To help celebrate 200 years, The Macallan is releasing two unique new whiskies in a celebration of the brand’s interpretation of time travel through whisky mastery, presented in bespoke vessels.
The first is TIME: SPACE – a dual chamber vessel that includes the oldest whisky released by The Macallan at 84 Years Old, as well as a second single malt that marks the first from the brand’s new distillery.
The second release, TIME: SPACE Mastery, is a unique single malt with layers of complexity that embraces 200 years of history.
The Macallan has designed both creations in TIME: SPACE COLLECTION to depict nature’s protection of its future, while also representing time travel with the past and future combined.
With only 200 in existence, one for each year of The Macallan’s history, TIME: SPACE captures the essence of time travel. The vessel has been designed with two chambers to hold each of the whiskies – housed in the outer chamber is the 1940 vintage, representing the past. Two casks meticulously hand selected – a first fill American Oak Butt and second fill European Oak Butt – both seasoned with sherry in Jerez de la Frontera and matured peacefully surrounded by nature in Speyside, Scotland. Bottled at 43.6% ABV, an extraordinary 84 years of maturation has produced rich natural color, exceptional depth and richness and full, long-lasting flavor unique to this rare, aged single malt Scotch whisky.
As a counterpart, the single malt housed in the central chamber is a 2018 vintage, marking a significant milestone as the first ever whisky from The Macallan’s new distillery – a nod to the future of the brand and its commitment to excellence in its whiskies. During the transition to the new Distillery in 2018, The Macallan went to exacting standards to secure the continuity of the single malt quality and signature taste.
The unique vessel is displayed in an oak sculpture which has been purposefully designed to accentuate the 100% natural color of the whisky, and alternate layers of American oak and European oak have been selected to craft the display sculpture, as a homage to the brand’s commitment to sherry seasoned oak casks.
Kirsteen Campbell, Master Whisky Maker, The Macallan, commented: “It was an absolute privilege to be able to reach back in time and select stock from the 1940’s to honor and celebrate our 200 year anniversary.
“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.”
“For the 2018 vintage, the prospect of selecting a younger cask created a lot of excitement in the sample room – it is an opportunity to give others an insight into The Macallan’s future. This marked the first year of production in our new Distillery, which is truly a significant moment to be cherished. Through a fusion of art and science we have ensured the continuity of the character of our whisky.”
TIME: SPACE Mastery embraces 200 years of history – a one-of-a-kind The Macallan release celebrating the craft of whisky mastery by featuring 14 exceptional cask types, creating layers of complexity with an incredible depth of aroma, texture and flavor.
“Inspired by past masters, we have explored the full extent of our warehouses to capture the complex influences of cask seasoning, oak origin, cask size and distillery character in one incredibly special bottle of whisky – with the elegance provided by European Oak sitting at its heart.” Euan Kennedy, Lead Whisky Maker, for TIME: SPACE Mastery.
With whisky drawn from the breadth of our exceptional inventory, there are distinct influences from European Oak sherry seasoned casks, American Oak sherry seasoned casks, American Oak Bourbon casks and the finest refill casks.
The whisky is housed in a crafted circular vessel representing the circle of life and the ongoing journey from the past to the future. In contrast to the subtlety of the exterior, the presentation case bursts to life with a vibrant red color – synonymous with The Macallan – and 200 spikes, for the brand’s bicentennial year, represent how nature guards what is most precious and fragile. The intricate details are created using techniques stemming from the art of origami, to protect what is most valued for The Macallan, its incomparable whisky.
Jaume Ferras, Creative Director at The Macallan, said: “The introduction of TIME: SPACE COLLECTION is an incredible way to pay respect to our 200th anniversary by celebrating the significance of those who have come before us, yet it is also a symbol of anticipation of what is to come, as we build upon our heritage and look to times ahead.”
The release of TIME: SPACE COLLECTION is accompanied by a global marketing campaign, leading with two hero films that take audiences on a journey through a spiky world where time flows and nature protects what is most precious. The films follow two distinct stories, yet both highlight The Macallan’s intrinsic connection to nature through different characters, animals and plants.
On Wednesday, October 9th through Saturday, October 12th, The Macallan will also debut the TIME: SPACE Experience, an immersive installation in New York City where consumers may purchase tickets to travel through the past, present and future of The Macallan in an experiential journey to celebrate 200 years of mastery, craftsmanship, and innovation. Throughout the experience, guests will enjoy cocktails crafted by Dante NYC while learning about The Macallan’s latest whisky innovations, including the oldest and rarest releases to date as well as The Macallan TIME : SPACE – a tribute to the past and future. To purchase entry into the experience please visit the link here.
As part of The Macallan’s commitment to protecting nature for over 200 years, proceeds from the sale of the $75 per person ticket will be donated to the Natural Areas Conservancy (NAC).
