While the rest of the world celebrates New Year’s Eve on 31 December, the people of Scotland observe another kind of celebration: Hogmanay. It is a celebration of all things new, of ushering in a new dawn and year with hope, joy and, most importantly, light.
The Scot’s word for the last day of the old year, Hogmanay reaches back to the celebration of the winter solstice among the Norse, and brings a whole new tradition of ushering in the new year. There is feasting, gift-giving and a special observance to the visit of a first-foot, the first guest of the new year.
In bringing to light this very special tradition of the Scots, The Macallan, the most awarded of all single malt Scotch whiskies, is proud to release A Night on Earth in Scotland single malt whisky, a limited edition gifting expression specially designed to tell the story of Scotland’s world famous Hogmanay festivities that capture the universal joy of celebrating the change of year.
A new annual limited edition
The first in a new annual limited edition gifting series, A Night On Earth In Scotland is a collaboration with acclaimed Japanese-French illustrator Erica Dorn, who has previously created designs for some of the world’s leading luxury brands and whose artwork has featured in director Wes Anderson’s films. It is also the proud first expression in a new annual limited edition gifting series that will reflect on a different destination each year, exploring its local and family traditions and will capture the universal joy of celebrating a special occasion with loved ones.
Presented as part of innovative packaging to provide a unique unboxing experience, Dorn’s playful abstract illustrations are inspired by the historic fire rituals dominant in New Year celebrations around the world.
They also reveal some of the distinctive customs of Scotland’s Hogmanay, including the tradition of first footing when it is good luck for a dark-haired visitor to be the first person to enter your home after midnight, bearing symbolic gifts – whisky, coal and Scottish shortbread – that aim to bring comfort and happiness in the year ahead.
Now you, too, can be a part of the Scottish celebration of Hogmanay with this limited edition bottle of A Night on Earth in Scotland.
Light up to a fiery new year
Fire – the source of warmth and celebration – is a dominant element across New Year celebrations around the world. Sighted as colourful fireworks or gathered around by families in the fireplaces of cosy homes, fire plays an exhilarating warmth that gives way light, joy and revelries.
For this reason, it adorns A Night on Earth in Scotland’s first layer of packaging. Reds, ambers and oranges swirl together to recreate the warmth of fires that light up the sky and warm the hearts of family and loves ones on New Year’s Eve.
Red is also the colour of merriment, vitality, good fortune and joy, all the good things associated with family, friends and loved ones who share past memories and future hopes.
Open it up and an icy blue sleeve await inside.
The visit of the first-footer
New Year’s Eve in Scotland is usually icy cold, a chilly occasion warmed by fires and whisky. This is represented by an inner sleeve of blue and white, a juxtaposition from the red, but equally important in the harmony of colours. The blue is Dorn’s homage to winter evenings in Scotland, in all of its peace and stillness.
When you open that, meet A Night on Earth in Scotland.
A Night on Earth in Scotland
This new gifting expression, released as the first expression in a new annual limited edition gifting series, serves to tell the story of Scotland’s world-famous Hogmanay festivities. Each year will reflect on a different destination, exploring its local and family traditions and will capture the universal joy of celebrating a special occasion with loved ones.
A Hogmanay tradition is the welcoming of a very special visitor.
The Scots believe it is good luck for a dark-haired visitor to be the first person to enter your home after midnight, bearing symbolic gifts, including whisky, coal and Scottish shortbread. Scotch to warm the soul, coal to warm the body and shortbread to warm the heart, they bring comfort and happiness in the year ahead.
The limited edition A Night on Earth in Scotland is crafted by The Macallan lead whisky maker Sarah Burgess from a selection of The Macallan’s sherry seasoned American and European oak casks, along with American ex-bourbon barrels. Drawing from her fond family memories of Hogmanay, she has created a whisky that is rich with a sweet shortbread-like character. Its flavours and aromas are are reminiscent of the sweet aroma of soft butter and freshly baked shortbread, the gift of the first-footer.
On the nose, it delivers aromas of vanilla and rich butter, with nuances of baked apple, plum and almond. On the tongue, it blooms with a soft velvety sweetness reminiscent of shortbread with a rich mouth coating. Vanilla sweetness, with lightly toasted marshmallow, dried oranges, fig and cinnamon round it off. Finally, it tails off with a medium finish of sweet butterscotch and freshly baked biscuits. As a gift, it showcases the skill of the whisky maker, and The Macallan’s commitment to craftsmanship and uncompromised excellence since 1824.
For more information or to place your order, log on to the official The Macallan website here.
(Source: The Macallan)