Tales of The Macallan Volume II: 73 years old and slightly smoky
The exclusive bottling honours Macallan founder Alexander Reid
The Macallan is celebrating the 200th anniversary this year. The distillery was founded on the Easter Elchies Estate by Alexander Reid in 1824. The second edition of the Tales of The Macallan series, which has now been launched, is dedicated to him.
344 decanters of this single malt whisky are available. The whisky was distilled in 1949 and bottled in 2022 with an alcohol content of 44.8 % vol. In contrast to today's non-smoky style of Macallan Single Malt Whisky, the Tales of The Macallan Volume II has a smoky note, as peated malt was used at that time.
The price for this edition is not shown on the Macallan website or in the official mailing, but several publications on the Tales of The Macallan Volume II mention US $89,000. If you are interested in purchasing it, please send an email to ClientServices@TheMacallan.com.
As usual with The Macallan, the fine crystal decanters are from Lalique. The Tales of The Macallan Volume II also includes a magnificent 852-page almanac produced by London bookbinders Shepherds, Sangorski & Sutcliffe and Zaehnsdorf and printers Imprimerie du Marai. The chapters of the book tell the story of Alexander Reid. They were illustrated by British artist Andrew Davidson.
Euan Kennedy, Lead Whisky Maker at The Macallan, comments:
“Tales of The Macallan Volume II is a tribute to our founder Alexander Reid, whose commitment to quality and craftsmanship established the pursuit of uncompromised excellence that has continued to guide successive generations of The Macallan’s whisky makers, like myself, to this day.
“Displaying beautiful tones of bronzed oak, and subtle red hues that reflect the original meaning of Alexander Reid’s surname in Scots – 'the red one' – this rare and unique single malt whisky possesses an incredible complexity achieved through age and patient maturation. Enjoying a lingering smokiness redolent of whiskies of Alexander’s time, it is a fitting tribute to his living legacy as we celebrate our 200th anniversary year.”
Official Tasting Notes for the Tales of The Macallan Volume II
COLOUR
Bronze oak
BOUQUET
Rich forest fruits, sweet aromatic wood smoke, antique oak, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla pods, herbal and leafy notes, treacle toffee.
GUMS
Black cherries, plum jam, dark chocolate orange, almond and custard biscuits, ginger biscuit with a hint of cloves, sweet wood smoke and a hint of loose tea leaves.
FINISH
Long and complex, with a sweet, lingering smoky flavour.
Image: The Macallan
