Even if you only have a vague interest in Scotch whisky, you’re probably aware that The Macallan embarked on a massive and – literally – groundbreaking construction of a new distillery in recent times. Established on the Macallan Estate, just a short distance from the existing/old distillery, the new production facility is exceptional and unique in its design, its layout, its appearance, and its functionality. The new distillery is also unique in its approach to whisky tourism and how it goes about welcoming visitors. Visiting The Macallan as a whisky enthusiast can be a tricky venture at the present, and it’s not a simple exercise. If you’re wanting to visit the new Macallan distillery and to experience one of their tours, here are a few thoughts, tips, and comments following our visit in April 2024… Continue reading “Visiting The Macallan distillery in 2024”
Tag: Macallan
Macallan Harmony Collection – Intense Arabica
The Macallan’s Harmony Collection burst on the scene last year as the new badging for a limited edition, annual release. The first release (now referred to as Harmony I) celebrated the world of chocolate with its “Rich Cacao” expression. The second release (you guessed it – Harmony II) celebrates the world of coffee, and so The Macallan now brings you The Harmony Collection Intense Arabica.
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The Macallan – A Night On Earth
A Night On Earth (In Scotland) is the new, limited edition expression from The Macallan, released in time for Christmas and the new year. The Macallan announced last year that it would be unveiling a series of annual, limited edition gifting expressions, and this is actually the second edition of A Night On Earth, after last year’s well-received 2021 release. The suffix, “In Scotland” is added towards the bottom of the label in a smaller and lighter font, giving context to the whisky’s name and philosophy.
Macallan’s A Night On Earth essentially celebrates Hogmanay – the Scottish tradition of saying goodbye to the old year and welcoming in the new year. Aye, it’s effectively the Scottish take on what the rest of the world calls New Year’s Eve. Traditionally, one of the key aspects of Hogmanay is the first-footing – being the first person after midnight to cross the threshold (i.e. enter the house) of a friend or neighbour and present them with one or more gifts. Traditionally, this would have been coal, shortbread, salt, or whisky, and was intended to bring good luck to the householder for the year ahead. The host reciprocates by providing some food and drink which are then enjoyed together, and the festivities can continue well into wee hours of the morning (and the late hours, for that matter) with people knocking on doors to be the first-footer!
No accident, then, that A Night On Earth is timed as we approach the gift-giving season! The whisky comes in impressive packaging that is a bit reminiscent of unpacking Russian dolls as you encounter layer under layer.
The Macallan M Copper
Exciting news for fans and observers of The Macallan this month with the release of the new addition to The Macallan’s M Collection range for 2022 – in this instance, the M Copper. The M Collection is a special, high-end offering within The Macallan’s portfolio that aims to showcase the brand’s so-called Six Pillars. As the word “pillar” suggests, these are the foundations on which the brand is built, and they comprise the following:
Matching a whisky to every James Bond film
James Bond and whisky? Whisky has been paired with food for decades, although in more recent years we’ve seen whiskies paired and matched to cigars, watches, music, and even movies! If you’re going to sit down in your comfy sofa and pass away a few hours being entertained by 007, then having a good dram in your hand goes a long way to enhancing the James Bond experience.
Of course, Bond’s drink of choice may be a vodka martini, but we can shake and stir things up for the whisky drinkers out there who are James Bond fans: Here is our effort to pair and match the perfect whisky to every (official) James Bond film.
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The whisky lover’s complete guide to sherry
When you first start to explore the world of single malt Scotch whisky, you learn early on that the vast majority of whisky is matured in two different types of casks: Casks that previously held bourbon, and casks that previously held sherry.
With further exploration and perhaps some self-education with your nose and palate, you’ll probably begin to be able to identify when a whisky’s maturation journey has been influenced by sherry casks. In other words, you’ll either smell or taste the sherry cask influence on the spirit. And, like many people, you might even find yourself favouring the sherried style of whisky, and you’ll have a preference for the distilleries that make sherry cask maturation a feature of their house style and portfolio. (Glenfarclas, Glendronach, and Macallan arguably being the three main front-runners in this regard, although the Aberlour’s a’Bunadh release is also a long-time favourite).
