Macallan Releases Romantica Collection with 40-Year-Old Whisky

The Macallan distillery has announced the Romantica Collection, a limited release of 258 bottles of 40-year-old single malt whisky from cask number 9925, a sherry-seasoned European oak barrel. Bottled at 48.6% ABV, the whisky is notable for its slight smokiness, an uncommon characteristic for Macallan. The collection commemorates the legendary Macallan 1926, which sold for about $2.7 million at auction in 2023, making it the most valuable bottle of whisky at the time. Master distiller Euan Kennedy revealed the project took five years, with the whisky distilled in 1986. Three artists—Sir Peter Blake, Valerio Adami, and Michael Dillon—who designed labels for the 1926 vintage, have returned for this collection, each contributing to 86 bottles. Blake's label 'The Music Room' depicts Easter Elchies House; Adami's 'Romantica' portrays Janet 'Nettie' Harbinson, the distillery's 1926 custodian; Dillon's 'The Macallan Estate' shows the distillery. The bottles will be sold as sets of three starting July 30, with pricing undisclosed. Official tasting notes include brown sugar, glazed peach, lychee, dark cherries, treacle, and peat, with a finish of dried fruit, leather, and cacao.