The Macallan’s New Harmony Collection Adds Surprising New Flavors

Can Scotch taste and smell like the long green grasses of our childhood memories? Three years ago, The Macallan dreamed up the Harmony Collection, which took the place of its excellent Edition Series. Since its inception, it has grown to include flavors of cacao, coffee, and now meadows.

The Macallan never holds back when staring down the barrel of idiosyncratic ideas. Instead, the distillery embraces the challenge wholeheartedly, throwing its full weight behind every release. In the case of the newest additions to the Harmony Collection, Amber Meadow and Green Meadow, Macallan turned to sisters Stella and Mary McCartney—Paul McCartney’s daughters—to guide the single malts.

The meadows of memory stretch ever backwards and, for the McCartney sisters, they roll through days spent at their home on the west coast of Scotland. United by curiosity, respect, and admiration for the natural world, The Macallan, Stella, and Mary explored those sensations via these two whiskies.

To create the limited-edition bottlings, The Macallan Whisky Mastery Team utilized a combination of sherry seasoned oak and bourbon casks, inspired by natural Scottish grasslands.

The Macallan Harmony Collection Amber Meadow “is a single malt redolent of warm meadows and mature barley fields, with a rich, citrus scented finish. The 100-percent natural summer evening color derived from our exceptional sherry seasoned oak and bourbon casks reflects the richness of the flavor,” says The Macallan whisky maker Steven Bremner.

“On the nose, fresh citrus fruits and honeysuckle are complemented by hints of vanilla, coconut, and ripe barley fields. On tasting, notes of oak, lemon, and melon are prominent, accompanied by flavors of classic scone and almond with green tea, before giving way to a rich and sweet long finish.”

The Macallan Harmony Collection Green Meadow, meanwhile, offers fresh orange and lemon on the nose, alongside wildflowers, wet grass, and honeydew. The palate tastes of lemon, barley sugars, creamy vanilla, almonds, and fresh oak. The finish is sweet, fragrant, long, and creamy.

Each release features photography of The Macallan Estate captured by Mary McCartney, while the labels and presentation boxes were made using discarded meadow cuttings to reuse natural materials.

Bottled at 44.2% ABV, The Macallan Harmony Collection Amber Meadow can be purchased at The Macallan Estate Bar, The Macallan Online Boutique, and in premium retailers, bars, and restaurants around the globe. Green Meadow comes in at 40.2% ABV and is only available in The Macallan Airport Boutiques and key airports around the world.

The Macallan Harmony Collection Amber Meadow

The author is a California Wine Appellation Specialist, Christopher Friedmann’s work has appeared in Men’s Journal, Travel + Leisure, and Wine Enthusiast. He’s the founder and editor of SpiritedDrinks.com.

This piece first appeared on MensJournal.