MACALLAN 1967- THE RIVER SPEY
The iconic River Spey flows through the heart of Speyside and The Macallan Estate.
On this bottle, Sir Peter Blake’s playful collage reflects the man’s open affinity for riverbank wildlife as well as his guests when tending his enviable beat. In 1991, The Macallan became the sole Distillery in Scotland to own fishing rights on the Spey, perhaps the most richly storied salmon river in the world. A small stream marks the genesis of the Spey’s course, which leads to the sea at Moray Firth, passing through The Macallan Estate and under the Craigellachie bridge. The latter is an engineering marvel, famously constructed the year before the Battle of Waterloo.
The man on the label is George Low, who was appointed the first ghillie after serving twenty-four years as a distillery mashman. A talented accordion and harmonica player, George took to his later role with proprietary zeal, developing The Macallan’s very own salmon fly whilst in post. Then, as now, a day by the river with such a knowledgeable companion was a rare and memorable experience.
The same should be said of the whisky in this bottle. The clear spring water for its specific mash was sourced in the same year that George Low first began work at The Macallan. From one of the curiously small stills (as permanent a feature at the Distillery as the Spey itself) the new make spirit would have been carefully syphoned into a European sherried oak cask, and left to mature for half a century. Lead Whisky Maker Sarah Burgess’ selection was made after careful nosing, as she sought out richly evocative flavour notes to contribute character, depth and distinction to the proposed collaboration. A unique spirit, the familiar flavours are augmented by sensual notes exclusive to that outturn: strawberry, sweet oak, light nutmeg and warm chocolate.
