The GlenAllachie Distillers Company is unveiling its first-ever rum as their MacNair’s brand is repositioned as a Boutique House of Spirits.
MacNair’s Boutique House of Spirits will comprise both their brand new small-batch rum line named Exploration Rum, and the new-look Lum Reek Blended Malt Scotch Whisky.
The Exploration Rum sub-brand sees master blender Billy Walker search out the world’s finest rums to be further enhanced by superlative blending and world-class maturation, assured by an almost half century’s experience.
This first instalment of Exploration Rums were sourced from Panama, renowned for its volcanic soil which provides the ideal growing environment for rum’s key ingredient, sugar cane. The range features a 7-year-old Peated (UK RRSP £46.99), 7-year-old (UK RRSP £42.99), and 15-year-old (UK RRSP £64.99) bottling.
Each expression was initially matured in American oak in the tropical Panamanian climate, before being transferred to the cooler maturation environment at The GlenAllachie Distillery in Speyside to be enhanced by Billy.
Renowned for innovative wood management, Walker subjected the rums to secondary maturation. This supplementary aging period allows the flavours to marry and extract additional depth from the wood.
The innovative 7-year-old Peated rum underwent secondary maturation in casks that previously held heavily peated whisky distilled at GlenAllachie, whilst the 7-year-old and 15-year-old were filled to red wine, virgin oak and ex-Bourbon casks for over two years of additional aging.
The rums are each presented at 46% ABV, with no added colouring or chill filtration. This first batch is limited to approximately 400 cases per expression.
The multi-award-winning Lum Reek whisky sub-range will continue to feature the 21-year-old (UK RRSP £125, 48% ABV), as well as the 12-year-old (UK RRSP £49.99, 46% ABV).
To create Lum Reek, Walker sourced the finest vintage Speyside and Islay single malts to be blended with aged GlenAllachie in pursuit of the perfect balance between gentle peat and rich, fruity character.
Billy said: ‘I’ve long held a desire to explore and apply my expertise to a new spirit category, curious as to what the outcome could be. Rum was an exciting prospect as, in a similar vein to whisky, it allows for greater scope of innovation and experimentation, particularly in regard to maturation.
‘I’ve spent a great deal of time sampling and tracking down what I deem to be the finest rums from across the world to bring to my lab at The GlenAllachie Distillery and put my own distinctive twist on. The result in this first batch of Panama experiences is what I believe to be a trio of really exciting and unique rums which explore the influence of wood, but also the impact of maturation in a cooler climate.’
MacNair’s Boutique House of Spirits products are available to purchase via global specialist retailers, with further releases in the pipeline for the coming years. Further information on MacNair’s Boutique House of Spirits can be found at macnairs.com.
For information on The GlenAllachie Distillers Company, visit www.theglenallachie.com.
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