100 years on: The Macallan’s single-cask ode to its greatest legend
Exactly 100 years ago, a whisky legend was born: The Macallan 1926. While rumours circulate of an immaculate conception, it was brand custodian Janet ‘Nettie’ Harbinson who laid it down in a Speyside ‘manger’. 60 years later it was her great nephew Allan Shiach who put it into bottle (40, to be exact) and revealed its magic to the world.
What this legend didn’t deliver in quantity it delivered in quality. To this day, The Macallan 1926 remains the world’s most valuable bottle of wine or spirit to ever be sold at auction.
Now, in celebration of its 100th anniversary, The Macallan has unveiled a new single cask whisky in its honour: 258 bottles, to be sold as an artistic trio called the Romantica Collection for roughly $150,000, with just 86 in total up for grabs.
The single cask in question is sherry seasoned European oak cask, no. 9925, which was laid to rest in 1986 just as the 40 bottles from the legendary 1926 release were unveiled.
“From the moment this cask was laid down in 1986, it became part of a legacy – a story that began with The Macallan 1926 and continues today,” says Kirsteen Campbell, Master Whisky Maker at The Macallan. “Over decades of slumber, the whisky has evolved with extraordinary grace, developing a luminous character of fruits, spice and rich oak.”
In a notable creative reunion, these artists are the same as those who contributed original art for The Macallan 1926: Sir Peter Blake, Valerio Adami and Michael Dillon.
If interested in scoring yourself a set, you are advised to reach out to The Macallan directly ahead of the official launch date on 30 July.
