In 2021, Speyside favorite The Macallan debuted Tales of The Macallan, a 71-year-old single malt Scotch honoring Captain John Grant, the man who built the home in which Alexander Reid founded the distillery in 1824. At $80,000, this special release had one of the highest retail prices we’d ever seen from a whisky brand, which almost overshadowed the sheer age of the liquid itself. Now, only a few can say what a difference two years makes once you get into septuagenarian territory, but The Macallan has now announced the release of its Tales of The Macallan Volume II, a 73-year-old single malt that’s even more expensive than its predecessor.
We all love to talk about the legendary status of certain brands, but a lot of the time it can become obfuscated just how legendary these names are. Truthfully, a lot of our collective knowledge is perpetuated by good marketing and the manipulation of trends. However, for The Macallan, it cemented itself as an icon long before its auction house dominance this past decade or two. Perhaps what made it so iconic was just how beloved it was before the product placements or the record-breaking sales. Those who knew of The Macallan’s greatness appreciated that they didn’t need to be told of The Macallan’s greatness.
Celebrating its 200th anniversary this year, The Macallan dedicates this very special release to its founder, Alexander Reid, and as such places the lovely Lalique crystal decanter inside of an almanac that tells the story of Reid’s life and career. The cover of the almanac is red in color, a nod to the founder’s surname, which means “the red one” in Scottish. This matches the reddish hues of the bronze whisky. With tasting notes ranging from black cherries to dark chocolate orange to wood smoke, the liquid comes from a cask that was filled back in 1949, only to be bottled in 2022
If $80,000 weren’t enough to spend on a single malt Scotch, the Tales of The Macallan Volume II is being sold at a whopping $89,000. Only 344 bottles are being sold from The Macallan boutiques and the estate itself.
