With travel being so limited at the present, I find myself in a state of sensory dearth, craving experiences that lie outside of my own four walls.
While there’s no completely sating the wanderlust till the airlanes open again, the thirst can be be quenched by having the experiences brought to us.
Case in point: the new The Macallan Experience at the Raffles Hotel.
I don’t want to overstate the case for The Macallan Experience. It won’t be the same as breathing in the crisp highland air, dram in hand. Yet, the experience is quite a bit more than that of a simple gallery.
The eyes of course, will have their due. In both celluloid and physical form, we can take in the splendours of whisky and its making. Part of Macallan’s strength is in communicating through spectacle, and they do not disappoint here.
Whether reality is viewed through the photographs of Steve McCurry…
…abstract representations of Macallan’s Six Pillars via an interactive kinetic art installation…
…or laying eyes on the finished product…
…or rarities from a storied past…
…one can simply allow the eyes to feast on the gorgeous images. Being surrounded by beauty is an immense pleasure in itself.
For those who are more of a tactile bent, there’s plenty of room to play, too. We can simply reach out and touch the casks, feeling the grains of oak beneath our fingers.
Or experience the heat and sound from toasting the inside of an oaken cask, recreated for our sensory pleasure.
Still, the experience is not all about the passage of whisky from cask to dram. The stories of free-diver Merese Secada and eye doctor Dr Reeta Gurung are presented as a short film in the Sensory Cinema.
As component scents of Macallan’s whiskies waft within the cinema, one can sip upon a dram each of The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old and The Macallan Sherry Oak 12 Years Old.
There, too, the heart can find pleasure. Each ticket to the cinematic whisky experience is priced at SGD$28, which includes the whisky. However, all proceeds from the Sensory Cinema ticket sales will be donated to the Water and Healthcare Foundation (WAH) to help rural communities in Cambodia.
Further exploration of taste and smell can be had in the adjoining bar, which will be serving Macallan whiskies and cocktails. Due to present circumstances, access is limited to an hour at the moment. I daresay, however, that plenty of liquid fulfilment can be found within sixty minutes.
For the most discerning among us, there’s even a Private Dining Room experience, where Macallan whiskies will be paired with fine cuisine. Pierre Burgade, Executive Chef of Raffles Hotel Singapore, and his team from La Dame de Pic, 藝 yì by Jereme Leung, and Butcher’s Block, will be unveiling new menus each month till the conclusion of The Macallan Experience on 10 February 2021.
Needless to say, whisky will also be available for sale.
If one is looking for a keepsake, plenty of Macallan merchandise will be available for sale as well. A fact which might become particularly relevant during the upcoming Christmas season.
And, finally, one last bit of tantalising news. Included among the whiskies available at the The Macallan Experience is one very special new release- The Macallan Edition No.6, which I’ll be reviewing very soon.
The Macallan Experience runs from 26 October 2020 to 10 February 2021. For more information, you can visit the The Macallan Experience website. Unfortunately, access is still limited, courtesy of the virus, so you’ll have to make a reservation before dropping by. Tickets are priced at $28 for the Sensory Cinema, and proceeds will go to the Water and Healthcare Foundation .
