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T he Macallan, often referred to as simply Macallan by collectors, is quite possibly the most recognized whisky brand in the world. Since becoming one of the first legally licensed distilleries in Scotland, Macallan has grown to dominate both the luxury and mid-level categories. This is exemplified through Sotheby’s 2023 world record auction of The Macallan Valerio Adami 60-Year-Old that hammered for over £2 million, and the likelihood that if you are to walk into a bar only serving two Scotches, there’s a good chance one will be whisky from Macallan’s extensive portfolio.
Over the last 200 years, Macallan has built a reputation as one of the world’s elite status symbols while simultaneously producing offerings that routinely appear on cocktail menus and limited releases that even a modest whisky collector can find.
If you were to ask Macallan how they became the brand they are today, they would refer you to their vital Six Pillars, which reflect the influence that Scotland, North America and Spain have had on whisky-making. These pillars emphasize its distillation process, along with the people who make, live around and enjoy the natural elements of Scotland’s Speyside region, where their estate is located.
Located near the banks of River Spey, Macallan would become one of the first legally licensed distilleries in Scotland after the passage of the Excise Act of 1823. First licensed to Alexander Reid in 1824, The Macallan Estate is believed to be the site of an illicit farm distillery during the 1700s. Over the next 100 years the distillery changed hands several times, and from 1954 onward Macallan consistently expanded. In 1965 a new stillhouse increased the number of copper-pot stills once again, with expansion continuing into the 1970s as Macallan increased their stills to 21 by 1975. The growth of Macallan at this time was largely down to increasing demand for their malts in high-volume blends such as The Famous Grouse.
In 1999 the 1887 Company, a partnership between Edrington and William Grant & Sons, purchased Highland Distillers for £601 million. Edrington became the major stakeholder alongside minority shareholders William Grant & Sons and Suntory. Edrington quickly got to work promoting Macallan’s growth as a single malt brand, opening a visitors’ center in 2001. The expansion of The Macallan portfolio, which at times can feel endless, began taking off in 2004 with the launch of the Macallan Fine Oak series. Groundbreakingly in 2013, Edrington announced a completely new, £100 million distillery featuring a distinctive subterranean design, which officially opened in May 2018 at a final cost of £140 million. In an innovative feat of engineering, Macallan’s roof is a giant puzzle held together by precision, covered with grass and wildflowers designed to camouflage Macallan into the Speyside landscape.
Edrington markets The Macallan to the luxury whisky market in the most creative ways, including collaborations through Cirque du Soleil, the James Bond franchise and Bentley Motors. With bottlings reaching up to 81 years of age, Macallan has released multiple single malts exceeding the age of most American distilleries.
Macallan is one of the world’s most collectible whisky producers, and at the core of its most coveted expressions is the Fine & Rare collection. This collection achieved its cult status due to a number of qualities: vintages that stretch back to before the Second World War, age statements that exceed half a century and undeniable quality throughout. The series includes vintage expressions dating from 1926 to 1989
Inspired by the significance of the colour red throughout the history of the brand, The Red Collection captures The Macallan’s deep respect for tradition and craftsmanship. Distilled decades ago, in The Macallan’s signature copper stills, each expression in the collection has been matured in the distillery’s oak casks under the watchful eye of several generations of whisky makers. Over time, they developed into extraordinarily elegant aged whiskies.
Bottled in 2020, The Red Collection was a future-classic collection of aged single malts. The complete set of six whiskies was anchored by The Macallan 40 Years Old, The Macallan 50 Years Old and The Macallan 60 Years Old, which were joined by two further highly aged bottles at 71 Years Old and 74 Years Old. The 6th and final bottle in the collection had been matured for 78 Years. This made it not only the oldest bottle released from The Macallan Distillery, but the oldest age statement whisky ever offered at auction.
The Reach, which is considered to be the oldest whiskey ever released, was launched in 2020. This extraordinary Macallan whisky had spent a remarkable 81 years in oak casks.
The Reach was housed in an intricately designed mouth-blown decanter and cradled on a bronze sculpture of three hands. The cabinets were crafted using wood from a fallen elm tree which is thought to have been on The Macallan Estate in 1940, the year the spirit was distilled.
Macallan’s limited editions also feature innovative collaborations with numerous artists, designers, architects and the luxury French glassmaker Lalique.
In a nod to their Six Pillars, The Macallan in Lalique collaboration includes seven releases to date, with the last commemorating the genesis of their new distillery in 2018. Macallan worked with renowned French crystal maker Lalique to craft an exclusive series of limited-edition decanters, each inspired by one of their pillars. Every decanter in the collection is an immaculate piece of art encasing some of the rarest single malt in the world. Considered to be some of the best-tasting ultra-aged whisky ever produced, Sotheby’s has auctioned all seven decanters in the series, which range in age from 50 to 72 years old.
In an ongoing collaboration dedicated to the people of the world who love Macallan, their Distil Your World collaboration with the three-star Michelin and World’s Best Restaurant award-winning Roca Brothers aims to explore the melding of multiple cultures into a single glass. This series so far includes Distil Your World London, Distil Your World Mexico and Distil Your World New York. Given the talent level of the whiskymakers at The Macallan and the culinary genius of the Roca Brothers, those who choose to open their bottles are assuredly in for a highly delectable treat.
The Macallan is a stalwart of the secondary market. Recent data released by the whisky club and database Glenbotal in the United Kingdom shows that Macallan releases account for over 10% of global whisky auction revenue. The main drivers of this are largely releases that have gone under the hammer at Sotheby’s: in addition to the world-record Valerio Adami 60 Year Old, other highlights of the past two years include a £600,000 sale of the Six Pillars in Lalique collection, £300,000 for a bottle of The Macallan The Reach 81 Year Old, $250,000 for The Macallan Distil Your World New York, Macallan Fine & Rare 1957 for $200,000 and The Macallan Red Collection 78 Year Old for $106,000.
Even lower-tier Macallan releases will appreciate if left to sit for a few years. This includes The Macallan Classic Cut, which can be found upon release for under $100-equivalent; Sotheby’s has sold the 2017 release for over $600 on several occasions. It is safe to say that, with some exceptions, Macallan’s limited releases are both delicious and worth storing for a few decades as an investment. Innovating and trailblazing are at the very heart of Macallan, and it is exciting to see what they’ll create as their stocks continue to age.
The Macallan Whisky Mastery Team is led by Master Whisky Maker Kirsteen Campbell, Lead Whisky Maker Euan Kennedy and Whisky Makers Diane Stuart, Steven Bremner and Russell Greig.
As a global leader in bringing Macallan to auction, Sotheby's trusted team is on hand to support you on your collecting journey. Having sold many of the most expensive Macallan examples to come to market, Sotheby's is ideally placed to advise on collecting Macallan.
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