The Macallan has unveiled a new release to its highly regarded Fine & Rare collection, the 1978 vintage. This highly exclusive spirit will be limited to 243 bottles globally with only five bottles allocated to the US market this year.

Made with the very best of The Macallan’s finest maturing stock, The Macallan Fine & Rare collection features some of the greatest vintage single malts ever released. The 1978 vintage offers a unique taste of oak spice, orange and delicate peat smoke with a soft and silky finish.

“The release of the 1978 Fine & Rare vintage brings another outstanding whisky to this unique collection of mature Macallan expressions,” said The Macallan’s Whisky Maker, Steven Bremner.  “Matured in a second fill remade American oak Hogshead cask, this vintage alludes to a period in time when some peated expressions of The Macallan were laid down. The peated smoke element of this cask stands out, as it is unusual in The Macallan to find peated smoke alongside some of the characteristics synonymous with American oak – apricot, vanilla and toffee.  Being a remake refill hogshead, there is a charming mystery in not knowing which original casks were carefully crafted together to create this unique cask which has delivered an exceptional vintage. Intertwined and ever present peat smoke enhance this whisky which, on the palate, delivers oak spice and bitter orange which lifts in sweetness. The 1978 Fine and Rare vintage delivers a soft, silky and creamy mouth feel, finishing on peated orange sweetness following 39 years of maturation on Speyside.”

Jaume Ferras, The Macallan Prestige Marketing Director said, “Since launching The Macallan Fine & Rare Collection in 2002 we have created a whisky legacy of over 50 individual vintages of The Macallan. Each unique expression is unmistakably Macallan and part of an unrivalled collection representing eight decades and we are delighted to add the latest release, The Macallan 1978 Fine & Rare.  This single cask whisky was laid down in the year that Superman first burst onto cinema screens, the first test tube baby was born and NASA unveiled the first group of women astronauts.  In that same year, on November 20^th this remade Hogshead was filled for the second time, with the team on site that day having no way of knowing that 40 years later the cask would be selected to part of this incredible legacy of vintage Macallan.”

Since 2002, the Fine & Rare range has played a significant role in establishing The Macallan as the world’s most valuable and collectable single malt whisky and has picked up record breaking auction sales across the world. Perfect as a collectable, luxury gift and for celebrating special moments, the 1978 vintage joins a range of highly admired whiskies.

Tasting Notes:

Color:  Autumn oak

Nose:  Initial rich ginger and antique oak, moving into dried apricot, vanilla toffee and deep orange oil with a dash of nutmeg and peat smoke intertwines

Palate:  Oak spice, bitter orange turning sweet, balanced with delicate peat smoke

Finish:  Soft, silky and creamy, finishing on peated orange sweetness

ABV: 59.2%

Bottles Produced: 243