This 15 Years Old whisky forms part of the Colour Collection from Speyside distillery of The Macallan. The Macallan 15 Years Old Single Malt Whisky has been aged in both American oak and European oak casks. These have been seasoned with sherry wine from Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. The Colour Collection has been made available exclusively for the travel retail market and was launched in 2024.
The Colour Collection has been created to showcase a range of age statement whiskies from The Macallan. These have been aged in American oak casks, enhanced by the addition of European oak. The range consists of this 15 Years Old alongside 12-, 18-, 21- and 30-Year-Olds. The range has been created to a feature a range of deepening colour hues as the whiskies grow in age. The packaging of each expression represents the hue of the whisky within and was created by graphic designer David Carson.
The Macallan was founded in 1824 by Alexander Reid on the Easter Elchies estate in the heart of the Speyside region of Scotland. This is close to the village of Craigellachie and hugs the banks of the River Spey. Named as Elchies Distillery, it became The Macallan in 1892 following a change of ownership. The brand has grown to such an extent that the old distillery, which in itself was a replacement for the original, could not produce enough spirit to meet demand.
The current distillery of The Macallan was a six year project. It was designed by Roger Harvester & Co. and cost £140 million. The distillery is 207 metres long and 67 metres wide. It is 27 metres tall at its highest point with a wooden framed load bearing roof structure. Two thirds of it is below ground after 1.5 million tonnes of earth were excavated. Production began in 2019. The Macallan is owned by The Edrington Group and the annual capacity is 15 million litres.
Like all other whiskies in this range The Macallan 15 Years Old is of natural colour. It is bottled at 43% ABV and presented in a 70cl bottle. The Colour Collection is available in The Macallan Global Boutiques, plus key airports and selected duty free locations around the world. A bottle will cost £145/ US$165/ €165.
Our Tasting Notes
The colour is coppery gold and the nose is fruity, nutty and sweet. The is plenty of caramelised walnut, which sits alongside brazil nut and milk chocolate coated raisin. Then come further aromas of plump sugary sultana, stewed plum (or is it prunes?), dates and dried red apple. Some soft baking spice, especially, powdered cinnamon, and a drop of orange oil round things off nicely.
On the palate this whisky is soft, silky and luscious. The sugary sweetness from the nose is up front. There is plenty of caramel, golden syrup and fudge. Then comes a distinct nutty vibe – think of toasted walnut and brazils again, plus hazelnut praline paste. Fruity characteristics add to the lushness. This comes in the form of spiced red apple, plump sultana and some late dried raisin.
Drying and warming wood spices are never far away. A superb combination of cedarwood and sandalwood, plus hints of powdered cinnamon and subtle oak add delicious depth. Some candied orange peel and bitter orange oil evolve towards the end. Hints of sugary dates, milk chocolate and dried apricot also sit in the background.
The finish is of decent length and is quite chocolatey. Further notes of candied orange and sandalwood make an appearance, while the praline characteristic returns. The sweeter elements fade, making the whisky a touch drier and spicier. A final flourish of cinnamon bark and a hint of wood tannin accentuates this.
What’s The Verdict?
This 15 Years Old from The Macallan is a real bomb of sweetness. It is awash with sweet dried fruit, orange-like citrus and lovely confected notes. But this is balanced superbly with warming and drying spice, especially the expressive cedarwood characteristic. This maintains balance and adds depth and complexity. It is a real crowd pleaser and it is easy to see how it will be popular. The one negative is the heavy price, something that The Macallan are often criticised for. £145 is steep for a whisky of this age, even given the quality of the liquid.
