The Macallan 1824 Collection
THE MACALLAN® LAUNCHES EXCLUSIVE SINGLE MALT COLLECTION FOR GLOBAL TRAVEL RETAIL
Four Distinct Macallan Experiences Distilled Into Singular Collection Crafted Exclusively for World Travellers
Perth, Scotland July 21, 2009 – Today The Macallan® announces the launch of The 1824 Collection, a new family of single malts developed exclusively for the Global Travel Retail market. The Macallan 1824 Collection includes four distinct expressions; each one, created by the Master Whisky Makers, illustrates a story central to the distillery’s long and distinguished history and showcases the spectrum of flavours and aromas associated with The Macallan—the world’s most precious whisky.
The four expressions of the The Macallan 1824 Collection – Select Oak, Whisky Maker’s Edition, Estate Reserve and 1824 Limited Release were created by John Ramsay, Master Blender Emeritus for parent company The Edrington Group, and Bob Dalgarno, The Macallan’s Whisky Maker; who between them have over 50 years of experience of making whisky. In order to achieve the fullest and most complex whisky for each expression, The Whisky Makers select the best casks at the peak of their maturity for inclusion into the collection. Named for the year in which the distillery was founded, The Macallan 1824 Collection offers global travellers a new way to experience The Macallan.
Already, Whisky experts have given a warm reception to the collection awarding each of the four expressions high marks and praise. Whisky Expert and author of “The Whisky Bible,” Jim Murray scored Select Oak 94.5% and the 1824 Limited Release Decanter 97.5%, describing it as “a lifetime great whisky.” Whisky expert F. Paul Pacult similarly praised the 1824 Limited Release Decanter, describing it as a, “A perfect malt whisky and a benign force of nature.” John Hansell, Publisher & Editor of Malt Advocate Magazine, also rated the whiskies highly, awarding the 1824 Limited Release Decanter a 94 and the Estate Reserve a 95, calling it “My pick of the lot.”
About the The Macallan 1824 Collection
The Macallan Select Oak – Testament to The Macallan’s knowledge and mastery of wood, Select Oak uses 3 cask types – American Oak seasoned with either sherry or bourbon and first-fill European oak casks seasoned with sherry. Investing more per cask than any other Single Malt, each Macallan cask has been handcrafted and selected under the supervision of The Macallan’s Master of Wood, George Espie. This very special whisky has a high proportion of first fill Sherry Oak casks. (40% ABV. RRP Price $53 / 1 litre)
The Macallan Whisky Maker’s Edition – Containing rare whisky distilled from barley grown on The Macallan’s Estate which brings a velvety mouthfeel, Whisky Maker’s Edition recognises the skill and dedication of The Macallan’s Whisky Maker, Bob Dalgarno. Bottled at Bob’s preferred strength of 42.8%, this has an intensity and robustness of flavour. (40% ABV. RRP Price – $99 / 1 litre)
The Macallan Estate Reserve – Drawing on casks which deliver a maximum intensity and depth of flavour, this Single malt includes some traditional sherry seasoned hogshead casks specially reserved for this expression. Non-chill filtered and bottled at the old-style 80o proof, more commonly known as ’20 under’, this is a dram with real character. (45.7 ABV. RRP Price $165 / 700ml)
*The Macallan 1824 Limited Release — As they draw on some of the oldest and rarest casks at The Macallan Estate, each year’s bottling will be different. The 2009 release is bottled at 48% and drawn exclusively from sherry seasoned Spanish oak casks which have been solely grown, cared for and crafted by the Tevasa cooperage. This is a truly unique expression from The Macallan. (48% ABV. RRP Price – $2,000 / 700 ml)
William Ovens, The Edrington Group’s Area Director, Global Travel Retail, comments: “The Macallan has enjoyed the most dynamic growth of any Single Malt in the Global Travel Retail market over the past few years. In this period GTR has become the third largest market for the brand, in large part due to the success of innovative new products. The 1824 Collection opens a new chapter in the illustrious history of The Macallan and we are confident that consumers will react positively to this exclusive and eye catching new range.”
The Collection is now available in many key Travel Retail outlets in the Americas and Europe and has just been launched in Asia at Singapore airport. The Select Oak expression has secured duty-free listings onboard a number of airlines including Air Canada, Delta, American Airlines and Continental.
*Note: The 1824 Limited Release Decanter on sale from October 2009.
For further information, samples and photography contact:
Tom Schuyler / Josh Rosenberg
M Booth & Associates
(212) 481 – 7000
Toms@mbooth.com or Joshr@mbooth.com
About The Macallan – Masters of Spirit and Wood
The Macallan is the world’s most precious whisky and Wine Enthusiast’s 2008 “Distiller of the Year.” Distilled on the Easter Elchies estate above the banks of the Spey River in the Scottish Highlands since 1824, The Macallan Single Highland Malt is produced without compromise to achieve the highest standard of quality and taste. The hallmarks of The Macallan are its natural colour (caramel is never used); flavors of citrus, dried fruits, cloves, wood and toffee; subtle sweetness and profound richness carry into the finish. For more information, please visit www.themacallan.com. Please drink responsibly.
