Cask #4178

A Macallan 1988 Cask, The Year of the Dragon

An ultra-rare Sherry Butt, distilled at The Macallan Distillery, filled on the 5th of May 1988, celebrated with a piece of motion art by Ruben Frosali.

Year filled

1988

Volume

~495 Bottles

Liquid type

Scotch Whisky

ABV

51.2%

Region

Speyside, Scotland

Storage

The Macallan Distillery

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About the product

Distilled at The Macallan Distillery

A Sherry Butt: #4178, filled on May 5th 1988. This incredibly rare cask is stored at The Macallan Distillery providing perfect provenance. With the last re-guage at 51.2% ABV and approximately 495 bottles, it is expected to mature to an age of 50 years.

This exceptional cask is expected to break world record for a cask distilled at The Macallan Distillery, which is currently $2,327,563, set in October 2021 at Metacask’s first online auction for a 1991 cask.

If you are interested in this extra-special cask, and would like to discuss, please contact us at info@metacask.com .

Please note: The cask image is for illustration purposes only, and not the actual cask.

Hundreds of years of history meets today’s revolutionary technology

Cask data secured permanently on the blockchain

The artwork represents the Digital Label for the cask

Delivery order can be executed on demand

Storage may have to be changed by buyer

VCL will provide Management Services for the cask (storage and insurance invoicing)

The Macallan Distillery

An obsession with quality has been the hallmark of The Macallan Distillery since its founding by Alexander Reid on a plateau above the river Spey in north-east Scotland. The distillery is surrounded by a 485 acre estate with Easter Elchies House at its heart.

Founded in 1824, The Macallan Distillery was one of the first distillers in Scotland to be legally licensed. Since then it has built a reputation as one of the world’s leading single malt whisky distillers.

Tasting Notes

Appearance

Pale amber, bright; excellent beading, good legs.

Aroma

A mellow nose, with top notes of dried fruits and nuts (sultanas, figs, apple, banana, walnut, almond) on a dusty, faintly cereal base (muesli). Understated and delicate; reduced by a drop of water, but not altered; fading in the development, with some green notes.

Palate

A pleasant creamy texture and a taste which starts lightly sweet overall, with considerable spice (white pepper) in the long, warming finish. Sweeter and less spicy at reduced strength, leaving a lightly malty aftertaste.

Comment

The cask is European oak, ex-sherry - classic Macallan – many times re-filled, so no trace of sherry masking distillery character. The whisky is surprisingly high strength for its age, and still lively in the mouth.

The Art

1988 - The Year of the Dragon

A special cask, deserves an equally special piece of art. We partnered with renowned artist Ruben Frosali - to create a spectacular 1/1 animation, that celebrates the Year of the Dragon - the Chinese Zodiac in 1988 when cask #4178 was filled.

About the Artist

Ruben Frosali (RubenFro)

Born in Florence Italy, but based in Tokyo since 2006, RubenFro (Ruben Frosali) is a visual effect artist and director, specializing in volumetric captures, point clouds and large particle-based dynamic environments.

With over 16 years of experience in development and creative direction, he focused on immersive content in 2018, working on a series of real-time art installations - Dissolving Realities Shibuya Takeover, Future Cities, Memories of Tsukiji, that have been exhibited around Japan, Taiwan, and New Zealand.