In case you haven’t heard, The Macallan just opened a brand new, state-of-the-art distillery, and the Scotch brand’s latest limited edition whisky, the Edition No.4, pays tribute to the craftsmanship and pioneering design work that went into building it.
A project that took three years and six months to complete, the new Macallan distillery enables the production of The Macallan to increase by a third. The design of the distillery itself embodies the master craftsmanship The Macallan is known for, with the roof comprising 1,800 single beams, 2,500 different roof elements and 380,000 individual components, shaping one of the most complicated timber structures in the world.
It is this attention to detail and complexity that embodies the new Edition No.4, the fourth release in the distillery’s innovative Edition Series, Macallan has thus far managed to provide something original and significant with each Edition release. Edition No.1 and Edition No.2 both highlighted the influence each cask has on the taste and flavour of the whisky, while Edition No.3 focused on the aromas of the whisky.
This time around, Edition No.4 concentrates on the structure of the whisky, drawing parallels to how The Macallan Distillery was constructed, and also showcasing the lengths The Macallan goes to when creating single malts.
The Macallan Master Distiller Nick Savage said: “Edition No.4 is a celebration of The Macallan’s whisky making heritage as we enter an exciting new era, marking the coming together of our history and new horizons in the creation of two structural masterpieces: a remarkable whisky and a magnificent new distillery.”
The Edition No.4 is crafted from a combination of European and American oak casks. European oak sherry-seasoned casks from Tevasa provide the foundation, contributing rich notes of dried fruit and delivering a layer of wood spices and root ginger, while European oak sherry-seasoned casks from Jose y Miguel Martin and Diego Martin Rosado shape the form of the whisky, offering notes of dried fruit, dates and figs.
Then, American oak sherry-seasoned casks from Vasyma balance the structure, imparting vanilla, toffees and butterscotch.
To cap it all off, refill sherry-seasoned oak casks bring out the bright, lively character of citrus fruits, producing a modern flavour profile that is zesty, vibrant and invigorating, bringing to the fore notes of rounded honey, sweet toffee and citrus fruits.
On the nose, the whisky exudes a fragrant fruit basket of flavours ranging from apricots, peaches, figs and raisins, which carries on to the palate, where the fruitiness is layered with the sensual warmth of butterscotch and honey.
With an ABV of 48.4% and a natural colour of burnished copper, Edition No.4 pushes the boundaries of innovation and reflects the passion, traditions and craftsmanship that goes into a bottle of Macallan.
The Macallan Edition No.4 will be priced at RM600 and was recently launched in Malaysia on September 27, 2018.
For more information on the new The Macallan distillery, go here.