The Macallan 81 year old Reach

The Reach 

The Macallan has taken the lead in what has become sort of an arms race with independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail. The Speyside distillery has just announced the Macallan The Reach. At 81-years-old it is the oldest Macallan ever and the oldest Scotch single malt whisky ever bottled.

Sold at a £92,000 per decanter the new Macallan sits in the same price bracket as the 80 year old Gordon and MacPhail. That’s actually slightly surprising considering the stature of The Macallan, which is the ultimate whisky luxury brand.

 

LIQUID HISTORY

The Reach single malt Scotch whisky was drawn from a single cask in which it has matured for the past 81 years. Its peaceful existence contrasts the turbulent time when it was distilled in 1940. Slowly maturing over eight decades, its triumphant release allows us, in the present age, to reach back in history to that difficult time.

While the deep auburn liquid has a gentle smoothness, in keeping with The Macallan’s signature taste, the complexity of its profile offers an array of flavours. There is a rich, sweet smokiness, attributable to the peat used when malting the barley and firing the stills during this period in time. The smoky note is subtle but unmistakable, complemented with antique oak.

HELD ALOFT BY ITS MAKERS

Testament to our commitment to incomparable craftsmanship, the extraordinary and unique packaging of The Reach has been brought together by a collective of Scottish artisans. The handcrafted quartet of liquid, glass, bronze and wood all housed in a specially-designed cabinet is a fitting tribute to a very special whisky.

This dark and burnished single malt is housed in a mouth-blown glass decanter, cradled by three bronze hands created by Scottish sculptor Saskia Robinson and featuring three individual fingerprint impressions of the hands that hold it high. The three hands pass an implicit nod to the decades that passed during the maturation of the whisky.

One hand commemorates the distillery workers of 1940 who crafted the spirit in challenging times. Another is the hand of once chairman of The Macallan, Allan Shiach, whose grandfather headed the company when this spirit was first consigned to its cask. The third is that of Master Whisky Maker, Kirsteen Campbell, who carefully selected the special cask used to create The Reach, and who decided that now was the time to release this exquisite whisky.

"The creation of many hands, The Reach has been a truly collaborative effort.
It's also a tribute to the people who made this precious whisky, and their enduring spirit which never wavered."
macallan
Kirsteen Campbell
Master Whisky Maker for the Macallan

Official Taste Notes 

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