The Macallan has unveiled Edition No.6, a new limited edition single malt whisky celebrating the natural wonders of The Macallan Estate, and the vibrant lifeforce that sustains it – the River Spey.
Marking the sixth and final release in The Macallan Edition Series, Edition No.6 brings together The Macallan’s Ghillie, Robert Mitchell, who is the guardian of The Macallan’s stretch of the River Spey; Hardy, the world’s most renowned fly fishing brand; and The Atlantic Salmon Trust, which has over 50 years’ experience in salmon conservation.
The Macallan Estate lies on the banks of the River Spey, one of Scotland’s most legendary rivers renowned across the world as a home to the mighty Atlantic salmon. A day on the river, with its pure water, stunning wild landscape and calmness is a once in a lifetime experience, and The Macallan Whisky Maker, Steven Bremner took his inspiration for Edition No.6 by choosing five cask styles that embody unique stories related to the river and its unparalleled natural landscape.
Crafted from a combination of American and European oak sherry seasoned casks, Edition No.6 captures the River Spey’s energy; the warm, welcoming personality of The Macallan’s Ghillie; the classic craftsmanship of Hardy; the extraordinary life of the Atlantic salmon on the beat; and the mastery of whisky making on The Macallan Estate, which has taken place since 1824.
The result is a multifaceted whisky delivering aromas of fresh fruits, nutmeg and toffee merged with oak and flavours of ripe plum, vibrant sweet oranges and cinnamon, developing into spicy fresh fruits and creamy chocolate and toasted oats at the finish.
Steven Bremner, The Macallan Whisky Maker, said:
“From its early days of whisky making almost 200 years ago, The Macallan has been strongly inspired by and intrinsically connected to nature. Edition No.6 is inspired by the natural world surrounding our Distillery, in particular the vibrant and energetic River Spey.
“This complex single malt provides the perfect conclusion to the Edition Series as there is so much to discover in this whisky. The natural colour of antique brass derived from The Macallan’s exceptional oak casks indicates the richness of flavour that awaits and there is a structure and depth that is uncovered more and more over time.”
To protect the magical sense of the Spey that lies at the heart of Edition No.6, The Macallan has launched a new charitable partnership with The Atlantic Salmon Trust to help to conserve the at-risk fish, whose numbers have declined so rapidly in recent years. The Atlantic Salmon Trust is protecting wild salmon and sea trout wherever they roam, especially in places like the River Spey, by tracking their migration across thousands of km from their dominion to the open oceans.
As a guardian of one of the last sanctuaries of Scottish salmon, The Macallan is supporting The Trust’s vital conservation work on the River Spey and beyond. The Macallan is a proud custodian of its stretch of the River Spey and advocates for sustainability of the wildlife in and around it and so all fishing at The Macallan is, and always will be, catch and release.
“There has been a relentless and long-term decline in wild Atlantic salmon returning to rivers from right across the Atlantic. This sends a clear message that all is not well with the health of our rivers and oceans and collectively, we need to do all that we can to protect and nurture this iconic species for future generations. The Macallan is committed to safeguarding the wild salmon swimming through its Estate along the River Spey and with their support, we will be able to strengthen and expand vital projects that aim to bring more salmon back to our waters and give Atlantic salmon the future they deserve.”
Mark Bilsby, CEO at The Atlantic Salmon Trust
The Edition Series explores the unique and defining elements which make The Macallan one of the world’s most revered single malts. Each release reveals the detail of whisky making and showcases the absolute skill of the whisky maker, while sharing the story of The Macallan’s exceptional oak casks and mastery behind the perfect cask selection since 1824.
For further information about how this partnership & how we will be working together, click here.
For more information about The Macallan, visit www.themacallan.com.
Explore Edition No. 6 here.
