The Macallan Edition No. 5, celebrating natural colour

Colour is embedded into everyday life, and plays an important part in shaping the world we live in. It can define moods, and marks the passage of time and change—such as when the leaves start to change in the autumn, or buds burst forth in the spring. Colour forms points of self-expression, shape perceptions and thinking, divert thoughts and change behaviour. It is a powerful force that can communicate without words.

For The Macallan, natural colour is a defining and fundamental element of our whisky making process. We take distinct pride in the fact that the colour of every whisky we create is 100 percent natural. Each shade, from the lightest oak to the deepest mahogany, is naturally derived from the interaction of the new make spirit with the oak casks in which it is matured. In fact, this resulting spectrum of colour is central to the core of The Macallan’s foundational Six Pillars, and was the starting point for Edition No. 5.

Only American oak casks were handpicked for this single malt, primarily selected for their colour in order to deliver a whisky with a wonderfully full flavour. The result is a beautiful sunlit barley colour, accompanied by an intriguingly intense flavour profile that hosts sweet notes of caramel and fresh fruit combined with oak spices.

With The Macallan Edition No. 5, it is the complexity and precision of the whisky making process that defines this colour creation; showcasing the infinite hues, creativity and expertise which harnesses the natural colour of The Macallan.