Kyndal collaborates with The Dram Club to relaunch and reposition The Macallan, a Speyside single malt that is synonymous with luxury and the realisation of enormous prices in the auction market.
Even as I write this comes the news that the one-of-a-kind bottle of 1967 Whisky from The Macallan Anecdotes of Ages Collection, in collaboration with British pop artist Sir Peter Blake, was sold by Sotheby’s this past weekend for $437,500. The proceeds will benefit the Solomon R Guggenheim Museum’s diversity, equity, access, and inclusion initiatives. One of only 13 original bottles from this newly-launched whisky and art collection, A New Era of Advertising bottle was offered alongside a print donated by Sir Peter Blake as well as a bespoke VIP experience at The Macallan Estate in Speyside, Scotland.
High realisations in the auction market are not new for the brand, as Vinayak Singh, co-founder, The Dram Club points out to us. While here in India, we may not have the opportunity to taste The Macallan’s Anecdotes of Ages Collection, but Kyndal, a distributor of luxury spirits, has relaunched it in India. It had disappeared from our shelves for some time.
A series of tastings in Delhi and Mumbai in collaboration with The Dram Club backed the relaunch. At the Mumbai tasting hosted at Perch Wine and Coffee Bar last month, Vinayak Singh, co-founder of the club walked participants through the history, heritage, stories and tasting notes of three Macallan drams — The Macallan 12 Year Old Triple Cask, The Macallan 12 Year Old Sherry Oak and The Macallan 15 Year Old Triple Cask. Jodie Mariott, The Macallan’s Middle East, Africa and India’s Regional Brand Ambassador joined the tasting virtually from Dubai.
Through these events, The Macallan is attempting to reach out to whisky drinkers to experience the brand. Says Singh, “The brand is synonymous with luxury. It is famous for the crazy prices that its single malts fetch in the auction market. But there is more to The Macallan then the auction prices that capture people’s imagination. What makes The Macallan unique are the copper stilts that is used, the smallest in Scotland, and the sherry casks in which the whisky is matured.”
Tasting notes
The Macallan 12 Year Old Triple Cask
On the nose: Vanilla, citrus, even green apple. It reminds me of warm clotted-cream-topped scones on a particularly cold winter day.
On the palate: A classic Speyside whisky, it has notes of vanilla, raisins, some melon, a touch of dark chocolate and nutmeg as well and is very mild on the palette.
The Macallan 12 Year Old Sherry Oak
On the nose: Crisp and sweet, there are notes of fresh apple blossoms and tropical fruits.
On the palate: It has been seasoned in sherry-finished casks and has hints of chocolate, dates and prunes. It is deliciously smooth with rich dried fruits and sherry and balanced with wood smoke and spice. The Macallan 12 Year Old Sherry Oak was described by F Paul Pacult, the renowned international whisky writer in his book Kindred Spirits as “simply the best 12 Year Old malt around’. It is full of the characteristic dried fruit and marmalade notes you can expect from a sherried Macallan.
The Macallan 15 Year Old Triple Cask
On the nose: Delicate hints of rose and cinnamon.
On the palate: The most premium of whiskies, you can taste citrus, vanilla, cinnamon, orange and chocolate. It has a very long sweet and oaky finish.
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