Discovering the spirit of The Macallan (part 1)

The story of The Macallan begins in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, and concludes in Speyside, Scotland. Gordon Lam shares his two-part journey of discovery into the making of the brand’s legendary single malts

I can’t say I’m a connoisseur of whisky. In fact, I hardly drink the stuff. But when #legend was invited as the only publication from Hong Kong to join The Macallan press trip to Spain, with a special added stop in Scotland, I leapt at the chance to learn about some of the finest single malts in the world. And I’m so glad I did.

Chapter 1: Jerez de la Frontera, Spain

You might wonder why my initial destination was Spain and not Scotland, home to The Macallan’s famed distillery and, of course, single malt Scotch whisky itself. But our first mission was to learn about the unique process that produces the complex sensorial journey that is the Double Cask Collection, a series of exceptional single malts matured for 12 to 30 years in sherry- seasoned European and American oak casks.

Jerez de la Frontera is a small city situated in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia. It’s famous for flamenco music; its 11th-century Moorish fortress, the Alcázar de Jerez; the esteemed Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art; and, most importantly, as the world capital of sherry. Our humble abode was the five-star Casa Palacio Maria Luisa, a delightful hotel and the place to stay in town. Not only were the décor and design absolutely stunning but the hospitality was also outstanding.

My first day in Jerez de la Frontera I was lucky enough to enjoy a private two-hour horseback-riding session at the 4,000-hectare Alcantara Ecuestre owned by famous Spanish horse breeder and award-winning bull-fighting horse trainer Alfonso López de Carrizosa Caballero. Little did you know that once upon a time I represented Hong Kong in show jumping events. Riding a Spanish horse was actually one of my biggest dreams and had been on my bucket list for a long time. Being able to fulfil my decades-long dream and ride a Spanish thoroughbred through the open fields was surreal and unforgettable.

The following morning was when our journey with The Macallan truly began. Our first destination was the Bodegas Valdespino, a legendary winery owned by Grupo Estévez and whose origins date back to 1264. The Macallan took a 50% stake in the Spanish producer to have exclusive supply of its sherry casks, while at the same time adding Grupo Estévez’s sherry and aperitif brand, Valdespino, to its portfolio. Once we arrived, we were transported via a mini steam train to the top of a hill where we enjoyed a beautiful picnic breakfast overlooking the vast vineyards. We were then invited to harvest grapes directly from the branches using a small basket, a pair of gloves and industrial scissors. For a moment I really thought we were doing some serious harvesting and collected as much as I could. Not until later did I realise all my efforts were in vain, as my hard-earned grapes were to be used for a surprise session of “grape stomping”.

Never in my life would I have imagined doing any form of stomping, let alone of grapes. But, in front of the global media and representing Hong Kong, it was competition time! I was determined to put on a spectacular, first-of-its-kind performance that would send my social media engagement soaring. So, I stomped along to the famous Vietnamese Tik Tok song “See Tinh” and I’m pretty sure
I made grape-stomping history.

But back to the real reason for our visit. We next headed off to a cooperage tour and cask raising at Humberto Domecq brewery specialising in sherry production and the casks used by The Macallan for producing its famous Double Cask whiskies. We had a chance to learn about the different steps of sherry making as well as taste different vintages of sherry straight from the barrel, including Oloroso Cristal, Macharnudo, Valdespino Criadera Inocente, Valdespino Solera Inocente, Valdespino Solera Cio Diego and ending with the finest Valdespino Viejo C.P. Thanks to this tour, I absolutely fell in love
with sherry and learned so much about how it is made.

Just when we thought we couldn’t taste any more sherry, along came a special luncheon at Grupo Estévez’s Rincon de Curro. This remarkable event took place in a former brewery decked out in historical furnishings to create a VIP dining hall. Each dish was carefully prepared and explained, along with the accompanying sherries. I was lucky enough to be seated next to Louise Mulholland, The Macallan’s global communications and partnerships manager, as we experienced seven amazing sherries – my favourite being the Valdespino Moscatel Promesa.

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After such a full day of tasting and touring, we all needed to head back to our hotel for a power nap and to prepare ourselves for The Macallan Double Cask Dinner. Set on the beautiful hillside of Vina Bristol, 9 kilometres from Jerez de la Frontera, the dinner venue offered spectacular views of the surrounding countryside and more than 350 hectares of vineyards. We even enjoyed an absolutely breathtaking sunset along with a special cocktail created by The Macallan with some of the finest aperitives that the region has to offer.

