The Macallan’s Favorite Rare Gifts
Five offerings most synonymous with the renowned distillery’s newest expression, The Macallan Rare Cask
In creating The Macallan Rare Cask—the renowned distillery’s new ruby red, full-bodied blend—whisky-maker Bob Dalgarno selects just 1% of the casks from their extensive inventory. The hand-picked casks are made from Spanish oak that previously housed sherry, and many are first fill, meaning this is the first time scotch has been placed in them to age. The resulting spirit is as special as it is rich in flavor, and makes an the ultimate gift for a sophisticated whisky enthusiast this holiday season.
To celebrate the new expression, Cool Hunting created the Rare Cask Gift Guide. Below are a few items that particularly speak to the team at The Macallan, and top their own wish lists this year.
Bob Dalgarno: The Macallan Master Whisky Maker
Rare Whisky Glasses
Created specially for The Macallan Rare Cask, Felicia Ferrone’s Rare Whisky Glasses allow for a perfect nosing and tasting of the spirit. The glasses concentrate the aroma, enhancing the flavor through its design. Each glass is individually hand-formed by master glassblowers in the Czech Republic from the finest quality Boroscilicate glass, a material which provides a high degree of thermal resistance for a range of hot and cold applications and is dishwasher safe. Sold as a set of two.
Formafantasma’s Still
The word whisky is actually derived from the term “water of life,” or in Scotch Gaelic “uisge beatha” or “aqua vitae” in Latin. A dash of water is also known to open up the complex spirit, and when you have a whisky as singular as that of The Macallan Rare Cask, tap water just won’t do. Formafantasma’s “Still“—a stunning water filter created for the storied Austrian glassware company, Lobmeyr—combines an engraved crystal decanter with copper attachments and utilizes active charcoal to elevate humble drinking water to its proper stature.
Stuart MacPherson: The Macallan Master of Wood
Dick Van Hoff’s Leather Firewood Bag
The Macallan has a unique wood program that starts with proprietary forests in Spain, where 150-year-old oak trees are felled and brought to their cooperage to be made into casks. They then give them to a duo of Spain’s best sherry-makers who use them for 18 months before they are sent to Scotland. As The Macallan’s Master of Wood, Stuart MacPherson knows a thing or two about collecting logs. When operating on a personal scale, he appreciates a firewood bag as grand as The Macallan’s whisky, which can be found in Dutch designer Dick Van Hoff’s luxurious Leather Firewood Bag. This fireplace necessity adds a dash of rich utility to any living room.
Craig Bridger: The Macallan Brand Ambassador
Boneless Ibérico de Bellota Ham
When The Macallan Brand Ambassador Craig Bridger does a tasting, he knows the snacks need to be as high in quality as the whisky he’s pouring. For that, he looks to Fermin’s 100% Ibérico ham, a boneless cut trimmed from the acorn-fed, free-range, black-hoofed pigs in the mountains of western Spain. Aged for four years, this premium pork is best consumed by popping the golden, fat-marbled, richly nutty ham right into your mouth.
The Macallan Custom ICON E-Flyer
Nothing would please Bridger more than to zoom to The Macallan Rare Cask tastings on their custom ICON E-Flyer. On the brand ambassador’s ultimate holiday wish list, the electric cycle puts a ruby red shine on a retro gem. Inspired by WWI-era board racers, the custom bike is made in California, and runs for 35 miles before needing a new charge. Caramel leather and brass and copper accents top off the bike, which is a limited edition of 50.
Images courtesy of respective brands
