The Macallan M Decanter Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) - 2017 Release

Unlike anything Macallan has ever offered, unless you enter into the world of antiques and collectables – but even then you’ll need to go a long way back... Simply called Macallan ‘M’, it is arguably the distillery's most luxurious release to date. Assembled over two years from seven first-fill oloroso sherry casks hand selected from a vast inventory of 195,000 barrels. These historical malts delve deep into some of the very rarest stocks while staying true to the sherry cask ‘house style’ that's made Macallan synonymous with Speyside’s finest. The oldest material was distilled in 1940, so not surprisingly, the whisky itself is deeper and darker than their 25-year-old. First offered in 2013 at 89 proof, ‘M’ was intended to be an ongoing (albeit extremely limited) addition to the brand’s 1824 series of top-tier whiskies. The initial tranche was less than 1800 bottles.

It comes packaged to impress in a crystal decanter conceived by fashion/ luxury goods designer, Fabien Baron, in collaboration with the famed crystal house, Lalique. The individually numbered handmade, mouth-blown crystal decanters are finished in an intimidating deluxe black lacquered box. We have one bottle to sell.

Bob Dalgarno describes ‘M’ as “one of the richest and rarest whiskies ever pulled from The Macallan’s Spanish sherry oak casks, identified with more than 25 flavours including port-like notes and elements of brown sugar and dark chocolate.”

Given the blue chip credentials of Macallan as an investment, you can go for it now, or find it at auction down the track, but we all know where the price is likely to finish up in the decades to come. One indicator is the 2015 sale of an imperial 6-litre Macallan M – one of just four of its kind created. It became the most expensive whisky ever sold at auction (at the time of writing). Another is marked by current market prices for pre-war stocks which have reached upwards of AU$60,000 / bottle in recent times.