The enduring relationship between Scottish whisky and Spanish sherry opens a new chapter with The Macallan TIME : SPACE Sherry Cask. This 20-year-old single malt whisky is the third offering in the TIME : SPACE Collection created for The Macallan’s 200th anniversary, following the releases of TIME : SPACE and TIME : SPACE Mastery, to continue a commemorative exploration of time, mastery and innovation.
Created by the brand’s Master Whisky Maker, Kirsteen Campbell, it is also the first whisky to be influenced by oak casks seasoned with The Macallan’s own Valdespino sherry since the Scottish distillery took a 50 per cent ownership stake in the Spanish winery.
With roots reaching back to the 13th century, Valdespino carries a rich heritage in Jerez de la Frontera along with a reputation for creating exceptional sherry. Through its new ownership role, The Macallan can now help craft the wine that will, in turn, shape its whisky. This deepens the distillery’s involvement at every stage of cask making, from the forests of northern Spain and North America to the cooperages and bodegas of Jerez and on to the maturation warehouses in Scotland.
“At every point in that journey, we have the opportunity to influence flavour and character, and to shape a world of flavour that still absolutely represents who we are as The Macallan,” Kennedy says.
Where spirit meets wood
Those opportunities span long stretches of time. Oak for the casks is seasoned in the open air for two to three years, then coopered in Jerez and toasted to The Macallan’s specifications. Toasting, Kennedy explains, works much like heat does in cooking, allowing layers of flavour to develop. Sherry then rests inside the casks for 18 months to two years, leaving a trace of the wine while transforming the oak’s influence on the spirit.
TIME : SPACE Sherry Cask has been shaped by a special two-cask process, which took whisky that had been maturing in sherry-seasoned oak casks on The Macallan Estate and placed it in a selection of the first 200 Valdespino-seasoned casks for a marrying period to further elevate the flavour.
European oak brings structure through ginger, rich spice, toffee and treacle, while a touch of American oak contributes sweetness and brightness. The Valdespino-seasoned casks add another layer to a flavour story that already spanned two decades.
“What the Valdespino wine does is envelop that in a lovely kind of nutty sweetness,” Kennedy says. “It’s just that hint of spice, and it builds layers of complexity.”
He found himself struck by not only the complexity of the whisky, but also by the sense of being transported to Jerez. The Macallan team had hoped to forge a closer connection with the city, and the result was something tangible – something they could actually taste.
Read Full Article At Source
