The River Spey

George Low was appointed the first ghillie after serving twenty-four years as a distillery mashman. A talented accordion and harmonica player, George took to his later role with proprietary zeal, developing The Macallan’s very own salmon fly whilst in post. Then, as now, a day by the river with such a knowledgeable companion was a rare and memorable experience.

The same should be said of the whisky in this bottle. The clear spring water for its specific mash was sourced in the same year that George Low first began work at The Macallan. From one of the curiously small stills (as permanent a feature at the Distillery as the Spey itself) the new make spirit would have been carefully syphoned into a European sherried oak cask, and left to mature for half a century.

Held tight to the tweed of a ghillie’s coat, framed by Mary McCartney’s lens, this bottle is a paean to the River Spey.

Lead Whisky Maker Sarah Burgess’ selection was made after careful nosing, as she sought out richly evocative flavour notes to contribute character, depth and distinction to the proposed collaboration. A unique spirit, the familiar flavours are augmented by sensual notes exclusive to that outturn: strawberry, sweet oak, light nutmeg and warm chocolate.

The parallel between this single malt and the River Spey is too seductive to ignore. The whisky, like the river at any given moment, might appear constant and predictable, but each bottling is never quite the same as the one that flowed before. For this 1967 masterpiece, it’s a truth that can only add to its wonderful allure.