1824 was a special year in the history of Scotch whisky. Well, to be more accurate, it was the previous year, 1823, that is remarkable. For that is the year the Excise Act came into being. The Excise Act of 1823 completely overhauled and transformed how whisky was taxed, and it ushered in a new era as existing distilleries turned legal, and other entrepreneurial distillers took out licences and founded new distilleries. As a result of this, 1824 saw quite a number of new distilleries get established and, for the small handful that are still going strong, 2024 marks their 200th Anniversary. The Macallan is one such distillery!
It’s not every day you celebrate 200 years, so it’s an occasion to mark with style. The Macallan has done exactly that, unveiling the TIME : SPACE COLLECTION. The collection is two new, unique products which actually consists of three different whiskies! The first of these is TIME : SPACE – a dual chamber vessel that includes the oldest whisky released by The Macallan at 84 Years Old, as well as a second single malt that marks the first release from the brand’s new distillery. The second release, TIME : SPACE Mastery, is a unique single malt with layers of complexity that – it must be said – is a superb expression of The Macallan. Whisky & Wisdom was fortunate to attend the launch of TIME: SPACE in Australia and to try the Mastery, where it seriously impressed.
The TIME : SPACE release is something to behold. With only 200 in existence (one for each year of The Macallan’s history), the vessel has been designed with two chambers to hold each of the whiskies. Housed in the outer chamber is the 1940 vintage. Two casks were selected for the spirit, namely a first fill American Oak sherry butt and a second fill European Oak sherry butt. The spirit has been bottled at 43.6% ABV – incredible for an 84 year old whisky! As a counterpart to this, 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. (The much-celebrated and awarded new distillery was built on the estate just a short distance from the distillery’s previous stillhouse, and is something you can only see in the flesh to fully appreciate. On that note, you might like to read our article, Visiting the Macallan Distillery).
The unique vessel is displayed in an oak sculpture which has been purposefully designed to accentuate the 100% natural colour of the whisky, and alternating layers of American oak and European oak have been selected to craft the sculpture. With only 200 for the planet, a single vessel will be available for the Australian market. However, it’s better news in the case of Mastery, as we’ll see in a moment.
TIME : SPACE Mastery is also an extraordinarily well-crafted whisky that features no less than 14 different cask types in the vatting – a combination of 1st-fill, 2nd-fill and refill casks across ex-sherry European oak, ex-sherry American oak, and ex-bourbon casks. As a dram, the sherry casks have played their role beautifully, but it’s perhaps the contribution from the ex-bourbon casks that expand this dram to new heights – there are some tropical fruits in the mix and a complexity that is mind-boggling. Definitely a dram you’ll want to sit down with and analyse over time.
The allocation to the Australian market is a bit more generous in the case of the Mastery release, with 200 bottles available in a selection of premium liquor stores across the country. The RRP has been set at AUD$2,700. In other countries, it’s US$1,500 / 1,300 Euros / £1,100.
Photos from the Australian launch of The Macallan Time : Space Collection. (Click to enlarge)
I’m usually not a fan of regurgitating the official or published tasting notes supplied by the brand, but since I’ve not tasted the Time : Space release (two whiskies in one, remember), it’s not one I can write personal notes for. Accordingly, here are the official tasting notes supplied by the Macallan for the Time : Space Collection.
Time : Space 1940 The Macallan 84yo, 43.4%
Nose: Dark chocolate coated ginger, sticky dates and leather combined with antique oak and delicate hints of aromatic peat and ground coffee.
Palate: Charred pineapple and baked peaches lead to crystalised ginger, hints of aniseed, blackberry jam and sweet woodsmoke. Rich resinous notes linger on the palate alongside caramelised sugar.
Finish: An extremely long finish with notes of dark chocolate and toasted oak.
Time : Space 2018 The Macallan 5yo, 54.9%.
Nose: Vibrant notes of fresh green apple and ripe pears, leads onto rich sticky toffee, honey, vanilla custard and some woodspice.
Palate: Golden sultanas and baked apples develop into buttery pastry dusted in icing sugar.
Finish: A medium finish, creamy, with sweet oak.
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Courtesy of having attended the launch, I have tasted the Time : Space Mastery release, so below are Whisky & Wisdom’s tasting notes:
Time : Space Mastery, NAS, 43.6%
Nose: Lots of classic oloroso sherry cask influence…raisins, figs, dates…all the yummy Christmas pudding notes. But dig (sniff?) deeper and there’s suddenly something else going on. There’s a real tropical fruit note underneath the sherry, and an accompanying sweetness. Peaches, mangoes, nectarines…maybe with a dusting of icing sugar?
Palate: The palate is truly the liquid continuation of what was on the nose…all those aroma descriptors transfer immediately as taste describers. It’s sweet, complex, rich, and with a little bit of fruit spice. The strength of 43.6% just works….but one can’t help but feel this would be a belter at 46% or 50%. Superb stuff.
Finish: The tropical fruits and sweetness outlast the ethanol and sherry. Five minutes after your last sip, you’re wondering if it was a whisky or a Fruit Tingle you were enjoying. Long, lingering, and tasty.
Cheers,
AD
PS…you might like some of our other write-ups of The Macallan’s limited-edition releases….
Macallan Harmony Collection – Intense Arabica
The Macallan – A Night On Earth
