Spanish sherry seasoned oak casks deliver flavors and aromas of chocolate orange, dried fruits and spices American sherry seasoned oak casks primarily provide sweet citrus, light spice, vanilla and light oak flavors and aromas American bourbon seasoned oak barrels give flavors and aromas of sweet citrus, coconut and oak. Because of this, The Macallan spends more per cask than any other distillery in sourcing, crafting, seasoning and caring for its casks. In fact 80% of the flavor of a whisky is derived from the cask it is matured in. The Macallan’s oak casks are the single greatest contributor to the outstanding quality, natural colors and distinctive aromas and flavors of The Macallan. Distinctly robust and characterful this ‘new make’ spirit is the starting point for all Macallan. This clear colourless spirit is selected at just under 70% alcohol by volume. It is primarily responsible for the full-bodied richness of The Macallan new make spirit. This small portion, or ‘cut’ is incredibly selective and one of the finest in the industry. This finest cut ensures we produce our signature viscous mouth-feel and fruity aroma and flavour. These stills are so famous that they have appeared on the back of a Bank of Scotland £10 banknote! We carefully select the finest quality spirit from our stills to ensure we create the best single malt whisky. There are fourteen of these spirit stills, crafted from copper, each holding an initial ‘charge’ of 3,900 litres. Their unique size and shape give the spirit maximum contact with the copper, helping to concentrate the ‘new make’ spirit and provide the rich, fruity, full-bodied flavours characteristic of The Macallan. The Macallan’s Curiously Small Stills are amongst the smallest on Speyside. The 390-acre Macallan Estate lies in an area of natural beauty and is farmed sensitively, in harmony with the environment. Built in 1700 from locally quarried sandstone for Captain John Grant, our Spiritual Home, Easter Elchies House, is a fine example of a Highland manor house. They encompass the strong sense of place at the heart of the distillery and the estate, together with our long experience of distilling and maturing a single malt whisky. Check the Orphan Barrel website to find out where to purchase a bottle, and it will be available via ReserveBar in the coming days.The Six Pillars are the foundation stones for the fame and character of The Macallan. Scarlet Shade is available starting today (SRP $200). As blenders, that will be our challenge.” I think there will always be room to grow for Orphan Barrel. “It’s going to be a staple in any collector’s portfolio. “It’s pricy but it’s worth it,” she said. But Johnson says that this new Orphan Barrel release stands out. There is also Bulleit 12 Year Old Rye Whiskey (there are still bottles out there) and the 10-year-old barrel-proof rye from Redemption Whiskey to consider. And this new whiskey echoes the Cascade Moon 13-year-old rye whiskey that came out in 2022, another MGP rye that spent its time maturing somewhere else (in this case, four years in Indiana and the rest of the time in Tennessee). Other Diageo rye whiskeys sourced from MGP, like Bulleit and Dickel, are much younger at somewhere around five years old (give or take a year). That depends, of course, on how serious a whiskey fan you are. I think it’s a notch above the rest-and how many 14-year-old rye whiskeys are on your shelf at home?” We worked through numerous blends until we got to the final. “When we came across these casks, I got excited. “Rye whiskeys are near and dear to my heart,” said Johnson. Scarlet Shade is a good rye whiskey, with strong oak, honey, and vanilla notes on the palate and just a splash of heat at 90 proof, followed by the classic spice and dried fruit flavors you’d expect from a rye like this. Of course, a whiskey can’t really absorb history or heritage or feelings, but the location where it is matured does have an impact upon flavor. It was aged for a full 14 years in our Stitzel-Weller location, so she was able to experience those humid summers and cool winters and really absorb that Stitzel-Weller heritage.” “ made its journey to Louisville for aging, and that’s where the real magic happened to get those flavors,” said Johnson. MGP is obviously where this whiskey came from, but Johnson would only say that it’s “distilled in Indiana by the finest distillers.” It was not matured there, however the whiskey came to Kentucky as new make spirit to spend its entire 14 years aging there. The new Orphan Barrel release is called Scarlet Shade, a 14-year-old rye whiskey named after the cardinal-which makes sense considering this whiskey was distilled in Indiana from a 95 percent rye and 5 percent malted barley mashbill.
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