The Macallan Bought a Centuries-Old Sherry Producer in 2023. Its New $1,400 Scotch Shows Why
The Macallan Bought a Centuries-Old Sherry Producer in 2023. Its New $1,400 Scotch Shows Why
Brad JapheThu, September 17, 2026 at 6:00 AM UTC
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The Macallan selected 200 Valdespino-seasoned casks for a long-term whisky project, and its new $1,400 Time : Space release offers the first taste.Credit: Courtesy of The MacallanKey points -
The Macallan Time : Space Sherry Cask is a 20-year-old single malt Scotch and the brand’s first whisky aged specifically in casks seasoned with Oloroso-style Sherry from historic Spanish producer Valdespino.
The $1,400 limited release is part of the Time : Space Collection, which debuted in 2024 to commemorate The Macallan’s 200th anniversary.
The release celebrates The Macallan’s acquisition of Valdespino and two Jerez cooperages, giving the company greater control over how it makes and seasons its sherry casks.
Scottish distillery The Macallan is responsible for some of the most revered and collectible single malt scotches available today, and an enduring reliance on sherry cask maturation is a big reason why. Whiskies aged in these vessels, seasoned with the famed fortified wine of southwestern Spain, demonstrate rich, full-bodied tonalities: They’re often dripping with dark fruit decadence. The Macallan’s newest limited release bottle is a tribute to that part of the whisky-making process.
The $1,400 Time : Space Sherry Cask bottle is the latest addition to its Time : Space Collection, a series of limited-release bottles first introduced in September 2024. While the brand has been aging its whiskies in sherry casks for much of its 202-year history, this release marks the first Macallan to be aged specifically in casks seasoned with Oloroso-style Valdespino sherry.
Valdespino is one of the oldest and most celebrated producers in all of Spain, with roots in the Jerez region stretching back to the 13th century. Its connection to The Macallan became even closer in March 2023, when the whisky maker acquired the Valdespino bodega, followed by the Vasyma and Tevasa cooperages in the Sherry region.
The Macallan’s latest Scotch connects Scotland with centuries of Spanish winemaking history. Its casks were seasoned with Oloroso from Valdespino, whose roots reach back to the 1200s.Credit: Courtesy of The Macallan
The new release is the first from The Macallan to feature casks seasoned with Valdespino Sherry since those acquisitions. Around the time of the purchase, The Macallan whisky-making team selected 200 casks from the bodega and filled them with whisky that had already spent more than 18 years aging in Sherry-seasoned oak. The additional time in Valdespino-seasoned casks adds another layer of Sherry influence to the finished Scotch.
Related: What Is Sherry Wine?
“As we approached our 200 anniversary year [in 2024], we really reflected on the nature of our relationship with Jerez,” says Euan Kennedy, The Macallan’s lead whisky maker. “We wanted to renew our commitment to the region and that meant taking an ownership stake in this bodega, as well as two of its most renowned cooperages. That allows us complete control over how we make our casks and how we season them with sherry.”
What does The Macallan’s Time : Space Sherry Cask taste like?
Bottled at 89.6 proof, Time : Space Sherry Cask spent a total of 20 years aging in Sherry-seasoned oak. According to The Macallan’s official tasting notes, the nose offers “a medley of sherry-soaked raisins, figs, and medjool dates,” alongside frangipane, toffee, and caramelized nuts. The “opulent and complex” palate layers dried fruit with ginger cake, bramble jam, and chocolate-covered cherries before turning to cloves, cinnamon, and cocoa nibs. The finish brings “warming wood spices and a hint of espresso,” followed by gentle oak.
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FastFast Facts: The Macallan Time : Space Sherry Cask
Age: 20 yearsABV: 44.8%Availability: The expression is available via The Macallan Ballot from 17th September to 24th September 2026. The Macallan ballots offer collectors a first option to buy some of its most highly sought-after new single malt whisky releases.MSRP: $1,400
What this release means for The Macallan
The whisky’s $1,400 price and limited availability are only part of what makes Time : Space Sherry Cask significant. Sherry-seasoned oak has long played a defining role in The Macallan’s whiskies, and the company’s acquisitions in Jerez give it greater control over that process, from sourcing oak and producing casks to seasoning them with Sherry before they arrive in Scotland. The brand now enjoys unprecedented vertical integration from the forest to the stillhouse — an arrangement it sees as a milestone worth celebrating.
In fact, each expression in the Time : Space Collection is meant to celebrate a specific milestone. (The collection debuted in 2024 to commemorate The Macallan’s 200th anniversary.) This bottling celebrates its closer connection to the Sherry-seasoned casks that have become central to its house style.
Related: The Macallan Bids Farewell to Its Harmony Collection With a Pair of Coconut-Inspired Releases
Like earlier releases in the collection, the whisky comes in Time : Space’s distinctive (and sometimes divisive) ring-shaped decanter. Here, it is housed in a presentation box inspired by the colors of the sun in Andalusia, with details that reference the Palomino grape used in Sherry production.
This release represents only a portion of the 200 Valdespino-seasoned casks selected for the project. “The vast majority are still in warehouse,” Kennedy says. “Stories still waiting to be told.”
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Source: “AOL Money”
