The Macallan has taken the lead in what has become sort of an arms race with independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail. The Speyside distillery has just announced the Macallan The Reach. At 81-years-old it is the oldest Macallan ever and the oldest Scotch single malt whisky ever bottled.
Sold at a £92,000 per decanter the new Macallan sits in the same price bracket as the 80 year old Gordon and MacPhail. That’s actually slightly surprising considering the stature of The Macallan, which is the ultimate whisky luxury brand.
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Testament to our commitment to incomparable craftsmanship, the extraordinary and unique packaging of The Reach has been brought together by a collective of Scottish artisans. The handcrafted quartet of liquid, glass, bronze and wood all housed in a specially-designed cabinet is a fitting tribute to a very special whisky.
This dark and burnished single malt is housed in a mouth-blown glass decanter, cradled by three bronze hands created by Scottish sculptor Saskia Robinson and featuring three individual fingerprint impressions of the hands that hold it high. The three hands pass an implicit nod to the decades that passed during the maturation of the whisky.
One hand commemorates the distillery workers of 1940 who crafted the spirit in challenging times. Another is the hand of once chairman of The Macallan, Allan Shiach, whose grandfather headed the company when this spirit was first consigned to its cask. The third is that of Master Whisky Maker, Kirsteen Campbell, who carefully selected the special cask used to create The Reach, and who decided that now was the time to release this exquisite whisky.
Bottled at 41.6%, these are Master Whisky Maker Kirsteen Campbell’s tasting notes for the Macallan The Reach.
Nose: Dark chocolate, sweet cinnamon, aromatic peat, plums, leather, pink grapefruit, redcurrant jelly and a rich resinous note.
Taste: Treacle toffee, bramble jam, liquorice, crystalised ginger, nutmeg, charred pineapple, pecans, woodsmoke.
Finish: Intensely rich, sweet and smoky.
The Macallan The Reach is going on display at the Macallan distillery near Craigellachie starting February 9. It will go for sale later (no word on when exactly) at The Macallan domestic and travel retail boutiques.
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