Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 345: Macallan Classic Cut 2019

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky vlogger, enjoys another Macallan. The Classic Cut series was launched in 2017 and can be seen as an homage to the Macallan from an era gone by – before the launch of the Fine Oak, where bourbon casks made their introduction. It’s a yearly limited release of Macallan that matured exclusively on sherry casks – well, sherry seasoned casks to be clear – and bottled at cask strength. This is the 2019 edition, bottled at 52.9%.

https://youtu.be/Sa4MXFujhbA

INTRODUCING THE RED COLLECTION – 

REFLECTING THE MACALLAN’S EXCEPTIONAL HISTORY AND HERITAGE

The Macallan has unveiled The Red Collection, an exquisite range of distinguished and rare single malt Scotch whiskies which captures The Macallan’s deep respect for tradition and craftsmanship.

Inspired by the significance of the colour red throughout the history of the brand, The Red Collection features a carefully curated selection of ongoing aged expressions and high aged guest releases.

At the heart of The Red Collection is The Macallan 40 Years Old, The Macallan 50 Years Old and The Macallan 60 Years Old. These remarkable single malts, which will anchor the range, are the oldest ongoing expressions ever offered by The Macallan and will be available in limited quantities globally.

From time to time they will be joined by special high aged guest releases, commencing with The Macallan 71 Years Old, The Macallan 74 Years Old and The Macallan 78 Years Old. These incredibly rare single malts are among the world’s oldest Scotch whiskies, with The Macallan 74 Years Old and The Macallan 78 Years Old being the oldest bottlings ever released in the history of the brand.

Together they showcase the pursuit of uncompromised excellence for which The Macallan is renowned and reveal the legacy of craftsmanship, innovation and knowledge that sustains The Macallan to this day.

An extremely rare, complete set of The Red Collection is set to be auctioned by Sotheby’s after being gifted by The Macallan to raise funds for food charity, City Harvest, which redistributes surplus from the food industry to vulnerable people across London. The Sotheby’s auction runs from 22 October to 31 October 2020.

Distilled decades ago, in The Macallan’s signature curiously small copper stills, each peerless expression in The Red Collection has been matured in The Macallan’s exceptional oak casks under the watchful eye of several generations of whisky makers. Over time, these astonishing single malt whiskies have slowly been shaped and influenced by the carefully selected casks to deliver extraordinarily elegant aged whiskies.

The colour red has deep and long-standing significance for The Macallan. The red thread begins with Alexander Reid, the farmer and teacher who founded The Macallan in 1824. His surname means ‘the red one’ in Scots and was originally associated with red hair.

In 1903, owner Roderick Kemp launched The Macallan Choice Old range. It was reportedly shipped in cases labelled with distinctive red print to distinguish it from The Macallan’s existing whiskies, which featured black labelling.

And almost eight decades later, in 1980, red was to feature strongly in the release of The Macallan’s then oldest vintages, dated 1938, 1940 and 1950. Allan Shiach, chairman of The Macallan at that time, tied a red ribbon around the sought-after bottlings to denote their age and value.

The three characters now feature in a remarkable animated film created to introduce The Red Collection in collaboration with celebrated Spanish painter and illustrator Javi Aznarez. The Spanish creator is acclaimed for his striking graphic art which has featured in several Hollywood films, including respected director Wes Anderson’s upcoming feature, The French Dispatch, and was also instrumental in the storyboard development for ‘Greta’ by director Neil Jordan in 2018.

The animation is set to music recorded by Scottish violinist Nicola Benedetti, one of the world’s most influential classical artists of today.

Javi Aznarez said: “When a brand like The Macallan, which has been making whisky for nearly 200 years, asks you to draw red for them, to explain what red means to them, it’s quite a challenge. Alexander Reid – The Red, Allan Shiach, and Roderick Kemp are some of the people that have led The Macallan to excellence.

“What I like about The Macallan is that the colour of their whisky is natural. It’s the cask that, little by little, over time, paints this whisky.

“I think that The Macallan and I value time very much. I need plenty of time to do my drawings and they need years to achieve the excellence of this whisky.”

Each expression in The Red Collection is encased in an exquisite oak presentation box created from the same sustainable European oak used to craft The Macallan’s exceptional oak casks. The boxes are beautifully upholstered with sustainably sourced soft red leather from Scottish supplier Bridge of Weir Leather, which creates upholstery for leading luxury car brands across the globe.

