REFLECTING THE MACALLAN'S EXCEPTIONAL HISTORY AND HERITAGE
It is a deep respect for tradition and craftsmanship that has shaped The Macallan, from our origins to the present day.
This vision and dedication has shaped our practices for almost two centuries, and is realised in the release of our newest collection. The Red Collection is an exquisite range of distinguished and rare single malt Scotch whiskies, shaped by the actions of our founder Alexander Reid and key characters in our history, who have laid the foundations for our single malt today.
This collection celebrates the rich range of reds present naturally in every step of our process, it weaves its way through our history, and reflects our deep respect for tradition and craftsmanship. The Red Collection features a carefully curated selection of ongoing aged expressions and high aged guest releases.
THE HEART OF THE RANGE
At the heart of The Red Collection is The Macallan 40 Years Old, The Macallan 50 Years Old and The Macallan 60 Years Old. These remarkable single malts, which will anchor the range for years to come, and are the oldest ongoing expressions we have ever offered.
From time to time they will be joined by special high aged guest releases, commencing with The Macallan 71 Years Old, The Macallan 74 Years Old and The Macallan 78 Years Old. These incredibly rare single malts are among the world’s oldest Scotch whiskies, with The Macallan 74 Years Old and The Macallan 78 Years Old being the oldest bottlings ever released in our history.
Distilled decades ago in our signature curiously small copper stills, each expression in The Red Collection has been matured in oak casks under the watchful eye of several generations of whisky makers. Over time, these exquisite single malt whiskies have slowly been shaped and influenced by the carefully selected wood to deliver extraordinarily elegant aged whiskies.
CREATING THE WHISKY
Each of the ongoing releases in The Red Collection has been signed by Kirsteen Campbell, who was appointed Master Whisky Maker at The Macallan in 2019 and is the first woman to occupy the role in our history. Sarah Burgess, Lead Whisky Maker for The Macallan, has signed the initial guest releases.
"Created from some of the world’s oldest and rarest casks it is an incredible privilege to have crafted The Red Collection, the pinnacle of The Macallan’s portfolio."
Kirsteen Campbell
Master Whisky Maker at The Macallan
BEHIND THE COLOUR RED
The colour red has deep and long-standing significance for The Macallan. The red thread begins with Alexander Reid, the farmer and teacher who founded The Macallan in 1824. His surname means ‘the red one’ in Scots and was originally associated with red hair. Almost a century later, in 1903, owner of The Macallan, Roderick Kemp, launched The Macallan Choice Old range. It was reportedly shipped in cases labelled with distinctive red print to distinguish it from The Macallan’s existing whiskies, which were transported in packaging featuring black ink. And almost eight decades later, in 1980, red was to feature strongly in the release of The Macallan’s then oldest vintage, a 40 Year Old single malt whisky. Allan Shiach, owner-operator of The Macallan at that time, tied a red ribbon around the sought-after bottlings to denote their age and value.
Together these characters in the film showcase the pursuit of uncompromised excellence for which The Macallan is renowned and reveal the legacy of craftsmanship, innovation and knowledge that sustains The Macallan to this day.