The Macallan Six Litre Decanter of M Scotch Achieves a New World Record Price

Today saw the sale of a stunning rare 6 litre “Imperiale” version of the highly sought after Macallan M – the world’s most sophisticated single malt whisky, contained within a beautifully designed and meticulously crafted crystal decanter, for US$628,000 / GBP£381,620 at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong.

M represents a masterpiece created from the collaboration between three masters of their crafts; Fabien Baron, Founder and Creative Director of Baron & Baron, Silvio Denz, President and CEO of LALIQUE and Bob Dalgarno, Whisky Maker at The Macallan.

To celebrate the conception of M and its global launch in Hong Kong, four 6-litre Imperiale decanters were specially crafted by LALIQUE for The Macallan. These are the largest decanters ever made by LALIQUE. Each decanter required the work of 17 craftsmen, including two with the prestigious title, “Meilleur Ouvrier de France”, with each taking over 50 hours to complete.

Of the four, two will be archived by The Macallan and one has been committed to a private collector in Asia. The fourth, Constantine (named, as are the other three, after Roman emperors), uniquely features the engraved autographs of the three principal creators – LALIQUE/Silvio Denz, Fabien Baron and Bob Dalgarno. This highly collectable creation was made available as part of the Finest and Rarest Wines and The Macallan auction by Sotheby’s in Hong Kong on Saturday, 18 January 2014.

David Cox of The Macallan commented : We are absolutely delighted at the generosity of the successful bidder of the “M” 6L decanter Constantine in securing such a wonderful contribution to a number of Hong Kong charities and at the same time setting a new world record for The Macallan. It is testimony to the craft, quality and passion underpinning the creation of this great decanter. It is a very proud moment for us”.

The Macallan is one of the world’s most sought after and collectable whiskies, sitting at the top of the auction index for whiskies and holding the current Guinness World Record™ for the most expensive whisky ever sold at auction, in 2010 in New York, The Macallan 64 years old in LALIQUE Cire Perdue at US$460,000 / GBP£288,000.

Silvio Denz of LALIQUE said, “This new world record at US$628,000 / GBP£381,620 highlights the uniqueness of the decanter and the remarkable quality of The Macallan single malt. Its creation is a tremendous achievement due to the unprecedented size, weight and completely new shape. After the Guinness World Record achieved by The Macallan in LALIQUE Cire Perdue in 2010 at Sotheby’s New York, this exceptional figure underscores the interest and value of such extraordinary decanters”.

Robert Sleigh of Sotheby’s Hong Kong, “The Macallan M decanter 6 litre Imperiale brought global interest from bidders who were attracted by the combination of the unique opportunity and exceptional quality bringing a new world record for single malt whisky as well as benefiting Hong Kong charities.

All net sale proceeds will be donated to a host of local charities in Hong Kong.

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a whisky enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

Inverness Whisky Festival Returns for its Fourth Year on April 4th and 5th

The Inverness Whisky Festival returns for its fourth year this April and is proud to be part of the Scotland Homecoming 2014 celebrations!

Since its inauguration in 2011 the festival has continued to attract global interest and this year is expected to be no different. Over the course of the two days guests will have the chance to experience a dram-fuelled tour of Inverness, tasting sessions, and a traditional ceilidh.

The festival commences on Friday 4th April with a tour around some of Inverness’ best-known and oldest pubs, where guests will get to experience more than just a tasting session. The tour will encourage guests to submerse themselves in the history of our nations drink, the music and the local craic! Bruce MacGregor, founder of Blazin Fiddles (Folk Band of the Year, 2013), will lead the troops as they enjoy a selection of fine drams and some impassioned story telling which will bring history to life. The evening culminates in the award-winning Hootanannys where guests will enjoy a traditional Scottish knee’s up courtesy of Bruce and friends.

On Saturday 5th April the event kicks off at noon and will see a whole host of distilleries descend upon Bogbain Farm for the day. Along with the exhibitions, guests will also have the chance to attend master-classes, taste some of the finest local food, and enjoy some fantastic music and entertainment in the barn. The festival will close with a traditional Scottish ceilidh in the barn, with music courtesy of the Bruce MacGregor Ceilidh Band. It truly is a fantastic Scottish experience, it’s not every day you get to sample some of the finest malts, accompanied by some great Scottish music, in a 19th century farm!

Tickets for the Friday tour are £30, which includes a tasting glass and dram in every pub. The Saturday tickets are priced at £25, which includes a tasting glass, all your drams, and a ceilidh (masterclass tickets will be sold separately). A weekend ticket, which gives access to all three events, can be bought for £50.

Tickets are on sale and are available here.

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a whisky enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

The Macallan Masters of Photography Features Japanese Artist Daido Moriyama

To celebrate Japanese photographer Daido Moriyama and acknowledge his contribution to the art of photography, The Macallan will launch The Macallan Masters of Photography: Capsule Edition: Daido Moriyama – Remix, Remixed.

This limited edition offering of only 500 bottles, exclusive to Asia Travel Retail, features a remix of Daido Moriyama work from his renowned book of the same name “Remix” along with some other specially selected material. Each specially bound book, which includes a series of inspired French fold pages, has been hand signed by the photographer himself. The aim was to showcase his impactful style by bringing it to a wider audience, pairing it with a one-off cask strength single malt Scotch whisky from The Macallan.

The whisky chosen by The Macallan’s Whisky Maker Bob Dalgarno brings alive the subtleties of the photographers work. Matured in a first fill sherry seasoned oak cask (cask no. 15,245), the whisky is indulgent and sumptuous, and showcases the dark character of The Macallan (58.9% ABV). Measuring 75 on The Macallan colour scale this is one of the darkest single casks ever released and is priced at $1,750 (USD).

Ken Grier, Director of Malts at Edrington, commented: “We took our inspiration for this capsule edition of The Macallan Masters of Photography following an exclusive event by Daido Moriyama, supported by The Macallan at The Tate Modern, entitled ‘Menu’. 350 guests gathered and selected their personal menu of Daido Moriyama’s photographs which were then bound into a silk screened book cover and signed by Daido.

“This made such an impression that we were moved to further celebrate his work by creating a very distinctive limited edition. We felt passionately about capturing Moriyama’s challenging perspective and style. His influence over the photographic world in both Japan and the rest of the world has been profound and we’re relishing marking his life and work with this latest release.”

Tasting Notes: Daido Moriyama – Remix, Remixed (58.9% ABV)

Colour: Darkest cherry

Nose: Opulent and intense. The cask shows its darker side. Raisin, fig, date and clove are the heavyweights of the group supported by ripe apple, black cherry, chocolate, ginger and resinous wood.

Palate: Viscous, orange peel, citrus oil. Ginger, wood spices and clove. Treacle shows later with a depth of sweetness then bitter chocolate

Finish: Long and warming

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a whisky enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.