A bespoke handcrafted case that can house the trio of ongoing or guest releases has also been developed by Scottish artisan furniture and objet d’art manufacturer, Method Design Studio. Based in Linlithgow, near Edinburgh, Method utilises traditional craftsmanship and skills to create one-off commissions for some of the world’s top luxury brands.

Each of the ongoing releases in The Red Collection has been hand finished and signed by Kirsteen Campbell, who was appointed Master Whisky Maker at The Macallan in 2019 and is the first woman to occupy the role in the history of the brand which spans almost 200 years. Sarah Burgess, Lead Whisky Maker for The Macallan, has signed the initial guest releases.

Kirsteen Campbell, Master Whisky Maker at The Macallan, said: “Created from some of the world’s oldest and rarest casks it is an incredible privilege to have crafted The Red Collection, the pinnacle of The Macallan’s portfolio.

“It’s thanks to the foresight of previous custodians of The Macallan, who laid down and aged these extraordinary casks, that we have been able to curate such a remarkable selection of whiskies.

“Each precious drop offers a unique opportunity to explore The Macallan’s whisky making legacy. The incredible elegance and rich flavours of the expressions that form The Red Collection are a direct result of the craftsmanship, knowledge and skills nurtured by our master whisky makers, past and present.”

The Macallan Red Collection will be available from Harrods, The Whisky Exchange, The Whisky Shop and other selected specialist retailers from 15 October 2020.

The Red Collection will have an RRSP as follows:

The Macallan 40 Years Old – £11,300

The Macallan 50 Years Old – £37,500

The Macallan 60 Years Old – £49,000

The Macallan 71 Years Old – £58,500

The Macallan 74 Years Old – £61,500

The Macallan 78 Years Old – £65,500

For further information visit www.themacallan.com

Notes  

About The Macallan

Founded in 1824, The Macallan is renowned worldwide for its extraordinary single malt whiskies. Their outstanding quality and distinctive character reveal the uncompromised excellence pursued by The Macallan since it was established by Alexander Reid, on a plateau above the River Spey in north-east Scotland.

In 2018, The Macallan opened a new chapter in its history with the launch of its award-winning Speyside distillery. Designed by internationally acclaimed architects to promote sustainability, the building takes inspiration from the surrounding ancient Scottish hills. It stands nearby Easter Elchies House, the Highland Manor built in 1700 which is The Macallan’s spiritual home and remains the heartbeat of The Macallan’s beautiful 485-acre Estate.

RARE MACALLAN LALIQUE 50 YEAR OLD TOPS BONHAMS WHISKY SALE IN EDINBURGH

The Macallan Lalique -50 year old. Sold for £79,300

A decanter of the extremely rare, highly sought-after Macallan Lalique – 50 year old, the first release of the famous Lalique Six Pillars Collection, sold for £79,300 at Bonhams Whisky Sale in Edinburgh on 7 October.  It had been estimated at £60,000-80,000. The sale made a total of £346,517 with 90% of the lots being sold.

The decanter was part of a superb collection of The Macallan, the second part of which will be sold at Bonhams Whisky Sale in Edinburgh on Wednesday 9 December. Other highlights of the collection included:

·         The Macallan-1951. Sold for £18,300. (£15,000-20,000).

·         The Macallan-1961. Sold for £17,080. (£14,000 – 16,000).

·         The Macallan Select Reserve-52 year old-1946. Sold for £11,590. (£10,000-14,000).

Bonhams Whisky specialist in Edinburgh Martin Green said: “The Macallan Lalique-50 year old is a very special bottle indeed which rarely appears at auction and I am not surprised there was so much interest from collectors nor that it sold for such an impressive sum.”

Sale: Whisky Location: 22 Queen Street, Edinburgh EH2 1JX Date: Wednesday 7 October at 11 am

NOTES 

Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world’s largest and most renowned auctioneers, offering fine art and antiques, motor cars and jewellery. The main salerooms are in London, New York, Los Angeles and Hong Kong, with auctions also held in Knightsbridge, Edinburgh, Paris, San Francisco and Sydney. With a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 22 countries, Bonhams offers advice and valuation services in 60 specialist areas. For a full list of forthcoming auctions, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, please visit bonhams.com. bonhams.com

Spirit of Toronto 2020 Warehouse Experience: Last Call for Aberfeldy and Wiser’s!

