In the 1980s, The Macallan released two limited edition bottlings commissioned by British Aerospace plc (now BAE Systems) featuring the twin turboprop aircraft, Jetstream 31. Whilst The Macallan is certainly no stranger to collaborations (see The Macallan x Bentley Motors), this one is more understated than most. And, perhaps, one of the most mysterious.
The Macallan’s collaboration with British Aerospace plc is the subject of conjecture in the industry. As far as I can see, there is no record of why this collaboration came about, the exact year of bottling, or the original retail price. It is, by all accounts, a mystery.
So, in the interest of finding out (or rather, postulating) about the origins of this special bottling, let’s take a deep dive into The Macallan BAe whiskies: the 12 Year Old and the 25 Year Old Anniversary Malt.
If you are on the lookout for the 12 Year Old BAe Jetstream, we have one listed on The Whiskey Wash Shop, on behalf of a client, for $2,917.
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Firstly, let’s take a look at The Macallan’s standing in the whisky industry in the 1980s.
The Macallan in the 1980s
By the 1980s, The Macallan Distillery was already at the forefront of whisky production, having undergone an expansion to 21 stills in 1975. Despite the global downturn in demand for whisky during the ensuing decade, The Macallan remained popular and focused heavily on promoting the emerging single malt category.
For example, the first Macallan 18 Year Old (a 1965 vintage), was released in 1984. The 18 Year Olds remain an ongoing series from the distillery. Two years later, in 1986, The Macallan bottled the fabled 1926 60 Year Old. The Macallan 1926 60 Year Old Valerio Adami currently holds the record for the most expensive bottle of whisky ever sold at auction for a staggering £2.18 million.
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In the same year, Japanese group Suntory acquired a 25% stake in the distillery, reinforcing its global reputation for excellence.
British Aerospace plc in the 1980s
Whilst The Macallan was busy focusing on the emerging market for single malt whisky, British Aerospace was preparing to unveil the BAe Jetstream 31.
British Aerospace plc was initially a statutory corporation, brought about by the nationalization of the British Aircraft Corporation, Hawker Siddeley Aviation, Hawker Siddely Dynamics, and Scottish Aviation.
Following privatization in 1980, the company was re-registered as a public limited company (plc) in 1981. By 1985, it had been fully privatized.
The company, an aircraft and defense systems manufacturer, debuted the BAe Jetstream 31 on March 28th, 1980, when the small twin turboprop airliner took its first flight. It was officially introduced in 1982. Only 386 planes were manufactured.
The plane was a small, regional airliner, capable of flying 18 to 19 passengers. Variants on this design were released for other uses such as maritime patrol (Jetstream 31EZ) or executive transport (Jetstream Executive Shuttle).
So, now that we know a little about each company, let’s take a look at the whiskies.
The Macallan BAe Jetstream Whiskies, 1980s
The Macallan 12 Year Old BAe Jetstream was bottled by the distillery in the 1980s under commission from British Aerospace plc. The label features an image of the Jetstream flying over Culzean Castle on the Firth of Clyde in Scotland.
Apart from the illustration and text at the bottom of the label, and the fact that the age statement appears only on the box, the whisky bears no difference from the standard 12 year old offering, bottled at 43% ABV.
The Macallan 25 Year Old Anniversary Malt BAe Jetstream is stranger still. No alterations were made to the label, which asserts that the whisky was distilled in 1964 and bottled in 1989. It is the standard 25 Year Old label.
However, if you spin the bottle around, on the back there is the exact label that adorns the 12 Year Old BAe Jetstream.
Again, no changes were made to the whisky. Odd, isn’t it?
Auction Prices
The two Macallan BAe whiskies are extremely rare. The 12 Year Old Jetstream has only sold at auction 19 times, with the current record being £2,375 achieved at Whisky Hammer in November 2019.
The 25 Year Old has sold just three times, with the record hammer standing at £2,650 achieved in March 2019 at Whisky Hammer.
The Theories
As I have said, these bottles are a bit of a mystery. No great effort seems to have been put into the labeling or the marketing for these particular bottles. This makes me wonder whether or not these bottles were produced exclusively for BAe employees. Although, there is also a theory that the bottles were given by the case to purchasers of the Jetstream 31.
However, this theory does not account for the fact that there is a third Macallan BAe bottling: The ATP Advanced Turboprop 12 Year Old. Even more mysterious than its Jetstream counterpart, I can only find one record of this bottle ever having sold at auction in 2018 for £1,750.
Also subject to debate is why these bottles were commissioned. There is one theory that the bottles were created to commemorate the test flight of the Jetstream (and the other for the ATP Turboprop).
The BAe Jetstream 31 undertook its first flight in 1980 and was officially introduced in 1982, giving rise to the theory that these bottles were commissioned to celebrate its test flight.
However, the 25 Year Old Anniversary Malt was bottled in 1989. If the 12 Year Old was bottled at the same time, then we can discount that theory. However, we do not know for sure when the 12 Year Old was bottled.
I have also come up with a theory myself about the inclusion of Culzean Castle on the label. Go with me for a moment. In 1916, a 21-year-old pilot named William Leefe Robinson shot down a German airship over Hertfordshire. In the process, he became the first British pilot to take down an airship over British soil during the First World War. He later received the Victoria Cross for this effort. Sadly, following service on the Western Front, he contracted the Spanish Flu and died aged 23 in December 1918.
The propellor from Robinson’s plane is displayed in the armory at Culzean Castle, the very castle that features on the label of the BAe Jetstream. Could the image of Culzean Castle on the label be an homage to this young pilot? Who knows?
Do You Know Anything About The Macallan BAe Jetstream?
All of this is to say that The Macallan BAe Jetstream bottlings remain enigmas. However, there is no doubt that they are extremely valuable to Macallan collectors. With no release numbers available, and yet so few of them appearing at auction, it is safe to say that these bottles are a rarity.
Macallan whiskies such as this, the Raffles, The New Range Rover, and the Inverlochy Castle 25 Year Old Anniversary Malt undoubtedly paved the way for later collaborations, not with artists like the 1926 60 Year Old, but with other companies.
In the years since these whiskies hit the market in the 1980s, Macallan has become a whisky-maker to the stars, redefining what is meant by luxury scotch whisky. This is particularly evident in its recent collaboration with Bentley Motors, the luxury car manufacturer.
Yes, the Macallan x Bentley Motors might seem over-the-top (and astonishingly expensive). However, it is thanks to bottles such as The Macallan BAe Jetstreams that the distillery can perform these luxury undertakings. These early collaborative whiskies laid the foundation for what Macallan could be. As it turns out, what The Macallan could be is the pinnacle of luxury.
With that said, I am eager to know more about the mystery Jetstream bottlings. So, if you have any information, get in the comments below.
Buy The Macallan 12 Year Old BAe Jetstream 1980s
If you are a collector of Macallan who has been desperately searching for this elusive whisky, then you are in luck. We have a bottle of The Macallan 12 Year Old BAe Jetstream, bottled in the 1980s, listed on The Whiskey Wash Shop for just $2,917.
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