery.
The edition consists of 14 types of barrels, with a dominant portion of European oak barrels that have been seasoned with Spanish Oloroso sherry from Jerez, along with American oak barrels that were seasoned with sherry and ex-bourbon barrels.
The bottle is designed in the shape of a round decanter symbolizing the circle of life and the ongoing journey of Macallan through its whiskey production tradition into the innovative future. It comes in an extravagant package, which includes 200 "red spikes," corresponding to the 200 years of the distillery.
According to Ewan Kennedy, a master in the Macallan team: "Inspired by the distillery’s historic master team, we delved deeply into our barrel warehouses. The goal was to create an exceptional expression that encapsulates all the complex influences of barrel seasoning, oak type, barrel size, and the unique character of the distillery. At the heart of this expression is the elegance of European oak."
So, How’s the Whiskey?
As mentioned, not everyone will be able to afford this bottle, and most likely, even those who can won’t open it. After all, this is more of a collector’s item than a drink. Nonetheless, I thought it worthwhile to share my tasting notes.
The deep cherry color of the drink is kind of a preparation for a special experience. The aromas and flavors are extremely rich, developing in the glass, including scents of dates, figs, chocolate, honey, and tropical fruits.
On the palate, there is a wealth of dried fruits, citrus marmalade, honey, and cinnamon, and the very long finish leaves flavors of chocolate, coffee, and dried fruits. 43.6% alcohol.
Price: NIS 10,500.