It may be hard to imagine today, but for much of the 20th century, Macallan was primarily a constituent malt in blends. It was not until the 1980s downturn in the market that the distillery decided to focus on its single malt brand. Fortuitously, this coincided with the crest of a wave of enthusiasm for the high quality releases that the distillery had licensed to Campbell, Hope & King and Gordon & MacPhail in the 1960s and 1970s. These remain some of the most collectible on the market. While global single malt sales volume is still lead by Speyside neighbours, Glenfiddich and Glenlivet, Macallan is easily the most sought after. So much so in fact, that they had to open a brand new distillery in 2018, a subterranean architectural masterpiece within the Easter Elchies estate, boasting 36 copper pot stills.

Released in 2020, this is the sixth and final bottling in what was an annual limited release.

Edition No.6 takes inspiration from the landscape around the distillery, including the legendary River Spey which is home to endangered wild Atlantic salmon. Macallan are working with the Atlantic Salmon Trust to raise awareness of their plight, and also the vital conservation work on the River Spey and beyond.

The liquid has been matured exclusively in sherry-seasoned casks – a select combination of first and second fill American and European Oak.