If you strip away all of those beautiful decanters and record-breaking auction results, it’s fair to say that the The Macallan’s entire reputation rests on just a single ingredient: sherry-seasoned oak. For two centuries, the Speyside giant has commissioned its casks through partners in Jerez, trusting outsiders with the one element it couldn’t fully control. Well, that finally ends today.
Parent company Edrington acquired the historic Valdespino sherry house back in 2023, and we’re now tasting the first fruits of that deal with The Macallan TIME : SPACE Sherry Cask.
Buying the Bodega
To be clear, there are plenty of distilleries that age their whisky in sherry casks. But The Macallan went further ages ago, having its own oak built and seasoned with sherry to exact spec. Of course, the missing link was always the sherry itself.
The Valdespino purchase finally closed that gap, putting every step under one roof. That includes everything from American and Spanish oak forests through the Jerez bodegas and on to Speyside. And this 20-year-old is the very first Macallan shaped by casks seasoned with sherry the brand actually owns.
200 Casks for 200 Years
The liquid spent two decades on The Macallan Estate in predominantly European oak sherry-seasoned casks, with a whisper of American oak in the mix.
For its final act, the whisky was married in a portion of the first 200 casks ever seasoned at the Valdespino bodega, built in The Macallan’s own cooperages and filled in 2024 (which happens to be the brand’s bicentennial year). The rest of those casks won’t give up their whisky for years to come. There’s even a companion documentary, Mastery Beyond Reason, narrated by photography legend Steve McCurry.
Drinking the Andalusian Sun
The spirt is bottled at 44.8% ABV and presents in The Macallan’s trademark natural color. You can expect raisins, Medjool dates, and dark chocolate truffles up front along with ginger cake, bramble jam, and treacle toffee through the middle. And an espresso-tinged oak finish closes things out on the flavor profile.
The circular decanter carries over from previous TIME : SPACE releases (beautiful decanters, indeed), while the golden presentation box mimics the Palomino grapes and Andalusian sunlight that’s responsible for the sherry in the first place.
Spec Sheet
Whisky: The Macallan TIME : SPACE Sherry Cask
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age Statement: 20 Years
Maturation: Predominantly European oak sherry-seasoned casks (with American oak), married in Valdespino-seasoned sherry casks
ABV: 44.8%
Color: Natural
Aroma: Sherry-soaked raisins, figs, Medjool dates, frangipane, cinder toffee, dark chocolate truffles
Palate: Dried fruits, ginger cake, treacle toffee, bramble jam, chocolate-coated cherries
Finish: Warming wood spice, espresso, gentle oak
Collection: TIME : SPACE Collection (third release)
Pricing & Availability
The Macallan TIME : SPACE Sherry Cask carries a $1,400 price tag stateside, where it launched via a members-only ballot that ran September 17 through 24. UK buyers got first crack through The Macallan Boutique at Harrods at £1,100 (~$1,485), with wider availability rolling out this month.
Recap
The Macallan TIME : SPACE Sherry Cask
Scotch’s biggest sherry obsessive finally owns the sherry, and this $1,400, 20-year-old single malt is the first whisky to show for it.
