Cover The Macallan immersive exhibit to celebrate its 200-year anniversary
The Macallan immersive exhibit to celebrate its 200-year anniversary
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The Macallan turns 200 years old this year, and it’s celebrating the occasion with a two-week immersive exhibit in Clarke Quay and two single malt whiskies—including its oldest release to date
Look to the past to shape your future. That is how storied whisky brand The Macallan celebrated its 200-year anniversary this September when it took over The Warehouse in Clarke Quay to take diners through the past with an immersive exhibition named The Heart of The Spirit. The two-week exhibit, which runs from September 7 to 22, pays tribute to The Macallan’s storied history as well as the many pioneers that have made it the award-winning whisky that it is today.
Entering the massive warehouse, dressed in the brand’s signature colours and accented with autumn leaves that give a feeling we were in Scotland, we felt like we stepped back in time—1824, to be exact—when Alexander Reid founded The Macallan in Speyside, Scotland. A farmer and distiller by trade, he pioneered the use of small stills (instead of the higher volume ones) to give the spirit a richer flavour and character. The use of small stills is a practice that continues until today and is one of the six pillars, or foundation stones of the whisky makers, in creating their single malt whiskies. The rest of the pillars are The Macallan Estate, exceptional oak casks, sherry seasoned and natural colour.
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The Macallan takes over The Warehouse for its two-week exhibit
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Part of the immersive exhibit is being able to sample The Macallan 18 Year Old Sherry Oak, which was served at the 20-minute digital animation show illustrated by Spanish artist and illustrator Javi Aznarez and narrated by award-winning Scottish author and poet Jenni Fagan.
All eyes were on the massive screen as we delved deeper into The Macallan’s history which also told the story of Roderick Kemp, who pioneered the use of sherry-seasoned oak casks and long maturation process that gave their whiskies (like the 18 Year Old we sampled) their signature spicy finish; Janet Harbinson, who crafted the The Macallan 1926, the most valuable bottle of whisky sold at an auction to date; and Allan Shiach, a screenwriter and producer who created The Macallan’s initial advertising campaigns that elevated the brand’s name to new heights.
As the show ended, we were ushered into the next room—the heart of the exhibit—wherein the signature The Macallan expressions were displayed along with two special releases to commemorate this 200-year milestone: Time:Space and Time:Space Mastery.
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Above Time:Space Mastery
Above Time:Space
Time:Space Mastery
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At 84 years old, Time:Space is The Macallan’s oldest release to date with only 200 bottles available worldwide. Capturing the essence of time, the single malt is housed in a vintage vessel with two chambers, seemingly connecting the past with the future. The outer layer houses the 1940 vintage, which was matured in a first fill American oak butt and second fill European oak butt; both casks were seasoned with sherry from the Jerez de la Frontera. With enough time to mature, the liquid has a rich auburn colour as well as exceptional depth and richness.
The inner chamber encases the 2018 vintage which The Macallan’s master whisky maker Kirsteen Campbell says gave an “insight into The Macallan’s future”. She adds: “This marked the first year of production in our new distillery, which is truly a significant moment to be cherished. Through a fusion of art and science, we have ensured the continuity of the character of our whisky.”
The Macallan's 20-minute animation presentation
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Time:Space Mastery embodies The Macallan’s 200-year history. As Euan Kennedy, lead whisky maker for Time:Space Mastery, explains: “We explored the full extent of our warehouses to capture the complex influences of cask seasoning, oak origin, cask size and distillery character in one incredibly special bottle of whisky.” The result is a complex single malt with deep aromas, rich flavours, and a layered texture. It’s also housed in a round vessel and surrounded by 200 spikes to reflect how nature guards the most precious things in life—and that includes whisky.
Credits
Images: The Macallan
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Dudi Aureus is the senior dining and travel editor at Tatler Singapore, covering the city’s most exciting restaurants, global travel trends, and the personalities shaping the culinary and lifestyle scenes. She also serves as co-jury chair for the Tatler Best awards in Singapore, celebrating the very best in hospitality. When she’s off duty, she can often be found at a favourite hole-in-the-wall Thai spot, savouring a perfectly balanced pad thai.
