The Macallan has introduced a new member of its Fine & Rare Collection, Fine & Rare 1989. The latest edition in the line of vintage-dated single malt whiskies was filled on December 12, 1989 and bottled in January of this year. It was matured in a single sherry seasoned European oak butt cask for 32 years and is presented at cash strength.

The Fine & Rare Collection was originally launched in 2002 and is comprised of 59 individual releases across eight decades, the oldest of which was distilled in 1926.

“The Macallan Fine & Rare Collection is inspired by our whisky-making legacy. It is the finest and rarest range of single malt whiskies in the world and reveals the mastery of wood and spirit for which The Macallan has been renowned since 1824,” says Kirsteen Campbell, Master Whisky Maker at The Macallan. “These 59 unique vintages are products of nature’s gentle process, undisturbed for decades in sherry seasoned oak casks. They all speak of an unbroken provenance that has rooted The Macallan to its home at Easter Elchies for nearly two centuries and have been nurtured by nature on our beautiful 485-acre Estate, following time-honored maturation to achieve perfection. Each release is completely individual but unmistakably Macallan. Fine & Rare 1989 will join its distinguished predecessors and it is a privilege to play a part in crafting this incomparable collection.”

As you might imagine by the fact this one is both old and was aged in a single cask, there’s not much of it to go around. A limited number of bottles will be available in selected bars and restaurants, and premium retailers exclusively in the USA from September 2022. For each 750ml decanter, The Macallan Fine & Rare 1989 has an SRP of $18,500 and an SRP of $17,300 for 700ml bottles.

While not many of us are likely going to get to taste this one, the brand passed along some tasting notes to you can get a feel for what’s in the bottle. The Macallan says Fine & Rare 1989 imparts aromas of dark cherries, sweet treacle toffee, cocoa powder, and gingerbread. Amaretti biscuits, caramelized pineapple, demerara sugar, rich treacle tart, candied fruits, plum jam, and a hint of dark chocolate develop on the palate and the finish is multi-layered, long and complex.

Each bottle of Macallan Fine & Rare 1989 features the cask number, year of distillation and year of bottling printed on the label. The age, strength, and volume are all handwritten in keeping with the tradition that began when the collection was born. Each bottle is encased in an FSC-certified European oak presentation box which also contains information on how to record a Vintage Macallan Fine & Rare bottle in The Macallan Vintage Bottle Register in Easter Elchies House, the spiritual home of the brand located on The Macallan Estate.