WhiskyReviews.net is a free service and always will be. However, if you would like to support the author you can do so by subscribing for just £1 per month. Alternatively, you can make a one-off donation of your choice. Thank you for your support.
________
Independent whisky firm The GlenAllachie Distiller’s Company has launched MacNair’s Boutique House of Spirits. It will comprise both their new-look Lum Reek Blended Malt Scotch Whisky and the brand new small batch Exploration Rum.
Lum Reek is created by blending Speyside and Islay malts with GlenAllachie. The updated range will include both 12 and 21-year-old expressions in new, eye-catching packaging. The 12-year-old is matured in a combination of American oak barrels, sherry casks and French oak barriques while the 21 enjoyed secondary maturation in Spanish sherry casks, French oak and virgin oak. Both small batch whiskies are bottled at higher strength, without chill-filtration or added colouring.
The new Exploration Rum brand features Rum sourced from Panama. The range features a 7-year-old Peated Rum at £46.99, a 7-year-old at £42.99 and 15-year-old bottling at £64.99.
Each expression was initially matured in American oak in the tropical Panamanian climate before being transferred to the cooler environments at the GlenAllachie distillery in Speyside.
The 7-year-old Peated Rum underwent a secondary maturation in a cask that previously held peated whisky whilst the 7 and 15-year-old versions were filled into red wine, virgin oak and ex-bourbon casks for 2 years.
The Rums are bottled at 46% with no filtration and no added colour.
Master Distiller, Billy Waker, said:
“I’ve long held a desire to explore and apply my expertise to a new spirit category, curious as to what the outcome could be. Rum was an exciting prospect as, in a similar vein to whisky, it allows for greater scope of innovation and experimentation, particularly in regard to maturation.
“I’ve spent a great deal of time sampling and tracking down what I deem to be the finest rums from across the world to bring to my lab at The GlenAllachie Distillery and put my own distinctive twist on. The result in this first batch of Panama experiences is what I believe to be a trio of really exciting and unique rums which explore the influence of wood, but also the impact of maturation in a cooler climate.
“I’m also delighted to see the Lum Reek blended malts be presented in a more contemporary and eye-catching pack with an intricate hand-drawn illustration, reflecting the quality of the award-winning spirit within. Blended Malts are widely underrated within the whisky world; however, I truly believe MacNair’s Lum Reek can sit proudly alongside even the best single malts.”
MacNair’s Boutique House of Spirits products are available to purchase via global specialist retailers, with further releases in the pipeline for the coming years.
____