The Macallan Red Collection takes off with a flying start

The Macallan partner with Le Clos to unveil The Red Collection at The Macallan Boutique by Le Clos, reinforcing its standing as one of the leading global retailers of The Macallan. During the launch, sales generated exceeded USD2 million, with international and Dubai based collectors securing their allocations within hours of the global unveiling.

Founded in 1824, The Macallan is one of the world’s most admired and awarded single malt whiskies. The reputation of The Macallan is based on a product of outstanding quality and distinctive character. An obsession with excellence has been the hallmark of The Macallan since its founding, by Alexander Reid, on a plateau above the river Spey in north-east Scotland.

The Macallan Boutique by Le Clos located in Terminal 3 at Dubai International airport (DXB), has continued operations during travel restrictions and all phases of the pandemic. The Macallan and Le Clos saw the need to pivot and change quickly, to have a stronger digital focus in order to service customers where possible through an online version of the boutique.

Through the online boutique and direct marketing campaigns to VIP customers Le Clos and The Macallan have been able to deliver outstanding sales results during an immensely challenging period.

In addition, to the launch of the Red Collection, highlights over recent months have included a resurgence in sales of The Macallan aged expressions, in addition to releases of the highly collectable Folio and Exceptional Cask series.

Jeremy Speirs, Regional Managing Director for Edrington Global Travel Retail commented, “Having curated such a remarkable range of whiskies for The Red Collection it’s fitting that Le CLos is one of a few select retailers bringing its story to life at launch in The Macallan Boutiques.

“With its unrivalled understanding of the luxury spirits consumer and track- record in providing a launchpad for some of The Macallan’s most premium and sought-after expressions, Le Clos has become a true authority on the brand, and its stores a must-visit destination.”

In another statement, Ben Odgers, General Manager for Le Clos also said, that Le Clos and The Macallan have enjoyed a great partnership, which was reinforced last year with the opening of The Macallan Boutique by Le Clos.

“We are delighted to have access to the Red Collection for our customers, as these are truly extraordinary expressions. During these unprecedented times to achieve such outstanding sales is a testament to the exclusiveness of the Red Collection, our partnership with The Macallan and the ongoing loyalty and support from our customers, Odgers added.

“The Macallan continues to play a significant role within our portfolio, and we continue to work closely with them to bring our customers world class retail experiences both online and in-store. Our collaboration with The Macallan and mutual commitment to innovation has enabled The Macallan Boutique by Le Clos to be one of the go-to locations globally for The Macallan collectors and whisky connoisseurs.”

Inspired by the significance of the colour red throughout the history of The Macallan, The Red Collection features a selection of ongoing aged expressions and occasional high aged guest releases.

At the heart of The Red Collection is The Macallan 40 Years Old, The Macallan 50 Years Old and The Macallan 60 Years Old which are the oldest ongoing expressions ever offered by The Macallan.

They will be joined on occasion by high aged guest releases, commencing with The Macallan 71 Years Old, The Macallan 74 Years Old and The Macallan 78 Years Old. These incredibly rare single malts are among the world’s oldest Scotch whiskies, with The Macallan 74 Years Old and The Macallan 78 Years Old being the oldest bottlings ever released by the brand.

For the launch of The Red Collection, The Macallan has collaborated with celebrated Spanish painter and illustrator Javi Aznarez to create a remarkable animated film. The Spanish creator is acclaimed for his striking graphic art which has featured in several Hollywood films, including respected director Wes Anderson’s upcoming feature, The French Dispatch. The animation is set to music recorded by Scottish violinist Nicola Benedetti, one of the world’s most influential classical artists.

Each expression in The Red Collection is encased in an oak presentation box created from the same sustainable European oak used to craft The Macallan’s oak casks. The boxes are beautifully upholstered with sustainably sourced soft red leather from Scottish supplier Bridge of Weir Leather.

A bespoke handcrafted case that can house the trio of ongoing or guest releases has also been developed by Scottish artisan furniture and objet d’art manufacturer, Method Design Studio, which supplies some of the world’s top luxury brands.

The exclusive launch is the latest chapter in the long-standing award-winning partnership between The Macallan and Le Clos.