Zinc meets faceted glass for Macallan’s 31 and 32-Year-Old whiskies

The World Whiskey Society (WWS) – a curator and distributor of ultra-premium limited editions – has added a 31-Year and 32-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whiskey from the Macallan distillery to its Reserve Collection. Hand-picked from stock aged by the brand over the years, the Reserve Collection spotlights what is said to be the finest and rarest single-cask bourbon whiskey and single malt whisky.

Macallan 31-Year-Old's bottle encased in a metal frame; ©Ivan Venkov

From an aesthetic perspective, the single malts are differentiated only by slight changes in color; both come in identical, faceted decanters, custom-made by French semi-automatic glassmaker Waltersperger. They are adorned with smooth rose gold- and silver-plated zinc elements (Jeyue Metal Manufactory).

The zinc frame is comprised of four separate segments screwed into place at the top and bottom, encasing the decanter within. Soft polymer inserts are placed between the metal and glass surfaces to stabilize and secure the bottle.

Macallan 31-Year-Old zamak emblem on the facing; ©Ivan Venkov

The decanter is finished with a separate zamak emblem showcasing the spirit’s information, which is mechanically fixed onto the metal shell during assembly. A zamak stopper (Jeyue Metal Manufactory), weighing in at almost 500g tops the decanter. The shank is made of natural Portuguese cork.

Ivan Venkov of Maison Venkov, who designed the packaging for Baerg Marti's 3454 Beyond Balsamico, is behind the packaging design.

Limited to 71 bottles, the 31-Year Old was aged in Oloroso sherry casks. Just 120 bottles of the 32-Year Old, aged in hogshead casks (a barrel made with a portion of bourbon cask with new oak ends), were produced.

Both expressions launched in April 2023, priced at $10,000, have sold out.

DecanterWaltersperger

Decanter adormentsJeyue Metal Manufactory

StopperJeyue Metal Manufactory

DesignIvan Venkov