Whilst many people understand and appreciate the concept of using second hand sherry casks to mature whisky, few people actually understand or appreciate sherry by and of itself. What is sherry, as a drink? What are the different types of sherry? Do some sherry types work better with Scotch whisky than others? If you’re one of the many whisky lovers who enjoys a sherried dram, Whisky & Wisdom presents this complete guide to sherry to help you understand more about what you’re actually enjoying and why…..
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What makes a whisky a “Christmas whisky” ?
What makes a whisky a Christmas whisky? Is it simply a whisky you receive as a gift for Christmas? Is it a whisky that comes packaged in traditional Christmas colours, e.g. red, green, and white? Or is it a whisky that smells and tastes like Christmas? (Which begs the question: What does Christmas actually taste like?)
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Five whiskies for Christmas
Need a whisky for Christmas? Once upon a time, whisky was whisky, and Santa wasn’t too discerning when it came to what special dram you left out for him on Christmas Eve. But as for us consumers? Well, Christmas = Christmas pudding, and that means dried fruits, raisins, dates, boozy prunes, butterscotch sauce, toffee, cherries, currants, cloves, cinnamon, and spices. And THAT, my friends, means a Christmas dram has to be sherried!
Here are five sensational sherry-matured whiskies that will fit the bill this Christmas. Four are regularly and widely available; one is an Australia-only exclusive….
Glenfarclas 105 versus Aberlour a’Bunadh
Glenfarclas 105 versus Aberlour a’Bunadh. Do you have a favourite? Have you already decided on a winner? Did you actually taste the two back-to-back to arrive at your conclusion? Does any comparison of the two simply come down to brand loyalty, or is there something objective we can measure?
If there’s a rivalry amongst the whisky producers, it would best be described as “friendly”. While the likes of William Grant & Sons and Pernod Ricard duke it out for the biggest selling single malt in the world (i.e. Glenfiddich and Glenlivet respectively), both companies know that, firstly, sales need to be considered across their full portfolios, and that their blends (e.g. Grants, Chivas, and Ballantines) are where the real volume is. Secondly, that what’s good for the category is good for everyone in the category. In other words, as long as the rising tide is floating all boats, then things are pretty rosy.
If there are rivalries amongst the brands, they’re being driven by consumers and punters, and they have their origins in the chatter on social media and in whisky forums. And so, in the Speyside stakes, we have Glenfiddich 12 versus Glenlivet 12. Over on Islay, we have Lagavulin versus Laphroaig. And for those who love their cask-strength sherry monsters, we have Glenfarclas 105 versus Aberlour a’Bunadh.
Both whiskies are cask-strength; both are natural colour; both are heavily sherried; and – in Australia, at least – both carry the same price tag of $140. (Equates to US$96 / 87 Euros / £75). That’s what they have in common, so let’s look in detail at how and where they differ….
Six historical whiskies you MUST try
You’ve probably been at a whisky event amongst a bunch of people and you were tasting a whisky from a particular distillery when someone near you remarked, “Ah, it’s not as good as it used to be…their whisky was so much better 20 years ago!” Or words to that effect. It’s a sentiment I’ve heard a lot lately. Mostly because I’m the old fart repeatedly saying it. We all look back on the rare and special whiskies we’ve tried in the past, and it’s hard not to wish that current incarnations were the same.
But I know I’m not alone – it’s an observation shared by many, and particularly amongst some of the pals I’ve been dramming with for 15-20 years. We’re often accused of wearing rose-coloured glasses or getting caught up in sepia-toned memories. That being said, we can be objective about this, and you should perhaps read our feature article, Is whisky better or worse today than it was 20 years ago?
To be clear, I’m not referring to all whisky per se … it would be folly and a blatant mistruth to suggest all whisky was generally better in the past. However, there are some distilleries that, on the whole, are releasing whiskies today that are a far cry from the bottlings they released in years gone by. I hesitate to suggest that their quality has gone downhill, since quality or flavour preference can be a subjective thing.
But, having said that, if you’ve been enjoying single malt whisky for over 20 years, there are a few benchmark drams that some of us hang our hats on. You may have heard of these drams in the past and wondered what all the fuss is about? Why are they so revered?