Given the many challenges that 2020 continues to throw at us, it’s even more fitting to give thanks for life’s small pleasures, and in our case it’s the ability to remain connected to whisky fans and share the liquid bounty that has been specially imported for the Spirit of Toronto 2020 Warehouse Experience.

Our exclusive series of online tastings hosted by whisky makers launches in less than two weeks, and while our Daftmill and Aberlour sessions are now fully booked (with only a few spots left for Highland Park), this week is the last call to reserve your virtual passage to the Aberfeldy Distillery in the Scottish Highlands, and the Hiram Walker Distillery closer to home in Windsor on the shores of the Detroit River.

Hiram Walker Warehouse Tasting with Master Distiller Don Livermore

It seems only fitting that we are launching this series with none other than Canada’s foremost whisky maker, Don Livermore of the Hiram Walker Distillery in Windsor. Those who have yet to taste and chat whisky with ‘Dr. Don’ are in for a special treat as he previews his latest limited edition, JP Wiser’s 22 Year Old Finished in Port Wood and bottled at 59.7% abv.

From here we’ll segue to some of the experimental casks that the good Doc has selected for this session, including JP Wiser’s Red Letter at 15 years of age, and two variants of Canada’s favourite rye, Lot 40 ‘Peated Quarter Cask’ and Lot 40 ‘Black Sea Cask’ — yes, so many questions!

All will be revealed come Friday October 23, along with the caveat that these experimental casks may or may not ever see the light of day. (PS: Spoiler alert! We don’t know what we’ll do if the sample of JP Wiser’s Red Letter 15 Year Old that we’ve tasted doesn’t eventually make it to store shelves…)

Aberfeldy Warehouse Tasting with Master Blender Stephanie Macleod

Having now previewed most of what will be poured throughout this very special series, we’re especially excited to have Master Blender Stephanie Macleod lead us through a vertical tasting of the Aberfeldy Distillery which includes two gorgeous single casks at full proof.

As the heart and soul of Dewar’s Blended Scotch Whisky, Aberfeldy is a distillery held in high regard by Scottish blenders, sought after for its elegant, silky demeanour. This virtual warehouse tasting has Stephanie starting off with the classic, honeyed Aberfeldy 12 Year Old followed by a 16 Year Old finished in Madeira casks, a whisky that we guarantee lovers of wine finshed malts will find hard to put down. For fans of sherried malts the Aberfeldy 20 Year Old single cask that Stephanie has sent is a dream come true, finished for 4 years in an ex-sherry cask and rich with all the raisin and Christmas pudding one could ask for. And for her finale Stephanie will be closing off with an elder statesman from the distillery, a single cask of Aberfeldy 33 Year Old that is a testament to the famous quote by the late Tommy Dewar: “We have a great regard for old age when it is bottled.”

All-Access Virtual Pass and our Joker’s Wild

As a reminder, all sessions come with a beautiful wooden gift box which has been specially designed for this series, and includes two Spirit of Toronto 2020 Glencairn whisky glasses alongside four sample bottles, a tasting mat and a pipette. A link to join the virtual sessions will be sent by email ahead of the scheduled day and time. Participants will also be able to view all other sessions in the series at no extra charge.

Unable to participate in the live stream of your choice at the scheduled time? Not a problem as all tastings will be archived for 45 days after airing.

Shipping is to Canadian addresses only, but there is also the option of an All-Access Virtual Pass that allows you to participate in these sessions with a dram from your own sideboard.

We are also keen to maintain the spirit of discovery that Spirit of Toronto is all about, and with this in mind we have the option of our Joker’s Wild — a random class based upon availability for those who love a good surprise, and a healthy discount. Your selected class will be revealed upon delivery of your tasting kit.

Slainte!

Click for the complete Spirit of Toronto Warehouse Experience schedule

Johnnie Walker 200th Anniversary

Johnnie Walker sells 200 million bottles of whisky worldwide every year, and its eminently-drinkable blends are some of the whisky world’s few true household names. The brand turns 200 this year and, in honour of its growth from John Walker’s Ayrshire grocery store to the world’s best-selling whisky, it has treated us all to a couple of limited-edition drams to celebrate.

Of whisky’s truly household names, Johnnie Walker is perhaps the biggest and best-known. What began as a green grocer and spirits shop run by John Walker himself in 1820, now sells more than 200 million litres of whisky worldwide, every year and has a logo and bottle shape recognised across the globe.

Now, at 200 years old, Johnnie Walker not only has the most successful range of blended Scotch whiskies in the world, but has released some special, limited editions to mark the occasion, and bid happy birthday to the man who started it all: John Walker.

