TRUDIANN BRANKER ILLUSTRATION BY JOEL KIMMEL46 AUGUST 2019
Tough but worthwhile,
with miles of snaking single-track
trails winding past bubbling
geysers and fording
through ice-cold rivers.layovers just got a
whole lot more palatable
with the launch of the
Macallan’s boutique
program, a multimillion-
dollar investment that
will see the whisky brand
open stand-alone shops
in key cities across the
globe. The Speyside
producer has just cut
the ribbon on its first
one, curiously in Dubai.
Though the country is largely dry, its airport gets more than its fair share of foot traffic
(it’s been the world busiest airport for international traffic for the last five years). Hence
the new store, in Terminal 3.
The boutique is part of a major expansion plan that began with the opening of the
Macallan’s slick $180 million distillery and tasting room last year, which clogged the
Scottish roads with lines of fans awaiting a first look. Halfway across the world, the new
shop references the mother ship with architectural shout-outs such as soaring oak
lattice shelving and an immersive virtual-reality experience that transports visitors to
the Speyside estate. Actual reality, meanwhile, includes in-store tastings and exclusive
inventory of rare bottlings like the Masters of Photography; the Golden Age of Travel
and Exceptional Single Cask ranges; the Macallan 18-, 25- and 30-year-old whiskies; and
even the brand’s oldest expression, the Genesis 72-year-old. Collectors can also get their
mitts on the new Macallan Boutique 2019 single malt, a powerful 104-proof whisky
($202) with notes of toffee, ginger and sweet dried fruits, aged in signature sherry casks.
The Macallan has plans to open more airport shops later this year, with Heathrow up
next. It’s reason enough to book a flight. Jemima SissonsTrudiann Branker
Mount Gay’s new master
blender is cooking up a new rum
in her Caribbean lair.Barbados native Trudiann Branker may
have been born and bred on the island that
produces the sugar-cane for Mount Gay’s
famously sweet serum (mountgayrum.com),
but this year marks her first producing a
special master blend for the 300-year-old
label. And, oh, what a blend it will be. Here,
she gives us a sneak peek into the twist she’s
putting on the next 1703 Master Select—which
debuts this fall—along with a bit of rum history
and expert know-how. J.O.You’re taking the premium 1703 expression
in a new direction. How is it usually made?
The 1703 Master Select is crafted from our
oldest reserves. It’s an annual release and is
typically a blend of pot- and column-still rums,
aged 10 to 30 years. Due to the scarcity of old
barrels needed for this level of maturation, we
release only a limited quantity of bottles, all
individually numbered. I’m currently working on
my secret recipe for the latest edition [2020]
of it, and it’s very exciting to assess the quality
and characteristics of our rums at that age.If you weren’t drinking rum, what would
you be drinking? Coffee! Because I nose and
taste rum quite early in the day, I don’t drink
coffee first thing. So, by the time I can take that
first sip, it’s a much-needed burst of energy to
get me through the rest of the day.Do you collect spirits? I have a few that are
particularly sentimental to me, and my most
prized bottle is a personalized bottle of Laddie
Valinch from Bruichladdich. At Mount Gay,
we also collect rums from all over the world.
It’s important to not remain in a silo, so we
comparatively taste and educate ourselves on
what else is available.How did rum get a reputation for being a
sailor’s drink? Rum and sailing have centuries
of interwoven history, some of which dates
back to goods being brought to the Caribbean.
Upon departure, barrels of rum were placed in
the bottom of the boat to act as ballast. Over
time, as the rum traveled around in barrels
and was tasted when it got to its destination,
people found it tasted better as it aged and
matured.Q&A
Whisky
a Go-Go
The Goods | FOOD & DRINKA rare Macallan
Genesis.The first Macallan
boutique in Dubai.TRUDIANN BRANKER ILLUSTRATION BY JOEL KIMMEL46 AUGUST 2019
layoversjustgota
wholelotmorepalatable
withthelaunchofthe
Macallan’sboutique
program,a multimillion-
dollarinvestmentthat
willseethewhiskybrand
openstand-aloneshops
inkeycitiesacrossthe
globe.TheSpeyside
producerhasjustcut
theribbononitsfirst
one,curiouslyinDubai.
Though the country is largely dry, its airport gets more than its fair share of foot traffic
(it’s been the world busiest airport for international traffic for the last five years). Hence
the new store, in Terminal 3.
The boutique is part of a major expansion plan that began with the opening of the
Macallan’s slick $180 million distillery and tasting room last year, which clogged the
Scottish roads with lines of fans awaiting a first look. Halfway across the world, the new
shop references the mother ship with architectural shout-outs such as soaring oak
lattice shelving and an immersive virtual-reality experience that transports visitors to
the Speyside estate. Actual reality, meanwhile, includes in-store tastings and exclusive
inventory of rare bottlings like the Masters of Photography; the Golden Age of Travel
and Exceptional Single Cask ranges; the Macallan 18-, 25- and 30-year-old whiskies; and
even the brand’s oldest expression, the Genesis 72-year-old. Collectors can also get their
mitts on the new Macallan Boutique 2019 single malt, a powerful 104-proof whisky
($202) with notes of toffee, ginger and sweet dried fruits, aged in signature sherry casks.
The Macallan has plans to open more airport shops later this year, with Heathrow up
next. It’s reason enough to book a flight. Jemima SissonsTrudiann Branker
Mount Gay’s new master
blender is cooking up a new rum
in her Caribbean lair.Barbados native Trudiann Branker may
have been born and bred on the island that
produces the sugar-cane for Mount Gay’s
famously sweet serum (mountgayrum.com),
but this year marks her first producing a
special master blend for the 300-year-old
label. And, oh, what a blend it will be. Here,
she gives us a sneak peek into the twist she’s
putting on the next 1703 Master Select—which
debuts this fall—along with a bit of rum history
and expert know-how. J.O.You’re taking the premium 1703 expression
in a new direction. How is it usually made?
The 1703 Master Select is crafted from our
oldest reserves. It’s an annual release and is
typically a blend of pot- and column-still rums,
aged 10 to 30 years. Due to the scarcity of old
barrels needed for this level of maturation, we
release only a limited quantity of bottles, all
individually numbered. I’m currently working on
my secret recipe for the latest edition [2020]
of it, and it’s very exciting to assess the quality
and characteristics of our rums at that age.If you weren’t drinking rum, what would
you be drinking? Coffee! Because I nose and
taste rum quite early in the day, I don’t drink
coffee first thing. So, by the time I can take that
first sip, it’s a much-needed burst of energy to
get me through the rest of the day.Do you collect spirits? I have a few that are
particularly sentimental to me, and my most
prized bottle is a personalized bottle of Laddie
Valinch from Bruichladdich. At Mount Gay,
we also collect rums from all over the world.
It’s important to not remain in a silo, so we
comparatively taste and educate ourselves on
what else is available.How did rum get a reputation for being a
sailor’s drink? Rum and sailing have centuries
of interwoven history, some of which dates
back to goods being brought to the Caribbean.
Upon departure, barrels of rum were placed in
the bottom of the boat to act as ballast. Over
time, as the rum traveled around in barrels
and was tasted when it got to its destination,
people found it tasted better as it aged and
matured.Q&A
Whisky
a Go-Go
The Goods | FOOD & DRINKA rare Macallan
Genesis.The first Macallan
boutique in Dubai.