The Macallan Just Released One of the Rarest Whiskies of the Year, Here’s a First Look

Somehow, this bottle perfectly encapsulates the sights, sounds, and flavors of Mexico.

A well-aged spirit can be described in countless ways. Whisky fans tend to rely on comparisons to familiar forms of food, spices, or condiments: marzipan, marmalade, honey, cinnamon, and vanilla are a few usual suspects. But have you ever tasted a whisky that reminded you of a place more so than a taste? Hopefully so. Because one of the most magical elements of a great whisky is this transportive capability.

And it is precisely what The Macallan attempts to underscore in its Distil Your World collection, which launched back in November of 2020 with a limited edition bottling dedicated to London. Today, the iconic scotch maker is releasing the third bottling in its ongoing series: Distil Your World Mexico. Here’s how it came together in the cask and what it tastes like in the glass.

As with every edition in the collection, Distil Your World is a collaborative effort between The Macallan and the Roca brothers — renowned restaurateurs and owners of El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Spain. This time around, whisky maker Diane Stuart headed down to Mexico City with chef Joan Roca to absorb the sights, sounds, and flavors of the vibrant metropolis.

Related: This 81-Year-Old Macallan Is the World's Oldest Whisky

“Mexico is full of passion and energy, and you can feel it from the moment you arrive,” says Stuart. “Our mission with Distil Your World Mexico was to encapsulate this passion and energy in the whisky, and is what fueled our exploration of The Macallan’s inventory to find just the right flavors to reflect Mexico.”

Some top-line takeaways after their exploration included the subtle nose of orange water, present in traditional pan de muerto bread. They savored the chocolatey tang and mellifluous mouthfeel of Mexican mole, the caramelized pineapple accompanying tacos al pastor, served street side. The striking visual of so many marigold blooms, coloring the urban landscape.

All of this came back with them on an extended journey to The Macallan distillery, amidst the rolling hills of Speyside, Scotland. There, the Roca brothers prepared a feast to recreate all these elements while the whisky team got busy mining the warehouse for barrels that could evoke the same.

“Once landing on the idea of the types of flavors we wanted to include, we then used our extensive knowledge of the Macallan inventory to target sampling of a particular stock that we believed would deliver these flavors,” adds Stuart. “As we nosed the potential casks, we sought to unearth these captivating nuances. It was imperative that the elements of our Mexico adventure shone through in every aspect of the whisky.”

After a careful mingling of the bespoke barrels, enough liquid was produced to fill 2500 bottles in total. The first thing you notice about the 96-proof spirit is that it wears a pronounced marigold sheen. When poured into the glass, a slightly herbal nose arises, with perhaps the slightest suggestion of citrus zest. Those orange notes are elongated on the palate, overpowering any aforementioned speculation of mole or grilled pineapple.

According to Stuart, those fruity and fragrant citrus threads are what differentiates this one from the previous releases in the series. To her, the inaugural London edition was more savory and spicy, while last year’s New York offering highlighted apple and candy sweets.

The brand, for its part, remains committed to the notion that whisky is capable of teleportation. It most recently concluded a successful activation with the Rosewood London, wherein cocktails and culinary creations were meant to carry you directly from the heart of the city into the dank woodlands of northern Scotland.

It’s up for debate just how evocative of Mexico this latest edition of Distil Your World is, though. Is there a touch of marketing hoopla in the mix? Perhaps a splash. But there’s no denying it’s a sophisticated bottle of single malt — as it should be while wearing a $4,500 price tag. Either way, as a rare one-off from the world’s preeminent producer of luxury single malt, collectors are already clamoring for it. And so, for them, this is undoubtedly a whisky that transports them somewhere. Namely, to their local high-end liquor stores.

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