A new family-owned independent whisky bottler, Halcyon Spirits, has launched today and debuted its first-ever release – a single cask Macallan 30 Year Old which was distilled in 1993.
The independent bottling brand, which is based in Aberdeenshire, was developed by brothers Daniel and Craig Milne, who also co-founded global auction platform Whisky Hammer and whisky e-retailer Still Spirit.
The Macallan 30 Year Old has been matured in a first fill sherry cask and bottled by Halcyon Spirits at 49.8{90af24ee0c8b2ef579cdad993725641a0bcc8b6dba22687e081e6e20320a17a5} ABV cask strength. Priced at £2,950 per bottle, only 238 bottles are available for purchase via the Halcyon Spirits website.
The whisky has been described by David Robertson, an independent whisky expert and former Macallan Master Distiller, as “a superb example of a well matured Spanish oak sherry vintage whisky, displaying many of the classic characteristics of a 25–35-year-old Macallan.”
To support global action on climate change, Halcyon Spirits will fund the planting of ten trees for every bottle sold, meaning this inaugural release alone will result in 2,380 trees being planted.
Daniel and Craig Milne launched Halcyon Spirits following the recent completion of a state-of-the-art cask warehouse housing over 2,000 casks – a decision that allows the brothers to securely store, mature, and bottle whisky from Scotland’s most sought-after distilleries.
The casks selected by the Halcyon team are bottled on site in Aberdeenshire. As single cask releases, only a few hundred bottles will be available from each cask, with this inaugural release marking the first of just a few must-have releases from Halcyon Spirits planned for this year.
Tasting Notes
By David Robertson, independent whisky expert and former Macallan Master Distiller
Colour – Mahogany with rich red highlights. Terrific beading and viscosity.
Nose – Rich dried fruits – prunes, dates, figs and raisins. Intense old-style orange zest marmalade. Treacle and vanilla toffee sweetness. A cornucopia of redolent spices – cloves, cracked black pepper, aniseed and liquorice. Roasted tropical fruits – pineapple and mango – and polished antique oak.
Taste – Deliciously powerful, intense, tannic Spanish oak. Spices of cloves, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon. Sweet treacle and vanilla toffee and fudge.
Finish – Lingering, long, beautifully drying and moreish. Mature oak spices with dried fruits and a late fresh orange marmalade finish.
