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Speyside whisky distillery The Macallan brings whisky back in fashion with Amber Meadow, the newest expression in the whisky maker’s Harmony Collection.
The Harmony Collection emphasizes the Macallan’s connection with nature. In the past, the series featured flavors like cacao and coffee with the recyclable box using waste materials like cacao shells and coffee bean husks.
In collaboration with Stella and Mary McCartney, The Macallan introduces the third edition of The Harmony Collection, showcasing a creative fusion of curiosity, respect, and admiration for the Scottish landscape. Inspired by the McCartney sisters’ love for Scotland, The Harmony Collection Amber Meadow pays homage to the Scottish countryside.
The Harmony Collection are NAS (Non Aged Statement) whiskies but are blended by The Macallan’s whisky maker Steven Bremner from different casks. Bremner was able to craft whiskies inspired by chocolate and by blending whiskies from different casks. This time, he captures flavors and scents of the Scottish countryside.
I was a bit puzzled with this Harmony edition’s departure from featuring ingredients and instead using a place. But going through The Macallan walk-through installation made me realize that for this one, they weren’t going after taste alone, but aromas and scents to capture the feeling of a meadow.
On the nose, this light gold whisky is floral, bright, citrusy with hints of barley that did remind me of going through a grove of trees after the rain. The lightness carries on to the palate with citrus and lemony notes accented with biscuits and floral tea like flavors.
For a seemingly light whisky, the finish feels a lot stronger than the advertised 44.2% ABV though those citrusy notes take a long time to fade. I’d recommend adding a drop or two of water to open the Amber Meadow up, and let the sweetness spread out around the palate.
As with previous expressions in the Harmony Collection, there will be a partner release for travel retail, the Green Meadow, only available at Duty Free stores around the world.
The Macallan Harmony Collection Amber Meadow is now available at select liquor purveyors nationwide.