Something About Speyside

A behind-the-scenes discovery of how the world’s most storied whiskies are conceived at The Macallan Estate left us giddy with wonder and thirsty for more.

- Alvin Wong Photography: Robert Rieger

“I’M SO SORRY, but it’s not really the best time of the year, is it?” The young guide from The Macallan Estate hands an umbrella to me and, along with it, her welcome by way of an apology.

The February air is damp and cool, and the drizzle that started at dawn shows no sign of abating. The rolling hills of Speyside stretch out around us—soaked, and lined with still-bare trees not yet aware that spring has arrived. But for someone from a tropical city-state who contends daily with dense humidity, spending a moist, nippy day here feels, if anything, quite perfect.

The morning gets even better when she hands me a dram of whisky. It is from The Macallan’s limited-edition Home Collection River Spey, the distillery’s 2004 tribute to the famous river that runs through its 196-hectare property. The fruit aromas feel more pronounced out here. The hints of sweetness drawn from the liquid’s maturation in European and American oak sherry-seasoned casks hit even harder. It is perhaps inevitable, given that the same River Spey that inspired the bottle froths behind us while we drink.

Total Recall

From the echo of hammers at auction halls to dinner table recommendations passed between those in the know, The Macallan commands recognition in a manner that has become second nature. Just as one doesn’t need to know what type of watches Rolex makes to know that Rolex makes the world’s most desirable watches, the same goes for Scotch whiskies and The Macallan.