The Macallan Released a Pair of New Whiskies Inspired by Tea
Tea and whisky are not normally two beverages that you think of complementing each other (coffee and whiskey, however, is another story). But scotch whisky distillery the Macallan has attempted to bridge the gap and find some common ground between the two with the latest release in its Harmony Collection, a pair of single malts that are said to be inspired by tea.
This is the fifth Harmony Collection release, which follows whiskies with flavors inspired by chocolate (in collaboration with chef Jordi Roca), coffee, the big tent concept of “nature” (in collaboration with Stella and Mary McCartney), and last year’s collaboration with Cirque du Soleil to celebrate the Macallan‘s 200th anniversary. In the whisky world, these types of concepts are usually just that—abstract ideas, as the whisky is not made using chocolate or coffee (although nature is arguably an ingredient), and it can be hard to actually prove the flavor theory.
But it’s not for lack of trying, as evidenced by this latest collaboration with the Chinese tea brand Jing. There are two single malts included in the new collection—Inspired By Phoenix Honey Orchid Tea, which is available in the U.S., and Inspired By Organic Cherrywood Lapsang Tea, which will be available at global travel retail. “Our collaboration with Jing is a celebration of the parallels between whisky and tea– two crafts deeply rooted in nature, tradition and time,” said Jaume Ferra, Macallan creative director, in a statement. “Working with Jing has allowed us to explore new dimensions of flavor and storytelling, creating two whiskies that are both innovative and deeply connected to the land.”
The Macallan team has attempted to capture the flavor profile of tea, or at least complement it, through specific cask selection. Inspired By Phoenix Honey Orchid Tea is an homage to oolong tea that is grown in China’s Phoenix Mountains. The whisky for this release was matured mostly in sherry-seasoned American oak casks, along with some sherry-seasoned European oak and a small proportion of American oak bourbon barrels–which is unusual but not unheard of for this sherry cask-focused distillery. Official tasting notes list peach, apricot, floral honey, tropical fruits, toffee, and sweet oak on the palate, and it was bottled at 43.9 percent ABV.
Inspired By Organic Cherrywood Lapsang Tea uses that particular tea as a touch point, which the brand says is a version of Lapsang Souchong that is smoked with cherrywood in the U.K. This whisky was matured differently from the previous one—mostly in sherry-seasoned European oak casks along with some sherry-seasoned American oak barrels. Official tasting notes describe creamy toffee, rich citrus, and oak spice on the palate with a wisp of smoke on the finish (although no peated malt was used), and it’s bottled at 44.9 percent ABV.
No samples were available to try, but the brand says that the whiskies sit at opposite ends of the color and flavor spectrum from one another, and each comes in a box made from recycled waste tea leaves. Inspired By Phoenix Honey Orchid Tea is available now at U.S. retailers (SRP $200), while Inspired By Organic Cherrywood Lapsang Tea is exclusive to global travel retail (SRP $190). You can find the rest of the Macallan lineup available to purchase from websites like ReserveBar now.
