The Macallan has unveiled The Reach, a rare single malt at 81 years old.
Not only is it the Scotch distillery’s oldest bottle, The Reach is also currently the world’s oldest whiskey (in ageing time spent in cask, not age of the bottle) – a title previously held by the Gordon & MacPhail Generations 80 Year Glenlivet when the latter was announced last year.
Crafted during the Second World War, the whisky was first poured into a single sherry cask back in 1940, shortly before The Macallan was forced to close its door for the first time in its history. In honour of the enduring spirit and uncompromising excellence of its craftspeople, the decanter, created from blown glass, is cradled by a bronze sculpture of three hands, courtesy of sculptor Saskia Robinsons.
These aren’t abstract hands; each is modelled after a significant person in The Macallan’s history. One is the artist’s impression of a hand of one of the distillery workers of 1940. Another is the hand of one-time chairman, Allan Shiach, whose grandfather headed the company when the whisky was first consigned to its cask. The third is that of Kirsteen Campbell, The Macallan’s master whisky maker, who selected the 1940 cask used to create The Reach.
“It is an honour to introduce The Reach,” says Campbell. “Created during a turbulent time in the world, this extraordinary expression showcases The Macallan’s history, ingenuity and unmistakable strength of character.”
She goes on to describe the dark, precious spirit: “Its deep auburn hue is the first hint of this remarkable whisky’s astonishing depth. Offering notes of dark chocolate, sweet cinnamon and aromatic peat, leading on to treacle toffee, crystalised ginger and charred pineapple, before giving away to an intensely rich, sweet and smoky finish.”
As you’d expect, The Reach exists in very limited quantities – just 288 decanters are available worldwide. For enquiries, contact The Macallan at Raffles Hotel Singapore at +65 831 3449.
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