The Macallan releases rare 84 Year Old dram – its oldest ever whisky

The Macallan has released a rare 84 Year Old dram – the oldest whisky to come from the distillery.

The whisky, from 1940, forms part of a collection to celebrate 200 years of the Speyside distillery, called TIME:SPACE.

The 84 Year Old will be housed in a dual chamber bottle alongside a second single malt that marks the first from the brand’s new distillery, distilled in 2018 and bottled at 5 Years Old.

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. 

It comes from two casks, a first fill American Oak Butt and second fill European Oak Butt – both seasoned with sherry in Jerez de la Frontera and bottled at 43.6% ABV.

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.

‘It was an absolute privilege to be able to reach back in time and select stock from the 1940’s to honour and celebrate our 200 year anniversary,’ Kirsteen Campbell, Master Whisky Maker at The Macallan says. 

‘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.

TIME:SPACE

TIME:SPACE

‘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.

The Macallan’s TIME:SPACE is available to purchase through invitation only from The Macallan, with price available upon application.

The second release in the collection, TIME:SPACE Mastery, is a single malt which pays tribute to past whisky masters by featuring 14 cask types.

Whisky was drawn 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.

The presentation case has 200 spikes, for the brand’s bicentennial year,  created using techniques stemming from the art of origami.

‘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 hear,’ siad Euan Kennedy, Lead Whisky Maker, for TIME:SPACE Mastery.

Read more Whisky news here.

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