From left: Suresh Silvaraja, Datuk Douglas Cheng, Linda Lim, Ashvin Valiram, Datuk Ho Kay Tat, Datin Karin Tan, Jessie Nathan, Iyanathan Ayasamy, Wong Kok Kin and Jeremy Lee (All photos: Patrick Goh/ The Edge)
The mere description of its place of origin certainly makes The Macallan worthy of its legendary status. Born by the banks of the River Spey, which rises in the Monadhliath mountain range on the western side of Strathspey, the world-renowned whisky was birthed 200 years ago when Alexander Reid distilled his first batch in curiously small stills, in an equally small distillery.
Two centuries on, The Macallan has grown just as the Spey continues to flow. And in honour of its bicentennial milestone, a new, non-age statement release named Time : Space Mastery was unveiled. Taking inspiration from past whisky masters, a variety of different cask styles of European and American oak were used to create layers of complexity, each boasting incredible depth of aroma, texture and flavour. In short, Time : Space Mastery testifies to The Macallan’s enduring legacy of excellence.
To celebrate this release, a special, intimate dinner was hosted by The Edge, together with The Macallan. Commemorating two centuries is no easy feat, and so the task fell to Darren Chin, chef-owner of DC Restaurant, to come up with a feast worthy of the occasion.
Guests were welcomed with the Michelin-starred dining room’s famous selection of breads, to be smeared with caviar butter. A cocktail, made using The Macallan Double Cask 12YO, apple juice and elderflower, was the perfect pre-dinner drink.
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For the evening, Chin came up with a unique fusion of classical European and distinctively Thai flavours. Dishes such as Leung Neua rice cracker with stripjack larb, a Phong Kari crab snack and French scallops cooked Thom Kha-style with coconut shoots and chilli oil, were paired with The Macallan Sherry Oak Cask 12YO. What followed was a noteworthy turbot, clearly inspired by the Arregi family’s signature dish at Elkano, their celebrated restaurant in Getaria, a small village not far from the old town of San Sebastian in Spain’s Basque Country that has since become a place of pilgrimage for any culinary connoisseur. This was paired with The Macallan Double Cask 18YO.
The highlight of the dinner, however good the preceding dishes were, was the main course. Not because of the stellar Spanish suckling lamb served with artichokes two ways (as a carpaccio and à la barigoule) but more due to the fact that it would be served with The Macallan Time : Space Mastery.
Housed in a crimson box and encased in 200 soft spikes (one for each year of the whisky house’s storied history and crafted with a respectful nod to the art of Japanese origami), The Macallan Time : Space Mastery is a visual delight. Its finely designed decanter is uniquely spherical, a symbol of the circle of life and the ongoing journey from past to future. On the nose, the warm cherry-hued liquid’s bouquet was rich and inviting, giving up notes of complex sweetness: Medjool dates, baked figs, honey and even milk chocolate. A drop or two of water opened it up further while, on the palate, spices, dried fruit, vanilla and even caramelised pineapple could be detected.
The Macallan Time : Space Mastery retails between RM6,600 and RM6,999, but a sip of it is more than enough to convince one of its worth. For those who simply have to have the best of everything, it is but a small price to pay for one of the rare treasures to emerge from Scotland’s Speyside.
Guests enjoyed a special The Macallan 200 Years anniversary menu
This article first appeared on Feb 10, 2025 in The Edge Malaysia.