EXPLORE NOW

Creating a new distillery in an old building comes with its own particular challenges. But it also allows you to start from scratch in terms of putting the visitor experience first, and in determining what the focus of your distinctive approach should be.

That’s certainly the case with Holyrood distillery, located in the historic Engine Shed building in the heart of Edinburgh, which started running its stills in July 2019.

Everything about the set-up from the visitor’s point of view is about flavour and knowledge, with the first stop on a distillery tour taking you to the Nosing Room. Before you even see a copper still, it’s been designed to put your olfactory senses to the test, and every stage of the tour is geared towards not only educating you about the process, but to helping you identify what kind of flavours you might be drawn towards more than others.

Click over to Unfiltered online to read the full article in this month’s magazine.

READ UNFILTERED

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ

Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm). Visit the Society at here for membership information

This is your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers!

Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video

Welcome to this weeks episode of the show in which I’ll be looking at some of the latest releases from independent bottler James Eadie.

https://youtu.be/uk1-ovF1rOs

Introducing Lost Lantern Whiskey

New Bottler of American Whiskey Dedicated to Shining a Light on the Independent Spirit

October 6, 2020—The best whiskey reflects its origin, its craftsmanship, its ingredients, and its distillers. Inspired by the long tradition of independent bottlers in Scotland, Lost Lantern is a new independent bottler of American whiskey. The company seeks out the most unique and exciting whiskies being made all across the country and releases them as single casks and blends, always with a deep commitment to transparency.

With the launch of Lost Lantern comes the introduction of the brand’s first bottling, American Vatted Malt Edition No. 1. This blend of single malts from six American distilleries will be available for purchase as of October 15 at LostLanternWhiskey.com and Seelbachs.com shortly thereafter; between the two sites, Lost Lantern Whiskey will be available in 40 states. Later this month, the brand will announce details on its first four limited-edition single cask whiskies, which will also be released this fall.

Lost Lantern was founded in 2018 by Nora Ganley-Roper and Adam Polonski, whiskey lovers who worked on two sides of the industry: Nora as a retail specialist and Sales Manager at Astor Wine & Spirits; Adam as a Senior Whisky Specialist and Editor at Whisky Advocate. The decision to become an independent bottler was born from their desire to highlight the great distilleries crafting exciting whiskey around the country. “There are approximately 2,000 distilleries in the United States, yet there’s no easy way for whiskey lovers to discover the best and most exciting ones,” explained Adam. “I kept dwelling on this idea and realized that somebody was going to do this sooner or later. It was clear that, between my experience and contacts and Nora’s palate and background in startups and operations, we were the ones who should do it.” Lost Lantern was born soon after.

Nora and Adam have committed to only purchasing whiskey from distilleries they have visited in person. “We’re presenting distilleries to our customers under the Lost Lantern name as exemplars in their field, so we need to understand what they’re doing and why,” commented Nora. Since deciding to create Lost Lantern, Nora and Adam have visited close to 100 distilleries. Many of these visits were part of their 2018 “Great Whiskey Road Trip,” which took the duo to 50 distilleries in eight months across dozens of states. Inspired to continue on, they visited another 25 while touring the Midwest in 2019, and that number has only continued to increase.

While their roles at Lost Lantern overlap in various areas, Nora and Adam have defined responsibilities within the company. Nora manages the operations and oversees whiskey production, while Adam heads up sales, marketing, and whiskey sourcing—seeking out distilleries that are making unique and interesting products. As Nora explains, “We think of Lost Lantern as shining a light on whiskies that would otherwise be
lost. That sometimes means bottling something from a distillery that is not distributed nationally, and which doesn’t get the attention we think they deserve. It can also mean bottling barrels from more well known
distilleries that are not consistent with their core lineup. This may be a finished whiskey, or an experiment that they’re not quite sure how to release. We’re looking for whiskies that we can bottle or blend that will expand the understanding of the landscape of American whiskey by whiskey connoisseurs.”

AMERICAN VATTED MALT EDITION NO. 1

In October, Lost Lantern will introduce their first whiskey, American Vatted Malt Edition No. 1. Limited to 3,000 bottles, the blend will be available for purchase at LostLanternWhiskey.com as of October 15th for $120. This 12-barrel blend of American single malts has been aged for two years, is non-chill-filtered with no color added and has been bottled at 52.5% abv.

