
In September 2024 The Macallan announced what was (to date) the biggest release in their 200th anniversary celebrations. The TIME:SPACE Collection is actually three different whiskies, in two releases, one of which will be the oldest whisky in the world. If you are thinking about buying one (or both) of the releases, here is everything you need to know.
Firstly, what are they both? The titular “Time:Space” is the gigantic 84 year old and 5 year old combination; two bottles sitting one inside the other and housed in an enormous red display/pouring container coated in 200 thorns. The second, smaller part of the collection is Time:Space Mastery, which is the $1,500 (£1,100) version that was released by ballot and is now widely available at auction. The halo shaped bottle of the Mastery release echoes the record holding decanter and it’s housed in a slightly more subtle (maybe?) bright red box coated in 200 origami thorns.
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If you’re a Macallan VIP you may be able to get your hands on a bottle of the oldest whisky in the world for around $190,000. So if you’re a collector thinking of adding either to your collection here is the roundup of the key things you need to know about the Macallan’s TIME:SPACE collection.
The Two Releases Of The TIME:SPACE Collection
We have seen it before with other big releases from Macallan, where they pair something super limited edition with a release that is somewhat more accessible for their enormous fan base.
TIME:SPACE is the flagship, super limited edition, record holding release likely only available via invitation to their VIPs. Don’t expect to see this bottle at auction any time soon as buyers are likely to get black marked from Macallan if they list it straight at auction. If you are an existing Macallan VIP buyer you may have been offered it already. If you’re not and you want to add the bottle to your collection you’ll need to approach their VIP team.
TIME:SPACE Mastery is the more accessible version. It was available direct from The Macallan via ballot in the UK and through select boutiques on the international market. Bottles are now available via auction and hammer prices range from around RRP up to roughly $2,000. That’s all in UK and EU based auctions, so you’ll need to add shipping and import taxes to that as well as buyer’s premium.
The Three Different Time:Space Whiskies
The number of whiskies and the naming is where Macallan’s newest release starts to get confusing. The two releases contain three new whiskies. TIME:SPACE contains two different whiskies: an 84-year-old and a five-year-old. TIME:SPACE Mastery contains a third whisky that is a no age statement.
While its bigger and older brother may steal some of the spotlight in terms of presentation and records, Mastery is also a stunning bottle and carefully crafted Macallan whisky. I spoke to Jaume Ferras, Creative Director at The Macallan over email and he explained that for Mastery they worked with a selection of casks to create the desired profile.
The master whisky makers used, “a diverse array of casks across a variety of cooperages, bodegas, oak origins, seasoning styles and cask sizes. This process is an art form and saw our Whisky Masters strive to find a balance in all the elements, for them to work harmoniously together.”
TIME:SPACE Contains Both The Oldest And Youngest Macallan
The flagship TIME:SPACE release contains 84-year-old Macallan whisky distilled in 1940. This makes it the oldest single malt scotch in the world, taking the record from The Macallan Reach. As the oldest whisky in the world, and what is likely to be the main release for the 200th anniversary celebration, its creation and presentation has been considered down to the finest detail.
“The circular design of the vessel does mean that it cannot be put down carelessly,” explained Ferras over email. “This is to create a connection between the whisky and the owner, as they have to look after it and take care when handling.”
Within the void at the center of the halo sits a second bottle. This second “vessel” contains the first whisky released from the new Macallan distillery, distilled in 2018 and bottled at 5 years old for this release.
“As the idea of showcasing the first ever whisky from the new Distillery as part of our 200-year anniversary celebration began to take shape, we looked at the variety of whiskies we could select from—we wanted an incredible whisky to enjoy, but one that was also classically The Macallan.”
It’s quite the iconic pair of whiskies. Equally iconic is the statement housing that these bottles are presented in and the highly limited release numbers. Just 200 of these will be available.
A Spikey Case For 200 Years Of A “Spikey World”
The video accompanying the releases shows a vivid crimson origami world of spikes and straight lines and that theme is echoed in the presentation cases of both releases. Spikes may seem like an odd choice, but everything in these releases has layers of meaning.
As well as having 200 spikes to represent 200 years of The Macallan, Ferras explains the spikes have additional meaning, “Nature actively safeguards its future by developing a variety of defense mechanisms such as thorns, barbs and spikes. This resilience is evident throughout The Macallan Estate in the protective burr of chestnuts, the thorny stems of roses and the formidable spikes that cover thistles, the national flower of Scotland.” So they are using the symbolism of nature’s defenses to protect their latest release.
Celebrating The Ceremony Of Consumption
Both versions of TIME:SPACE are presented in some of the most eye-catching packaging I’ve seen for a while. I’ll run through the Mastery packing in its own section, because first we need to talk in a bit more detail about the gigantic red display case that houses the 84 and 5 year old whiskies.
