Taking inspiration from the distillery’s core values, The Macallan’s Master of Colours dining experience left us ravenous for more
Shame on me for taking so long to tip my hat to The Macallan for delivering one of the year’s most exquisite and memorable dining experiences. Last November, this magazine was invited to the Master of Colours experience at the two-Michelin-starred Jaan by Kirk Westaway, at Swissôtel The Stamford, where, suffice to say, memories of the gastronomic odyssey has lingered long after the final morsel and sip were savoured.
Conceived as a culinary interpretation of The Macallan’s Six Pillars, Master of Colours set out to explore one idea with particular clarity: Natural Colour. In whisky terms, it is a principle rooted in patience and provenance—the hues drawn slowly and naturally from sherry-seasoned oak casks.
For this inaugural edition, The Macallan invited three of Asia’s most illustrious chefs to bring that philosophy to the table through a six-course menu, paired with 18- and 25-year-old whiskies. Besides Westaway, who conceived the Singapore experience, the company collaborated with Pichaya “Pam” Soontornyanakij of Potong in Bangkok, and Hoàng Tùng of Å by Tung in Ho Chi Minh City.
At Jaan, Westaway’s interpretation felt particularly intimate. His precise and restrained culinary approach lent itself naturally to the exercise, with colours presented in forthright expressions, tempered by moments of surprise. A succulent langoustine, for instance, set atop a creamy parmesan custard base for his ‘white’ dish; or the deep foliage tones of the ‘green’ course, featuring white turbot coated in an herb crust, paired with parsley sauce.
While there were touches of theatre—it was a colours-inspired menu, after all—the dishes never felt like dramatic articulations. Instead, as one would expect of Jaan and The Macallan, flavours and balance were always placed at the service of the meal.
“Master of Colours is the merging of two worlds, the world of The Macallan and the world of culinary mastery. We are deeply inspired by Natural Colour, a core part of our identity, and a story we continue to tell through new forms of artistry,” says Amanda Hao, Head of Marketing, Singapore and Southeast Asia Pacific, for Edrington.
Perhaps what surprised me most, in retrospect, is that Master of Colours was conceived as a one-off. As we look ahead to 2026, there is, as yet, no confirmation of a second series. That uncertainty lingers—though not as disappointment, but as anticipation.
