Macallan Creates New Edition in Honor of Founder
A new edition of the Tales of The Macallan series, celebrating important figures in the brand’s history, has been released by Edrington-owned The Macallan. As The Macallan celebrates its 200th year, this release is a tribute to the founder, Alexander Reid. The expression focuses on his standards of whisky-crafting excellence.
Reid founded the distillery in 1824 on Easter Elchies Estate in Speyside. In his view, small stills produced better flavor and whisky character, which remains one of the brand’s six pillars to this day.
Creating the New Edition of the Tales of The Macallan series
Making whisky takes time, patience, and special charm. The creation of a new edition of the Tales of The Macallan series followed suit. Developed by Euan Kennedy, the brand’s lead whisky maker, the expression was distilled in 1949 and bottled in 2022.
Euan Kennedy said: “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.”
In addition to the expression, a bespoke Lalique crystal decanter with illustrations from British artist Andrew Davidson is concealed in an almanac book. There is an almanac book concealed inside the expression, which tells Reid’s story and features in each chapter.
Furthermore, a zoetrope-style animation featuring Davidson’s artwork is also part of the launch, along with music by Scottish composer Craig Armstrong. Only 344 decanters are available at an RRP of $89,000.
