The Macallan has teamed up with British luxury perfumer Roja Dove to create an exciting new single malt whisky, Edition No. 3.
The Macallan has teamed up with British luxury perfumer Roja Dove to create an exciting new single malt whisky, Edition No. 3.
On any given day, a good glass of whisky is a veritable feast for the senses. So when The Macallan’s Master Whisky Maker, Bob Dalgarno, decides to join forces with one of the world’s most renowned master perfumers, the result promises not just to titillate the palate but also tantalise the olfactory system.
Enter Roja Dove, reputedly the best nose in the world. Dove can identify 800 scents blindfolded, and, besides curating a collection of fine fragrances at his haute parfumerie in Harrods, he has a product line of exclusive fragrances made from the highest quality ingredients money can buy.
Edition No. 3 is a collaboration between Dalgarno and Dove, the third incarnation in The Macallan Edition.
This annual limited edition series is committed to celebrating the diversity and uniqueness of oak casks used in the maturation of the distillery’s whiskies.
After the warm welcome received by Edition No. 1 (a single malt Scotch drawn from eight of the best European and American oak cask styles) and Edition No. 2 (made in collaboration with the Roca brothers from the three-Michelin-star El Celler de Can Roca), lucky No. 3 had to be something quite special.
To create Edition No. 3, Dove uses his remarkable experience and expertise to describe the distinctive characters and aromas of, in particular, European and American oak casks.
These oak casks are the greatest contributor to the exceptional quality, colour, aromas and flavours of The Macallan. Dalgarno then works with Dove’s notes to blend a whisky with similar characteristics.
Edition No. 3 focuses on the different aromas that come together to build depth and character. And because the specific use of a higher proportion of smaller casks in Edition No. 3 increases the contact between the spirit and the wood, each sip offers a heightened experience of flavour and aroma.
The liquid is a beautiful light gold, and on first whiff, is reminiscent of an expensive perfume. One then detects powerful notes of sweet vanilla and fresh cut oak, before touching on a layer of orange oil laced with ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. It ends softly with flavours of chocolate and burnished oak.
On the palate, Edition No. 3 is vanilla ice cream and rich fruit cake, with nuances of apricot, pear, ginger and cinnamon, and a resinous oak finish. With an ABV of 48.3 percent, this is a flavoursome, complex whisky that’s at once fresh and full-bodied, which leaves a sweet and long-lasting impression.
While it may seem unorthodox to tap the expertise of a perfumer in the process of whisky-making, one needs only to smell and taste Edition No. 3 to know that the marriage makes sense.
“There are great parallels between the worlds of whisky and perfume and it has been fascinating to work with Roja to explore the power of aroma in individual oak casks and its influence on the resulting whisky,” says Dalgarno.
Only 250,000 bottles of Edition No. 3 are available worldwide. If you’ve always thought that Roja Dove’s perfumes smelled delectable enough to drink, then this is your one shot.
