The Macallan Fine & Rare Collection is the largest assembly of vintage-dated, single malt whiskies in the world, with single vintages spanning eight decades.

Each bottle is photographed with carefully selected complementary objects that reflect the era, with single vintages going as far back as 1926.

The Fine & Rare Collection was started in 2002, with 37 different bottlings, now having expanded to close to 60 single vintage bottlings each hand labelled.

"There are moments when we may pause in our busy lives, close our eyes and think of those who came before; those whose labours and laughter, triumphs and tears, have shaped the world we know today.

We may see them through an image, or through the written pages of history, or in the shared memories of our elders. Very occasionally they can speak to us more directly, through a medium we can consume, allowing us to drink the fruits of their endeavours.

Such opportunities are rare, very rare. The collection of vintage single malt whiskies in The Macallan Fine & Rare Collection provides one of those opportunities."

Distilled 1997 ~ Bottled 2023 ~ Cask No. 498

The resplendent red walnut hue of this 1997 Fine & Rare release from The Macallan is attributable to more than a quarter of a century of maturation in a first fill sherry seasoned European oak butt cask.

Rich fruit aromas of dark cherries, Medjool dates and raisins are on the nose, accompanied by warming cinnamon, sticky toffee pudding and aged oak. An initial sweetness on the palate with a nostralgic medlet of vanilla, apple and nutmeg gives way to an intense, rich oak with a depth of spice notes, warming aniseed and clove. The finish is long and luxurious with a gentle caress of spices, sweetness and antique oak. Filled on 20th January 1997 and bottled 26 years later this single cask is presented at its natural cask strength.

This 1997 single vintage Macallan expression was bottled on 7th April 2023 at 54.8% ABV.

Kanpai!

88 Bamboo Editorial Team