The Macallan Red 71 Collection

The Macallan is synonymous with collectible whisky and ranks head and shoulders above its Scottish compatriots when it comes to valuations and recent appreciation. Part of what sets The Macallan apart from its peers is the fact that the brand has continued to innovate while at the same time celebrating tradition, and the whisky in this collection is a perfect example. This 71-year-old whisky is part of the Macallan "Red Collection," which both honors the distillery's history while raising money for charity and utilizing sustainably sourced oak for its packaging. Additionally, each bottle highlights women in the whisky industry via the signatures of either Kirsteen Campbell, who was appointed the first female Master Whisky Maker at The Macallan in 2019, or Sarah Burgess, Lead Whisky Maker, depending on the bottling.

Initially released as the oldest ongoing range of whiskies ever bottled by The Macallan, the Red Collection included its oldest ever release. The Red Collection includes six age statement releases ranging from 40 to 78 years in age. Described by the distillery as "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." The 40, 50, and 60-year releases will be ongoing bottlings, while the other three in line: 71, 74, and 78 are considered to be "guest" releases and will be produced in more limited quantities.

The Red Collection has garnered immediate attention from both the media and collectors. In 2020, a collection of each of the six bottlings with custom art from Javi Aznarez was sold for $975,756, with all profits going to raise funds for the City Harvest London charity. A year later, in October 2021, a complete set of bottles without the custom art sold for $742,584*. This combination of publicity, age of the whisky, and the Macallan brand name has led the older whiskies in the Red Collection to regularly be listed among the most expensive whiskies in the world and are increasingly difficult to find. Currently, there are no listings for The Macallan Red Collection 71-year-old for sale in the United States.

In wine terms, most investors look to build their portfolio on a foundation of Bordeaux and Burgundy, with blue chip names like Lafite and Leroy as cornerstones. The whisky version of Bordeaux and Burgundy is single malt scotch whisky, and the absolute iconic blue-chip producer is The Macallan. The Rare Whisky Macallan Index is up +20.87% YTD, whereas The RW Icon 100 Index, which tracks iconic collectible whiskies, is only up +15.95%. The 71-year-old whisky from The Macallan Red Collection featured in the offering is an excellent opportunity to add an important blue chip bottle to your portfolio, considering the strong growth the whisky market is currently experiencing.