The Macallan Red 78 YO Collection
One of the Oldest Macallan Whiskies Ever Bottled
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Key Highlights
One of the Rarest and Oldest Whiskies in the World
The 78-year-old Red Collection bottling from The Macallan was once the oldest bottling the distillery had ever produced. Behind only an 80-year release by Gordon & Macphail and Glenlivet and an 81-year-old release by The Macallan itself, this whisky stands in rarefied air. Since whisky needs to be over 40% alcohol when bottled to be considered Scotch Whisky, it is difficult for most average barrels to age past 50 years, much less 75. So, while this whisky was surpassed as the oldest, it will remain in the top echelon of aged whisky for many years to come. Additionally, as this bottling is a “guest” addition to the Red Collection, it is unlikely that many bottles of this rare spirit will be produced.
One Of The Top Ten Most Valuable Whiskies in the World
With this immense demand, The Macallan Red Collection 78-year-old has been ranked as the #9 most expensive whisky based on Wine-Searcher price listings. The Macallan’s whiskies make up seven of the top ten listings, further demonstrating the brand’s power among collectors.
Strong Global Demand and Trade
The Macallan is the most recognizable whisky brand in the world, with strong demand across the globe. The Macallan ranks #1 on the Rare Whisky 101 Whisky Collector Index, which ranks the most heavily traded UK-based distilleries by volume and value. The Macallan maxes out the scale at 100 on the index, beating out Ardbeg (98.5), Bowmore (98), and Highland Park (97.5) for the top spot. Following these top four, there is a distinct drop, with no distillery scoring over 94 points on the index.
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This is Vint’s second collection featuring a bottle from The Macallan’s Red Collection, a collection of six exceptionally-old age statement bottlings ranging from 40 to 78 years in age. Building on our first offering, which starred the 71-year-old bottling from the collection, this collection features the 78-year-old, one of the oldest Macallan ever bottled and the crown jewel of the Red Collection.
Continuing a tradition of Macallan bottles ranking among the most valuable whiskies ever, the Red Collection 78-year-old was recently ranked by Wine-Searcher as the 6th most expensive in the world. The Macallan’s whiskies make up seven of the top ten most valuable bottles globally. This strength is also found in the Rare Whisky 101 Whisky Collectors Index, which ranks The Macallan top among Scottish whiskies in terms of total volume and value traded.
The rare Scottish whisky market has continued to grow in 2022 as measured by the Rare Whisky Icon 100 Index, which is up +14.47% YTD. The momentum in 2022 is a continuation of the strong second half of 2021, which saw surging demand for collectible whiskies and what appears to be a growing population of collectors. In their annual Wealth Report released in February 2022, Knight Frank notes that “the average age of the typical whisky collector looks to be getting lower.” In addition to this anecdote, rare whisky was the top scoring asset in the report’s “object of desire” category of their Luxury Investment Index from Q4 2021, with a score more than 2.5x that of second place.
As the whisky collector base widens, there is increasing interest in collectible whisky beyond single malts from Scotland, with Japanese whisky and Irish whiskey capturing wallet share. That said, even as demand for global whiskies grows, the power of The Macallan’s brand continues to be a guiding light for Scottish whiskies. The importance of The Macallan can be seen in its performance thus far this year, up 22.66% YTD, according to the Rare Whisky 101 Macallan Index. This is nearly 8% higher than other collectible Scottish whiskies and more than 13% higher than the broader market.
The Macallan Red Collection is an important milestone for The Macallan both as a brand and a world-class distillery. The 78-year-old bottling from the Red Collection is the second oldest bottling of The Macallan ever, and is the third oldest whisky in the world. The Macallan’s global brand power and rarity of this ultra-aged special series make this 78-year-old Red Collection a whisky that is hard to rival both as a spirit and an investment asset.