The rare, limited-edition Tales Of The Macallan Volume II whisky comes concealed within an almanac telling the story of Alexander Reid as The Macallan marks its 200th Anniversary.
The Macallan has unveiled Tales of The Macallan Volume II, the second edition in a collection of rare single malt Scotch whiskies which tells the story of the Speyside brand’s pioneers and their whisky-making legacy. The Speyside distillery released Volume I in the summer of 2021.
The second release is an homage to Alexander Reid, founder of The Macallan, and depicts him as a teacher, farmer, and distiller on his journey to ultimate mastery. Alexander established the Distillery on Easter Elchies Estate, Speyside, Scotland, in 1824. The tribute encapsulates Alexander’s story and the standards of excellence in craftsmanship he instilled that have passed on through each generation of whisky masters, and is held today as The Macallan marks its 200th anniversary year.
Holding firm that small stills produce better flavor and character, he resisted the adoption of large, higher volume stills. The curiously small stills favored by Reid continue to be a famous piece of The Macallan, featuring in its Distillery and remaining one of the brand’s Six Pillars.
Crafted by The Macallan Lead Whisky Maker, Euan Kennedy, this 1949 vintage whisky, bottled in 2022, was selected to honor the distillery’s founder on its 200th anniversary year.
Bottled at 44.8% ABV, the whisky offers aromas of rich forest fruits, sweet aromatic woodsmoke, antique oak, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla pods, subtle herbal note, treacle toffee. The palate delivers black cherries, plum jam, dark chocolate orange, almond and custard pastry, ginger sponge with hints of cloves, sweet woodsmoke and a hint of loose tea leaves. The long and complex finish features a sweet lingering smokiness
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.”
Encased in a bespoke handcrafted Lalique crystal decanter, this single malt comes concealed within an almanac. Each chapter tells the story of Reid, and features illustrations by British illustrator Andrew Davidson. Known for his traditional print techniques using wood engravings, Davidson’s work has included postage stamps for the UK’s Royal Mail and designs for the glass doors at Wimbledon’s Centre Court.
London-based bookbinders Shepherds, Sangorski & Sutcliffe and Zaehnsdorf, which specializes in fine binding, restoration and conservation of books and manuscripts, created the unique, hand-crafted Tales of The Macallan Volume II book which conceals the decanter within its 800 pages. Artisan printer, Imprimerie du Marais in Paris, which creates luxury pieces using specially developed paper, ink and printing processes, expertly printed each individual page.
To mark the launch of Tales of The Macallan Volume II, a zoetrope-style animation has been created to bring to life the story of Alexander Reid. The short film features a selection of Davidson’s illustrations and is set to an original piece of music composed by acclaimed Scottish composer Craig Armstrong.
Tales of The Macallan Volume II is a limited-edition release of 344 decanters and will be available starting today for an SRP of $89,000 at The Macallan Estate, The Macallan Boutiques and premium off-trade retailers.
In October, The Macallan teamed up with Stella and Mary McCartney for the third edition of The Harmony Collection, Amber Meadow and Green Meadow.