Long tables were set inside a courtyard for the exclusive global press who were lucky enough to be invited for this trip. The venue was also decorated with three major art pieces by renowned American artist and photographer Erik Madigan Heck that beautifully captured the signature taste and unique flavour notes of the three special whiskies – the Double Cask 12 Years Old, 15 Years Old and 18 Years Old – being served on the night.

The Double Cask Collection is aged in casks made from European and American oak that have been sherry seasoned in Jerez de la Frontera. Both tree types play a crucial role in the flavours of the whiskies, with European oak offering notes of dried fruits and spices, including hints of dates, raisins and ginger, and American oak bringing sweeter notes of vanilla, toffee and fresh fruits. In fact, up to 80% of the flavour and 100% of the colour of the Double Cask whiskies comes from the casks.

What makes a good cask, I learned from Kirsteen Campbell, The Macallan’s first female master whisky maker, is determined by a combination of factors. Sourcing the right oak variety, be it American or European, is essential. As is the toasting of the cask (the caramelisation of the wood helps to enhance and generate more flavours from within the oak) and the addition of sherry, which plays a key role in preparing the cask by taking away some of the astringent notes. Once it’s emptied, it also leaves behind some lovely notes that interact harmoniously with The Macallan spirit that replaces it, resulting in the creation of exquisite and complex flavours.

“Our Double Cask range showcases the mastery and craftsmanship of The Macallan. In particular the sourcing of our sherry casks; we put in so much time and effort,” says Campbell. Her personal favourite is the Double Cask 30 Years Old, accompanied by a delightful pairing of tarte tatin. “We oversee everything – from the tree being cut to the cask being made to deciding how the cask is toasted on the inside, which creates all those lovely flavours. The sherry that we put in the cask, the type of sherry, how long we season the cask for. That whole process for us takes between five and six years. And that’s before we even put one drop of spirit from our distillery into the cask, which just shows how important the casks are to the quality of our whiskies and their final flavour.”

Returning to our celebratory dinner, the cuisine was created specially to pair with the whiskies, which were introduced by Nicola Riske. The Macallan’s global regional education manager is a character unlike any other I have ever come across at a press event before. Her unique role was to educate us about the whiskies and the way she described them sounded like poetry from another planet! Some of the words were so impressive that one might not be able to find them in any dictionary. The beautiful evening ended with a special Double Cask mixology session with some of the most amazing cocktails I’ve ever tasted.

The next day started with a walking tour of historic Jerez de la Frontera, with a knowledgeable local guide explaining how the town developed over the centuries, as well as a quick visit to a famous food market to understand how the locals use ingredients from the region in their daily diets. After the fascinating tour, we made our way to one of the area’s top Michelin-starred restaurants, La Carboná, created by master chef Javier Muñoz.

Upon our arrival at the restaurant, which happens to occupy an old sherry brewery, we were greeted by Muñoz himself and led into his kitchen to marvel at the seven- course menu created especially for us. We saw how he used the local ingredients and we were even able to help prepare some of the dishes before our luncheon was served. The meal, needless to say, was beyond impressive. Each course was paired with the finest sherry that The Macallan team and Muñoz had meticulously paired for our enjoyment. One of the most outstanding sherries of the day was my favourite, a 20-year-old Valdespino Viejo C.P. Palo Cortado.

We then returned to the Casa Palacio Maria Luisa to take a short break before gathering again for our final event, which was held at the hotel’s open-air courtyard. We started off with a cocktail and tapas reception, followed by my favourite, the lyrical maestro Nicola Riske, introducing us to The Macallan Colour Collection. This exceptional collection celebrates The Macallan’s commitment to natural colour and reflects the influence of sherry seasoning – imbued through years of maturation in the casks from Jerez de la Frontera. The interaction with the oak wood gives the whisky its vivid hues, and the sherry seasoning its signature quality, aroma and depth.

The evening ended with a remarkable Jerez-style traditional flamenco performance along with more drinks and more tapas. It was a lovely way to bid farewell to our gracious hosts from The Macallan and wrap a truly unforgettable trip.

More to come…

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