The Macallan’s New Restricted Version Single Malt Is a Wealthy and Spicy Dram

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You’re probably used to hearing about The Macallan breaking records at auction or releasing whiskies aged for nearly a century by now. But this Speyside distillery also puts out some lower-priced but still high-end whiskies from time to time. The latest is a tribute to the River Spey, which runs past the distillery, and is the latest edition in the Macallan Home Collection.

The Macallan Home Collection, River Spey is the second single malt in this series that is meant to highlight different aspects of The Macallan Estate. The first Home Collection whisky, the Distillery, came out in 2022 and was inspired by the actual building and tools used to produce the whisky. River Spey draws its influence from the eponymous river that runs through the Estate—Macallan controls a 1.5 mile segments of the river, and is dedicated to keeping the water in pristine condition. In addition to being an important habitat for Scottish wild salmon, the River Spey is also the water source for the Macallan’s whisky production.

The Macallan collaborated with artist Michelle Lucking to create a watercolor painting on the box that was meant to capture the spirit of both the river and the whisky. “I wanted to convey the importance not just of the river itself, but all its elements, the pebbles, the amazing autumnal colors in the surrounding landscape,” she said in a statement, “from the soft yellows and ambers to the burnt umbers and deep treacle tones—hues that I had seen reflected in the natural color of the whiskies.”

We got an early preview of the Home Collection, River Spey, and can report that it’s a good whisky—although it requires a bit of creativity to link it to its watery inspiration. Tasted side-by-side with the previous Distillery release, it proves to be a richer, spicier dram with notes of dark chocolate, raisin, black pepper, orange, and caramel on the palate. The Macallan is pretty tight-lipped about the makeup of the whisky and won’t reveal age range or exact maturation details, but whisky maker Steven Bremner says that it was aged in a combination of European and American oak sherry-seasoned casks and refill casks. “[It] brings together our time-honored traditions and our continual inspiration from the nature that runs through the Macallan Estate,” he said in a statement, “and offers our community—at home and around the world—a unique insight into what makes our whiskies so exceptional through different aspects of our home.”

The Macallan Home Collection, River Spey is available to preorder now from the Macallan e-boutique (SRP $487), and if you’re a member of the Macallan Society you get priority access to secure a bottle. You can find the rest of the Macallan collection available to purchase now from ReserveBar.