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In Hollywood, it’s a rare thing to prefer old age over youth. When it comes to whiskey, as any wisened Scotch drinker knows, older the better — when done correctly.
If any distillery knows how to master time in the barrel, it’s the Scotland-based distillery Macallan, best known for their sherry cask-aged whiskey and exorbitant price tags. Up until this year, they were perhaps most reputable for boasting the world’s oldest single malt with their Red Collection, which sold for $120,000 when it went on the market in 2020. Then Genlivet announced an 80 year-old Scotch the following year and The Macallan only knew one way to respond: to one-up them.
Now, if you travel to The Macallan Estate Boutique at their Speyside Distillery — or one of their few clandestine travel retail boutiques — you’ll see their newest (and oldest) whiskey to date, displayed behind a spotless glass encasement that evokes a rare piece of art more likely seen in a museum. The 81 year-old dark whiskey, named The Reach, is held in an exquisite decanter created from mouth-blown, hot glass and cradled on a bronze sculpture of three hands.
The Reach was first poured in a sherry-seasoned oak cask in 1940 — in the midst of the second World War — making it the brand’s oldest whiskey to date. It’s also the most unobtainable, available to only 288 decanters worldwide for $125,000.
This rarity, and the luxe lifestyle that often accompanies, is one of the reasons Macallan is a familiar name in most whiskey-drinking Hollywood circles. John Legend, The Weeknd, Pink, Padma Lakshmi and Dwayne Wade are just a few of the industry heavyweights that are self-proclaimed fans of the brand.
Since you likely won’t be able to get your hands on The Reach, check out some of The Macallan’s other expressions, including their recently released M Collection.
The Macallan M 2022 Release
Courtesy of Macallan
The Macallan M is among the darkest of the brand’s outturns. This natural-colored whiskey glistens in a handcrafted Lalique crystal decanter, revealing the rich liquid’s amber hue. Once poured, you’ll taste a full-flavored profile with notes of chocolate, dried fruit and spice.
Also part of the M Collection is the M Black, a complex single malt which has notes of long peat smoke and sweet raisin in a slim and elegant matte-black decanter. The Macallan M Copper has unique flavors of pear and white peach with a finish of toasted oak.
The Macallan Double Cask 30 Years Old
Courtesy of Macallan
In this 30-year old double cask you’ll taste a charming combination of cinder coffee, honey comb, vanilla and red apples. The complex flavor is the product of maturing in sherry seasoned American and European oak casks for three decades.
The Macallan Double Cask 15 Years Old
Courtesy of Macallan
This classic double cask, aged for 15 years, is a balanced single malt whiskey that boasts a sweet, warm taste and a golden butterscotch color. Enjoy notes of vanilla, wood spice, caramel, citrus and ginger with a lingering, creamy texture in the mouth.
