{"id":97972,"date":"2026-11-06T21:51:02","date_gmt":"2026-11-06T13:51:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=97972"},"modified":"2026-11-06T21:51:02","modified_gmt":"2026-11-06T13:51:02","slug":"a-taste-of-time-the-macallan-opens-a-new-chapter-in-spain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=97972","title":{"rendered":"A taste of time: The Macallan opens a new chapter in Spain"},"content":{"rendered":"


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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\u2019s 200th anniversary, following the releases of TIME : SPACE and TIME : SPACE Mastery, to continue a commemorative exploration of time, mastery and innovation.<\/p>\n

Created by the brand\u2019s Master Whisky Maker, Kirsteen Campbell, it is also the first whisky to be influenced by oak casks seasoned with The Macallan\u2019s own Valdespino sherry since the Scottish distillery took a 50 per cent ownership stake in the Spanish winery.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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\"Kennedy<\/div>
Kennedy says The Macallan\u2019s TIME : SPACE Sherry Cask single malt whisky has layers of flavour resulting from the use of oak casks seasoned by Valdespino sherry.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cAt 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,\u201d Kennedy says.<\/p>\n

Where spirit meets wood<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u2019s 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\u2019s influence on the spirit.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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\"TIME<\/div>
TIME : SPACE Sherry Cask has a distinctive circular vessel representing the continuous flow of time, which is presented in a box with a warm yellow hue evoking the sunshine in Spain\u2019s Andalusia region, where the grapes for Valdespino sherry are grown.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the Valdespino wine does is envelop that in a lovely kind of nutty sweetness,\u201d Kennedy says. \u201cIt\u2019s just that hint of spice, and it builds layers of complexity.\u201d<\/p>\n

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 \u2013 something they could actually taste.<\/p>\n

Bringing art and science together<\/strong><\/p>\n

Time alone cannot determine when a whisky is ready. Recognising that moment takes both technical knowledge and intuition.<\/p>\n

Kennedy studied brewing and distilling at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland and began his career in research, exploring subjects such as wood and cask experimentation, yeast strains and cereal types. He expanded his knowledge through technical innovation work in Panama and management roles at Scottish distilleries before joining The Macallan in June 2022.<\/p>\n

His work since then shows how inherited knowledge can serve as a starting point for invention. To create TIME : SPACE Mastery, the single malt whisky released in 2024 to mark The Macallan\u2019s 200th anniversary, Kennedy selected 14 exceptional cask types to build depth of aroma, texture and flavour.<\/p>\n

Kennedy also created Distil Your World Hong Kong, a single malt whisky that is part of a limited-edition series exploring iconic cities around the globe. Drawing inspiration from his own journey to Hong Kong, he translated the city\u2019s boldness and complexity into liquid form.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhisky making is a balance of two things: art and science coming together,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

The work of The Macallan\u2019s whisky mastery team sees casks being sampled and nosed, with their contents considered, combined or set aside. The team looks for a balance in which complexity can deepen a whisky\u2019s character without obscuring it.<\/p>\n

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\"Upon<\/div>
Upon tasting TIME : SPACE Sherry Cask, Kennedy found that the whisky\u2019s complexity transported him to Jerez de la Frontera, the Spanish home of sherry and Valdespino.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Kennedy describes the process as a lesson in patience. \u201cEvery cask has its moment, but at a different time. Our job as a whisky-making team is to have the knowledge and understanding to pick that cask to tell the right story, at the right time.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the final judgment is harder to define. \u201cLike a painter, you have to have the confidence to say, \u2018We\u2019re done. This is the last brushstroke\u2019,\u201d Kennedy says.<\/p>\n

Behind that decision is a wider circle of trust and teamwork. The Macallan\u2019s whisky makers rely on the expertise of foresters, coopers and sherry makers, tracing each cask\u2019s character back to the choices that shaped it, from the vineyard that produced a wine to the exact temperature at which a batch of oak was toasted.<\/p>\n

For Kennedy, TIME : SPACE Sherry Cask represents a celebration of craftsmanship at every stage of a sherry cask\u2019s creation. \u201cIt\u2019s not a change in direction, but it\u2019s a commitment to what we\u2019ve always done,\u201d he says. \u201cA recommitment to Jerez and to Spain, and to sherry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Embodying the past, present and future<\/strong><\/p>\n

The presentation of TIME : SPACE Sherry Cask gives a physical form to the concept of continuity. Its circular vessel symbolises the ongoing flow of time that carries the whisky on its journey under the care of The Macallan\u2019s experts.<\/p>\n

The design not only honours The Macallan\u2019s past and present, but it also looks towards the brand\u2019s shared future with Valdespino. The presentation box represents Jerez through a geometric design in the interior that evokes bunches of palomino grapes from Valdespino\u2019s vineyards, while its warm yellow hue reflects the Andalusian sun that imbues them with their signature flavour that helped shape the whisky.<\/p>\n

The whisky\u2019s crafted circular vessel is also symbolic of The Circle of Life, a fantasy world revolving around TIME : SPACE Sherry Cask.<\/p>\n

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\"Kennedy<\/div>
Kennedy says this special whisky release represents a celebration of craftsmanship at every stage of the creation of a sherry cask.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Presiding over this world is Caskera, a guardian figure embodying The Macallan\u2019s whisky-making mastery. The character reaches her tendrils out across the landscape in search of the different places and materials behind the whisky, then guides them together when the time is right.<\/p>\n

Outside of this imaginary world, that kind of stewardship and care has effects that unfold over decades. The selection of oak on a certain day, the way it is toasted and the sherry used to season it all help determine the character imparted by a cask in which a whisky matures. Future whisky makers will eventually inherit those casks, along with the possibilities established by decisions made many years ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe whiskies we\u2019re laying down today aren\u2019t necessarily for us,\u201d Kennedy says. \u201cThey\u2019re for our children, or even our grandchildren.\u201d In time, they will become part of The Macallan\u2019s story as well.<\/p>\n

Click<\/em> here<\/em><\/span> to explore The Macallan TIME : SPACE Collection and learn more about how time, exceptional casks and generations of whisky makers are extending the distiller\u2019s legacy, one new chapter of flavour at a time.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n


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