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Wine & Spirits by Emma Al-Mousawi

Right and below The Balmoral hotel in Edinburgh has partnered with The Macallan to create ‘The Scotch Club’

The ultimate whisky club

What happens when Edinburgh’s most prestigious hotel and Speyside’s most prized whisky brand join forces? The answer is quite possibly the most exclusive whisky club in the world. The historic Balmoral hotel has partnered with fabled whisky distillery The Macallan to unveil ‘The Scotch Club,’ an elite global inner-circle for connoisseurs of the gold stuff. And if you want a space you better move fast — the first 12 members were selected in Fall 2021, leaving just 23 spaces available. The Balmoral is keeping waiting list numbers a closely guarded secret. Members will be granted a bottle residence at SCOTCH, The Balmoral’s world-renowned whisky bar that is home to over 500 single malts; their own personal bottle will be kept under lock and key in one of the sought-after whisky keeps that line the entranceway to the famed whisky emporium. Each

tasting, invitations to whisky masterclasses and special room rates. Cameron Ewen, whisky ambassador and manager of SCOTCH, said: “We want to get to know our members as individuals and deliver an outstanding, memorable occasion on each and every visit to SCOTCH. We have some rare and extraordinary expressions from The Macallan available for the Scotch Club, and I hope that they allow each member to join with their family and friends, and keep the conversations about whisky going for generations to come.” Membership to The Scotch Club starts at £710 (approx. $975) where guests can access their own bottle of The Macallan Double Cask 18 Years Old. Top-level membership is £17,700 (approx. $24,350) and comes with a bottle of The Macallan Red Collection 40 Years Old. roccofortehotels.com

keep will be personally engraved, allowing members to have their name stitched into the very fabric of the landmark, 120-year-old hotel. Keeping watch over the amber nectar will be The Balmoral’s expert whisky ambassadors, who will be on hand to pour members their selected bottle straight into their own crystal engraved Lalique glass — the ultimate vessel to appreciate the complexities of the legendary single malt. The biggest decision for the chosen 35 will be which premium expression of The Macallan to place in their keep. Options range from The Macallan Double Cask 18 Years Old, right through to a coveted bottle of The Macallan Red Collection 40 Years Old, an expression that sits at the heart of The Macallan’s limited-edition Red Collection, a selection of single malts created from some of the world’s oldest and rarest casks. Member benefits also include a private