The Intoxicologist

THE MACALLAN® LAUNCHES 57 YEAR OLD SINGLE MALT WHISKY IN LALIQUE DECANTER

Only 72 decanters of this limited-edition bottling will be available in the U.S.

New York, NY, September 21, 2009 – Iconic luxury brands The Macallan®, the Masters of Spirit and Wood, and LALIQUE, the Masters of Crystal, announce the launch of The Macallan in LALIQUE Finest Cut decanter – the third in a series of six decanters that are inspired by The Macallan’s six pillars, the unique elements that combine to make the whisky so special.  Containing an exceptionally rare 57 years old single malt whisky, the Finest Cut decanter is valued at $15,000 and will be available by special order beginning in October 2009. The introduction of The Macallan in LALIQUE Finest Cut decanter comes on the heels of the August 2009, record-breaking, £11,750 ($19,080) sale of one of The Macallan’s 50th anniversary bottles at a Glasgow, Scotland auction. 

This third decanter in The Macallan in Lalique Six Pillars Collection is inspired by The Macallan’s Finest Cut, that fraction of the new make spirit which is filled into casks for maturation.   At The Macallan, this fraction is a mere 16%; it is the heart of the run, the best of the best, delivered at a very slow rate of distillation to maximize flavor and deliver the distinctively rich, fruity, viscous character of The Macallan’s new make spirit.

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Designed exclusively for The Macallan by the legendary French crystal house LALIQUE, The Finest Cut decanters have been individually numbered and produced in a very limited quantity—only 72 of the 400 launched worldwide will be available in the US, ensuring that this introduction will follow in the footsteps of its two predecessors — a 50 Years Old Macallan celebrating the exceptional oak casks and a 55 Years Old Macallan inspired by the distillery’s insistence of natural colour — and become an extraordinary collector’s item.

David Cox, Director of Fine & Rare Whiskies for The Macallan, comments: “ In homage to the beauty of LALIQUE’S Finest Cut decanter, we chose a particularly rare 57 years old Macallan single malt whisky. It is the second oldest The Macallan whisky ever released, only surpassed in age by the legendary 1926, a 60 year old The Macallan, bottled in 1986.”

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The 57 year old has been vatted together from six casks made from two different  species  of oak; the first, a 1950 American oak sherry butt, and the second, a vatting of Macallan from  first fill Spanish oak sherry butts originally filled in 1949, 1951 and 1952.  The result is a softly sumptuous single malt, showing off the classic dried fruits, spice and hints of peat redolent of The Macallan house style of the early 1950’s. The age statement of 57 years old is determined by the youngest cask which was filled in 1952.

The decanter has been designed by LALIQUE’S Design Studio which was inspired by the legacy of Rene Lalique.  The decanter features the ‘stilligoutte’ of a perfume bottle, the long piece of pure crystal flowing down to a point from the base of the bottle stopper.  A portion of the stopper has been left completely clear and not “satinee,” running from the top down to the point.  This clear portion represents the 16% ‘finest cut’. When inserted into the elegantly tapering decanter, the stilligoutte, bathed in the rich whisky, reflects the natural colors of The Macallan through the play of light; when withdrawn, you can appreciate the full, heady aromas exuded by each drop as it slowly runs down the crystal stem.

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Silvio Denz, President and CEO of LALIQUE, comments: “We are delighted to be working with the world’s finest single malt, as it has given us the opportunity to design a series of decanters which reflect all the best attributes of our brand – creativity, heritage and craftsmanship.”

The Finest Cut decanter was created by the LALIQUE design team in Paris and hand crafted at LALIQUE’S crystal making facility in Wingen-sur-Moder, Alsace. Each piece was worked on by up to 15 craftsmen, many of whom have attained the ‘Meilleur ouvrier de France’ – the Finest Craftsman of France Award.   Each decanter bears the esteemed ‘Lalique France’ signature, which symbolizes authenticity and over 100 years of creativity, heritage and craftsmanship, and comes in a beautifully designed lacquer presentation box with a crystal stopper and a collectors guide, detailing the craftsmanship that has gone into producing this beautiful object d’art.

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The Macallan has been working with LALIQUE since 2005 to produce an exclusive series of limited edition decanters based on The Macallan’s Six Pillars. The first two decanters in the series, Exceptional Oak Casks and Natural Colour, have proved hugely popular with both whisky consumers and collectors of LALIQUE crystal.

Respected and admired by discerning whisky lovers and named ‘Distiller of the Year 2008,’* The Macallan remains the single malt against which all others must be judged.

*Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s 2008 Wine Star Awards.