Update December 3, 2024: Whisky lovers traveling from or through New York's John F. Kennedy (JFK) or San Francisco International (SFO) airports will have the opportunity to experience Macallan's Time : Space Mastery interactive pop-up. In addition to the experience, travelers can purchase this ($1,400, details below) and other limited-release Macallan bottlings, and join The Macallan Society for news and access to special releases. The pop-up will be at both airports through the end of December 2024.
Macallan has raised the bar on the world’s oldest whisky once again. The Macallan TIME: SPACE collection includes a 1940 vintage bottled at 84 years old and a 2018 inaugural vintage from Macallan’s new distillery bottled at 5 years old in a bespoke dual chamber vessel. Also part of Macallan’s bicentennial celebration, Macallan is releasing a non-age statement bottling called The Macallan TIME: SPACE Mastery.
TIME: SPACE was created from two casks filled on January 1, 1940, with Macallan spirit made from peated malt, which was common for the distillery at the time. Macallan master whisky maker Kirsteen Campbell selected both casks; a first-fill American oak sherry butt and a second-fill European oak sherry butt. The 84 year old single malt scotch, bottled at 43.6%, fills the outer ring of the vessel, with the inner central chamber enclosing the much younger 5 year old, which was matured in sherry-seasoned American oak hogsheads and bottled at 54.9%. Time travel through whisky has inspired the release, with Macallan’s bicentenary prompting reflection into its past and the hands that created this whisky more than 80 years ago, and a look to the future through the casks they’re filling today that will be bottled by future generations. The vessel fits into an oak sculpture for display purposes, crafted from alternate layers of American and European oak, representing the oak favored by Macallan for its sherry-seasoned casks. Priced at $190,000, only 200 sets have been produced, and collectors interested in purchasing TIME: SPACE must contact clientservies@themacallan.com.
TIME: SPACE Mastery is a one-off creation crafted from 14 different cask types including sherry-seasoned European and American oak casks, American oak bourbon barrels, and refill casks. Macallan lead whisky maker Euan Kennedy led the creation of this expression, balancing complex influences of cask seasoning, oak origins, cask size, and distillery character in the final whisky. Bottled in a circular vessel at 43.6% and priced at $1,400, it will be available through themacallan.com and The Macallan Society. The number of bottles in this release has not been disclosed.
The releases spearhead a global media campaign by Macallan, which will include 3D anamorphic billboards across the U.S. including The Sphere, Las Vegas. Macallan will debut the TIME: SPACE Experience October 9-12 at Iron23 in New York, an immersive 90-plus minute installation where consumers will experience Macallan’s past, present, and future with cocktails by Dante NYC. Tickets cost $75 and can be booked here with proceeds benefitting Natural Areas Conservancy in the New York area. Ticket holders will also be invited to purchase a bottle of Macallan TIME: SPACE Mastery.
The Macallan TIME: SPACE is now the world’s oldest whisky, with its 84 year old age statement setting it apart from Macallan The Reach 81 year old and Gordon & MacPhail Generations 80 year old distilled at The Glenlivet Distillery. Collectors will note that with just 200 sets, it is also more limited than other whiskies aged 80 years or more; there were 288 bottles of The Reach 81 year old created and 250 decanters of the 95-point G&M Generations 80 year old released. The G&M Generations 80 year old fetched $193,000 at its first appearance at auction in 2021, while Macallan The Reach 81 year old is currently fetching a hammer price of $190,000 based on the three bottles sold at auction this year so far, and it is currently the oldest whisky to sell at auction when a one-off bottling sold at auction for more than $270,000 in 2022.
