LIQUID GOLD I

LIQUID GOLD

HEDGE FUND TITAN TURNED SPIRITS ENTREPRENEUR JULIE MACKLOWE TOOK A REBELLIOUS JOURNEY INTO THE UNCHARTED WORLD OF LUXURY AMERICAN SINGLE MALT WHISKY.

NICOLE WOLF

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN THROWN INTO DEEP WATER TO EITHER SWIM WITH THE SHARKS OR BE EATEN ALIVE? AND ONCE YOU GET WET YOU FIND YOU’RE JUST AS HUNGRY, MAYBE EVEN HUNGRIER, THAN THE SHARKS? THAT WAS ME.

When it launched in December 2021, it created a category of its own. Unlike anything else on the market, The Macklowe is the first-ever luxury American single malt whiskey. Founded in 2019 by former hedge fund titan, Julie Macklowe—who also happens to be an investor and founder of QVC skincare company, vbeauté—The Macklowe has taken the world of fine spirits by storm, with the latest cask debuting this year.

“Have you ever been thrown into deep water to either swim with the sharks or be eaten alive? And once you get wet you find you’re just as hungry, maybe even hungrier, than the sharks? That was me. I got hungry for success at an early age,” states Julie, whose background in “hard” finance— stocks and hedge funds—helped to nourish both her competitive nature and her love of whiskey.

“This was a high-testosterone, “win or die” world where the guys smoked cigars, played poker and drank Scotch single malts” muses Julie. “Every aspect of this career and lifestyle was competitive. Now it had me—the renegade.”

To survive and excel in her finance career, Julie honed her poker skills and learned how to smoke cigars (two habits she has since retired), but her love and appreciation for Scotch single malts prevailed long past her hedge fund days. That passion is what ultimately led Julie to create her very own spirit, The Macklowe.

THESE BOTTLES ARE LIKE FERRARIS.

Clocking in at 46% ABV, and priced at $1,500 per bottle, The Macklowe is made from 100% malted barley distilled in 2014 and matured in new American ISC Kentucky virgin oak barrels. The liquor is distilled in the same way as bourbon, using a column still and a copper doubler. The result? A sumptuous golden-hued liquor, with rich, malty notes and hints of honey and clove wafting from the nose. The taste is even more impressive; a beautiful mix of spice and dark fruit, a rich, velvety mouthfeel and finished with light tropical fruit. “These bottles are like Ferraris: luxurious, elegant, with deep nuances that lift them from the ordinary,” states Julie.

The packaging adds to the appeal. Housed in an elegant, hand-crafted, square-shaped bottle, it’s modeled after Julie’s trusty flask that she still carries to this day. “The bottle shape is a reminder to drink what you like; not what you’re told to like. Whiskey is personal,” says Julie. Julie’s whiskey obsession was crafted through experience. “As I traveled the world for work, I started collecting whiskey: the Far East, Europe, ending up in Speyside, Kentucky or Paris. Everywhere I went I sought out the bottle stores and duty-free shops and stuffed my suitcases for the trip home. One bottle leads to another bottle, and now…” Julie’s private collection is sure to impress even the most discerning enthusiasts. But whether she’s drinking a bottle from 1936 or 2022, her collection is driven by palate—not price. “I love the entire range of flavors available, from malted barley, fruity and spicy, all the way to smokey or peaty,” says Julie.

With so many bottles in one place—over 1,000 if we’re counting—Julie noticed a gap. A collection of whiskey this impressive covered nearly every category available, from Scotch single malt to Japanese blended whiskey; but there was not one luxury American single malt. “So I decided to create it myself,” states Julie.

A spirit as notable, unique and complex as The Macklowe doesn’t just happen. It’s the result of passion for the craft and involves an esoteric level of knowledge. Master distiller and blender Ian MacMillian fits the bill perfectly. MacMillian is one of the greatest living master blenders of whiskey. He’s been in the whiskey business for nearly 50 years, and his resume includes the likes of Burn Steward (makers of Bunnahabhain, Tobermory and Deanston) and most recently the revival of the Bladnoch Distillery, one of the oldest Scotch Whisky distilleries in Scotland, which Ian helped nurse back to life.

Together, Julie and Ian worked to create the four special casks that The Macklowe has since released: #61, #60, #62 and #58, which debuts this year. Release #61 was a single cask of distinction that produced only 237 bottles worldwide. The following releases, #60 and #62, produced only 231 and 257 bottles, respectively. Those who wish to purchase a bottle of a previous release are sadly out of luck. Macklowe pre-sold all bottles to a chosen list of individuals and fine dining restaurants in New York City that includes the likes of Daniel, Eleven Madison Park, Polo Bar and Jean-Georges.

Those intrigued about cask #58 can join the waitlist to purchase one of the 260 bottles being released later this year. TheMacklowe.com