Macallan 40 Year Old The Red Collection

For much of the 20th century, Macallan primarily served as a component in blends. It wasn’t until the market downturn of the 1980s that the distillery shifted its focus to single malts. This shift aligned with the growing appreciation for high-quality releases Macallan had previously licensed to Campbell, Hope & King and Gordon & MacPhail in the 1960s and 1970s. These releases remain highly collectible. In response to the increasing demand, Macallan opened a new distillery in 2018, an architectural marvel on the Easter Elchies estate, featuring 36 copper pot stills.

Launched in October 2020, the 40 Year Old is part of The Red Collection. This series also includes 50, 60, 71, 74, and 78 year olds—some of the oldest whiskies ever bottled by the distillery. The color red holds significant meaning for Macallan, from its founder Alexander Reid’s name, meaning “the red one,” to the label’s homage to the distillery’s oldest vintages and Allan Shiach’s red ribbons from the 1980s.

Whisky Maker Kirsteen Campbell crafted this impressive 40-year-old expression.