Travel Back In Time To 1989: The Origins Of Macallan’s Newest Vintage-Dated Whiskey

Photo Credit: The Macallan

The Macallan has done it yet again, releasing an exceptional new single into their Fine & Rare Collection, the largest assembly of vintage-dated, single malt whiskies in the world. Matured in a single sherry seasoned European oak butt cask for 32 years, The Macallan Fine & Rare 1989 marks the latest addition to the exclusive collection. 

Since December 12th, 1989, the bottle has been aging into the fine whisky that has been bottled today. Presented at its natural cask strength, the Macallan Fine & Rare 1989 displays a unique natural rich mahogany color, attributed to the time spent in the sherry seasoned European oak butt cask. Sips of the 1989 relay the touches of dark cherries, sweet treacle toffee, cocoa powder, and gingerbread while hints of amaretti biscuits, caramelized pineapple, demerara sugar, rich treacle tart, candied fruits, plum jam, and a hint of dark chocolate develop on the palate leaving a multi-layered, long and complex finish

To present the new 1989 Edition, The Macallan teamed up with one of the world’s most renowned fashion photographers, Tim Walker. To perfectly capture the new addition, Walker set the bottle to tell a story of its time, in the year of 1989. The whiskey became the star in evocative images depicting the solar system, honoring the same year that the first satellites of the global positioning system were put into orbit.

Looking at the Fine & Rare Collection as a whole, the 1989 single fits right in amongst the other individual releases. The exquisite taste that has been carefully aged to perfection is a product of nature’s gentle process, undisturbed for decades in sherry seasoned oak casks that other 59 vintages have rested in. The collection spans across eight decades, from the earliest expression distilled in 1926, a whisky of legendary status, to 1993, exemplifying the richness of The Macallan’s legacy.

“The Macallan Fine & Rare Collection is inspired by our whisky-making legacy,” says Kirsteen Campbell, Master Whisky Maker at The Macallan. “It is the finest and rarest range of single malt whiskies in the world and reveals the mastery of wood and spirit for which The Macallan has been renowned since 1824… They all speak of an unbroken provenance that has rooted The Macallan to its home at Easter Elchies for nearly two centuries and have been nurtured by nature on our beautiful 485-acre Estate, following time-honored maturation to achieve perfection. Each release is completely individual but unmistakably Macallan. Fine & Rare 1989 will join its distinguished predecessors and it is a privilege to play a part in crafting this incomparable collection.”