This first edition is a complex and balanced blend with notes of baking spice, salted pretzel and hints of roasted barley surrounded by a savory smokiness that culminates in a long, warm finish of milk chocolate and sea salt.

American Vatted Malt Edition No. 1 is one of the first blends of American single malts ever made in the United States and represents the whiskey world’s true spirit of collaboration and harmony. Through a collaborative process that took several months to set up, Nora and Adam brought together the founders and distillers behind some of the country’s most distinctive single malts, all of whom hand-selected barrels for this unique blend and met in Denver to create it as a group. Over the course of a single marathon day, they worked, tasted, and blended together.

Jared Himstedt, Head Distiller at Balcones Distilling was supportive of the initiative from the beginning. “I was super excited to get to work on this project, to start with American Single Malts from a bunch of different distilleries from across the country and work collaboratively with the other distillers and blenders on this expression,” explained Himstedt. “It was a unique project that was lots of fun and I think an example of where the future of American Single Malts is headed. Independent bottlers, offering both single barrels and blends, are all going to be becoming more prominent as the category and community keeps developing to bring new and delicious whiskies to the table.”

The result is American Vatted Malt Edition No. 1, a singular and special single malt blend from the following distilleries:

• Balcones (Waco, Texas)
• Copperworks (Seattle, Washington)
• Santa Fe Spirits (Santa Fe, New Mexico)
• Triple Eight (Nantucket, Massachusetts)
• Westward (Portland, Oregon)
• Virginia Distillery Co. (Lovingston, Virginia)

“American Vatted Malt is indicative of why American craft whiskey is so exciting,” said the founders. “We brought together six of the very best single malt producers in the U.S. and we worked together to create something entirely new and unique. It’s a great symbol of what we want Lost Lantern to contribute to the industry and provide for whiskey lovers. It’s unique, collaborative, and above all, deeply delicious.”

Find Lost Lantern Whiskey online at www.LostLanternWhiskey.com, on Instagram at
https://www.instagram.com/lostlanternwhiskey and Twitter at https://twitter.com/LostLanternDram.

A chat with our new Master Whisky Maker

Our stills are singing again in Rothes and, while some parts of the estate remain unchanged since 1879, recently there’s been some changes afoot…as we mentioned earlier this week, a new Master Whisky Maker has joined The Glenrothes!

Laura Rampling will oversee the next chapter in our rich history, bringing with her a nose for detail and expertise earned through a career in the Scotch Whisky industry.

Laura will certainly be busy in her new role. From developing recipes, to ensuring consistency across production, Laura will be a custodian of quality, ensuring the range retains its unique and much-loved character for many years to come.

We caught up with Laura to chat about her appointment!

What excites you about your new role?

“Rolling my sleeves up, and getting to work! Making whisky is a real passion of mine and I look forward to working closely with my colleagues, both in Rothes at the distillery and the wider team.”

What is it that attracted you to whisky making?

“What I love about whisky is that it’s so diverse, with so many different flavour profiles and characteristics. Every day is different…”

Will the whisky profile change?

“No. The Glenrothes is known for its delicate, fruity character. Sherry casks have been integral to our house style for years and will continue to be. Our customers know and love our whisky and I look forward to continuing this legacy while creating some great new whiskies worthy of The Glenrothes name.”

What is your favourite The Glenrothes dram?

“At the moment, I am really enjoying The Whisky Maker’s Cut, often with just a splash of water but occasionally mixed into an Old Fashioned. The sherry cask flavours truly come to the fore”

#SpiritOfRothes

AVAILABLE NOW

You nominated, we listened, and the shortlist of great drams for our next Whisky of the Year has been finalised. Six whiskies – three chosen by you, our whisky-loving customers, and three by our co-founder Sukhinder Singh and head buyer Dawn Davies MW – have now been portioned out into Perfect Measure Judging Packs.

Each pack contains a 3cl sample of each of the six shortlisted whiskies, labelled A-F to ensure they’re tasted blind, as well as a unique, single-use code which will allow you to vote for your favourite whisky online at thewhiskyexchange.com/vote.

Sip through each whisky yourself, or taste along with our free online tasting, hosted on our Facebook page by Dawn Davies MW and The Whisky Exchange ambassador Billy Abbott. We’ll confirm the exact date and time of the tasting on our social media pages in the next few days.

  BUY YOUR JUDGING PACK      SHOP PERFECT MEASURE SAMPLE PACKS