The Macallan Red Collection: Inside the VIP Whisky Pairing at Grand Hyatt Manila

“The founder of The Macallan, Alexander Reid's name actually means ‘the red one’” explains brand advocate Hans Eckstein. “A later owner, Sir Roderick Kemp, used to label his finest casks of choice old Macallan with red paint to set them apart from the regular casks”, he continues. A century later, “the chairman of The Macallan, Mr Allan Shiach, released the oldest expressions at the time and placed a red ribbon around the bottles to signify its exclusivity.” Truly, The Red Collection is a symbol of The Macallan’s exquisite whiskies and proud past.

Aptly themed “A Dream of Old”, the intimate dinner allowed eleven of The Macallan’s most loyal collectors including Thirdie Icasas, Richard Tiu, Jardin Wong, and Richard Lim to see the prized bottles first-hand. “Since we’re celebrating The Red Collection, we had our designer come in”, Eckstein enthuses, “they completely redesigned the whole room.” From the red tree that greeted the VIPs upon entry to the floral centrepieces that adorned the table and even the decadent dishes with accents of red, the private room was transformed into a vivid celebration of the much-anticipated collection. An animation of Javi Aznarez’s bold illustrations, which the Spanish artist created especially for The Red Collection, further enlivened the space, giving guests a glimpse into The Macallan’s rich history and a taste of what the exclusive release has to offer.

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Prepared by The Peak’s chef de cuisine, Mark Zaragosa, the six-course menu was expertly paired with some of The Macallan’s most recognised expressions: The Macallan Classic Cut 2020, The Macallan Estate, The Macallan Rare Cask, and The Macallan M. “One dish that really stood out was the citrus cured salmon paired with The Macallan Classic Cut 2020 Edition. At a higher strength of 55 per cent ABV, this expression exhibits dominant notes of vanilla, sweet orange, and fresh vibrant oak which really complemented the flavours of fish.” shared Eckstein.

At the time of writing, The Macallan Red Collection 71 Years Old and 78 Years Old remain available for purchase, inviting passionate collectors the rare opportunity to taste The Macallan's oldest whiskies.

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Learn more about The Red Collection here. For inquiries, please contact Grand Cru Wines and Spirits at +632 8518 180131, or +639 1771 80168. Keep an eye out for The Macallan’s New Year’s Release, A Night On Earth in Scotland, packed with the flavours of shortbread and milky biscuit, and the upcoming Harmony collection, launching in the Philippines early 2022.