Edrington, the Scotch whisky company behind The Famous Grouse and Highland Park, has announced the latest addition to its Macallan line of single malt whiskies.
Called Exceptional IV, The Macallan's new single cask reserve is available only through the Speyside distillery and the brand's website. Just 864 bottles of the whisky will be available, all from one single cask, number 24680, which was filled on 27 December 1990.
The name Exceptional IV is due to the fact that this is the fourth limited edition single cask whisky produced by The Macallan. The first release, filled in 1981 and bottled in 1999, sold out within weeks. The second, filled in 1980 and bottled in 2001, also flew off the shelves. The third was bottled exclusively for the Swiss market.
Exceptional IV is made from younger stock than its forerunners, and is described by whisky maker Bob Dalgarno as "intriguing and complex".
"This cask sample stood out and typified what European oak maturation delivers to the spirit," he said. "The characters in this cask are intriguing and have a layering effect on the nose. First come the citrus fruits with raisin, lemon and lime. Upon second nose, an orange, oak character appears and is followed by cinnamon, vanilla, chocolate and wood spices."
Dalgarno added that the taste of the new single cask bottling was complex, with a smoked oak note and citrus fruits layered with a vanilla sweetness. "The wood spices are expressive but not overpowering and the citrus fruits and sweetness linger."
Exceptional Single Cask IV is bottled at its natural cask strength of 57.4 per cent abv and will be available from 1 March 2003 in a 50cl bottle, priced at £60.