This year marks the 100th Anniversary of The Macallan 1926. A century has passed since cask 263 was filled and laid down by Janet 'Nettie' Harbinson, so beginning an exceptional journey.
In 1926, Nettie Harbinson crafted what would become the most valuable bottle of wine or spirit ever sold at auction*. A legacy to be celebrated.
Janet Isabella Harbinson, fondly known as ‘Nettie’, was a woman guided by conviction and a belief in doing the next right thing. She was fundamentally driven by this principle – especially when presented with a choice. Without setting out to do so, she crafted the most valuable single bottle of wine or spirit ever sold at auction; The Macallan 1926.
By doing the next right thing for herself and the community around her – she unconsciously made history. It is this quiet heroism which makes Janet’s story one worth telling.
*The Macallan Valerio Adami 1926 - sold at Sotheby's, London for £2.18m in 2023.
Janet is the essence and personification of The Macallan today and it is through her story that we can showcase our brand values in a compelling way.
Not only did she distil the most valuable bottle of wine or spirit sold at auction by amplifying The Macallan as a brand that continually pursues excellence, but she did so with a quiet modesty and grace, all while caring for people.
Unbeknown to Janet, cask 263 would be bottled in 1986 under the stewardship of her great nephew Allan Shiach. From this single cask, just forty precious bottles of The Macallan 1926 were created at the apex of maturation. The Macallan 1926 would go on to become the most valuable bottle of wine or spirit ever sold at auction.
DISCOVER
THE MACALLAN 1926 EXHIBITION
In its centenary year, the story of The Macallan 1926 can be experienced in person for the first time.
As part of the celebrations marking one hundred years since cask 263 was filled in Warehouse 7, The Macallan Estate presents a special exhibition drawing on The Macallan archives. It brings together exceptional artefacts alongside three original bottles of this iconic whisky, a rare opportunity to encounter the legacy of The Macallan 1926 up close.
The exhibition is open to guests as part of their visit to The Macallan Estate; no additional booking is required.
THE CHARACTERS BEHIND THE FILM
Nettie’s story brought together many talented people, many of whom we have longstanding partnerships or have collaborated with in the past. Explore behind the stories that have helped to form the Spirit of 1926.
Mike Newell
Allan Scott
Emily Mortimer
Nettie's story drew an impressive list of collaborators including lead actress Emily Mortimer, film director Mike Newell, and script writer Allan Schiach (alias name Allan Scott), who not only was the Managing Director of The Macallan for 18 years, his great aunt was Nettie Harbinson, the heroine of the film.
The film narrative is woven together by the hero song composed and recorded by Simple Minds, and costumes are by fashion designer Christopher Kane. We worked with our partner Bentley Motors to bring the story to life further, featuring a genuine Bentley Speed Six motor car from the era.
THE MACALLAN 1926
The Macallan 1926 has set three world records as the most valuable bottle of wine or spirit ever sold at auction. Most recently in 2023, a bottle featuring the work of Valerio Adami achieved £2.18 million at Sotheby’s in London.
This is Nettie’s legacy, encapsulated in a single, incomparable spirit.
MEET NETTIE
Records show Janet was a well-educated woman and philanthropist. She was the daughter of Roderick Kemp, who owned The Macallan from 1892-1909, the man widely considered to be the architect of The Macallan’s rise to prominence outside Scotland.
Janet’s husband, Alexander Harbinson, managed the business in the years preceding her late father. It was upon Alexander’s passing, Janet was faced with the choice to run her family business or to sell and she took the opportunity with both hands. She hired the best advisors and invested cautiously, yet wisely, to keep the business afloat and in turn help rebuild the local community.
The needs of the community were always front of mind, with Janet using her role to find more opportunities for international export, and looking after the war widows who remained her employees, ensuring that their futures would be protected.
WHISKY’S ETERNAL MASTERPIECE
For sixty years, a single cask lay undisturbed at The Macallan. Within it, time and nature worked in quiet harmony to shape this extraordinary spirit.
The Macallan Distillery remained a family business, passing to the founder Roderick Kemp’s Great Grandson, and Janet’s great nephew, Allan Shiach, also known as Hollywood screenwriter, Allan Scott.
In 1986, under the stewardship of Allan Shiach, just forty bottles of The Macallan 1926 were created, bottled at the apex of maturation.
The Macallan 1926 was elevated beyond whisky through collaboration with masters of art. A canvas - an unparalleled vision.
Now, one hundred years since the cask was first filled, The Macallan 1926 stands as whisky’s eternal masterpiece. A symbol of legacy, patience and the quiet power of time, it stands as a reminder that we are custodians of The Macallan for but a moment in time.