These two whiskies are displayed in the most gregarious packing I’ve seen from a whisky brand yet. And personally I love it. TIME:SPACE is huge and completely unique. Yes it’s made from wood (to represent casks) but it’s also red, covered in spikes and the size and shape of a small car tyre. It is unabashedly going to stand out as the centerpiece of any collection.
The Horizon may have turned the bottle on its side, but this takes a further step away from the ordinary. Ferras described it as “a ground-breaking dual chamber concept vessel – our time machine.” And I have to agree, this is definitely not a bottle. Time:Space is an elegantly balanced thing of excess that I’d argue is fitting for the significance of what it represents.
As well as a beautiful display piece, it’s also a pourer. Now I’ve not seen it in action so I’ll leave Ferras to describe the various mechanics:
“To protect the whiskies, the TIME:SPACE vessel can be displayed in a bespoke sculpture as well as Serving Cradle to create an experience for consumption. The Serving Cradle should be used when pouring from either vessel, as well as allowing for TIME:SPACE to be taken to different locations to be enjoyed.
“Once the vessel is placed in the serving cradle, the 1940 vintage in the outer chamber is accessed via an over cap at the top of the vessel. We have designed pourers which are housed in a hidden drawer in the Serving Cradle, and they should be used to ensure every last drop can be poured with precision.
“Access to the inner chamber is via a removable decorative cover. When this is taken off, the inner chamber can be removed as an independent vessel for ease of serving with a pourer.”
Sure, you can pick apart the point of making a bottle that doesn’t pour. But the whole process means that anyone who wants to open and pour this whisky must go through a ceremony. It’s a significant whisky and through the packaging and presentation Macallan ensures that the consumption of it becomes a significant performance.
Understanding The TIME:SPACE Mastery
Time:Space Mastery is probably the whisky that most people care about because it’s the one that most collectors and drinkers are going to be able to get their hands on. This is a vatting of multiple casks that has been specially created to honor the past masters of The Macallan.
Euan Kennedy, Lead Whisky Maker for TIME:SPACE Mastery clarified with me over an email about the new release, “We have explored the full extent of our warehouses to capture the complex influences of cask seasoning, oak origin, cask size and distillery character in one incredibly special bottle of whisky – with the elegance provided by European Oak sitting at its heart.”
“For TIME:SPACE Mastery, we wanted to reflect on the legacy of Whisky Mastery at The Macallan throughout the last 200 years and create something which was without question classically identifiable as The Macallan,” added Ferras.
The whisky is presented in a halo decanter that is supposed to represent the circularity of time and the continuation of whisky making. This part of the release contains just one whisky and so the center void of this bottle is empty but it’s still a striking decanter. Overall it’s a bit more like a bottle and you don’t need a special pourer to drink it (will anyone drink either though?). While it might not come in a giant circular pedestal, it does come in a striking box. On first glance it may seem plain, but on opening the case is lined internally with 200 vivid red spikes that makes it suitably eye-catching as a collection centerpiece.
Should You Buy One?
The TIME:SPACE Collection is epic, but should you buy one? The presentation is some of the best I’ve seen in recent years and as part of the 200th anniversary celebration the whisky is something that cannot be replicated.
If we look at recent releases then you should expect to pay around $190,000 for the main TIME:SPACE. Limited to just 200 bottles globally, the flagship release in the collection is price on application. However The Reach was priced at $125,000 and earlier this year the Horizon was released for $55,000 (£40,000). As this release is effectively a combination of the two, I expect the price to reflect that.
If you have the cash and want to own a piece of Macallan history then go for it. But don’t expect to be able to flip this at auction as Macallan are known for removing people from their VIP list if they find out you have put a bottle straight into auction. Even if you don’t mind that, then looking at other high age statement releases from Macallan you would need to wait at least ten years to start seeing any returns on your initial purchase price at auction. Remember the Macallan 1926 took from the 1980s to 2018 to go from thousands of dollars to over a million.
Time:Space Mastery was released at $1,500 (£1,100) and is still available at retail and at auction for $1,500 to $2,000. If you want one but didn’t get one on the ballot, or couldn’t due to shipping, then I’d suggest shopping around at auction over the next few months. Remember you’ll need to pay taxes and shipping.
You can see the difference in the secondary market reaction for this release compared to previous Macallan ballot releases. Even the fact that it is available at retail at original RRP is a huge change from previous year. Auction prices spiked—very briefly—at under $2,500, which is much lower than we have seen historically for releases like this from Macallan and reflects the generally lower secondary whisky market in 2024. The same as with the main release, don’t buy this with the intention of holding it short term. However if you like the release and have the funds to hold for the long term then this would be a striking bottle to add to a collection.
The original version of this article was written by me for Forbes.com