The Macallan has unveiled the Romantica Collection, an exceptionally rare 1986 vintage single cask release created to celebrate the 100th anniversary of The Macallan 1926, the world’s most valuable bottle of wine or spirit ever sold at auction. Limited to just 258 bottles drawn from a single sherry-seasoned European oak cask, the collection reunites three artists whose work adorned the original 1926 bottling: Sir Peter Blake, Valerio Adami and Michael Dillon.
Cask no. 9925 was filled and laid down on The Macallan Estate in 1986, the same year the final bottles of The Macallan 1926 were released.
Sir Peter Blake, Valerio Adami and Michael Dillon have each produced a new exclusive artwork for the collection, responding to the themes of time travel, nature and community.
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READ THE STORYThe collection comprises 86 bottles per artist edition. Every label is personally signed by the respective artist.
Jaume Ferras, creative director at The Macallan, said: “The Romantica Collection represents a rare convergence of time, creativity and craftsmanship. By revisiting the legacy of The Macallan 1926 through the eyes of Sir Peter Blake, Valerio Adami and Michael Dillon, we are not simply honoring an iconic whisky, but celebrating the enduring power of artistic expression and the role it plays in shaping the heritage of the brand.”
Bottled at 48.6% ABV in entirely natural color, official tasting notes from the brand describe apricot conserve, canned peaches and bittersweet toffee on the nose, with velvety brown sugar, glazed peach and dark cherries on the palate, finishing with lingering dried fruit, leather and rich cacao.
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Kirsteen Campbell, master whisky maker at The Macallan, said: “Over forty years of slumber, the whisky has evolved with extraordinary grace, developing a luminous character of fruits, spice and rich oak. To see this expression now paired with new artworks from Sir Peter Blake, Valerio Adami and Michael Dillon is deeply moving. Their interpretations mirror the whisky’s own journey: layered, imaginative and shaped by time.”
Sir Peter Blake’s collage, The Music Room, depicts a gathering at Easter Elchies House in 1986. Valerio Adami’s bold composition, Romantica (1986), portrays Janet “Nettie” Harbinson, custodian of The Macallan when the 1926 was distilled. Michael Dillon’s landscape, The Macallan Estate, captures Speyside’s natural beauty alongside the modern distillery.
Each bottle is housed in a bespoke European oak presentation box featuring the artist’s work, a numbered certificate signed by Campbell, a collection booklet and a limited-edition giclée art print.
The Macallan 1926 has repeatedly set auction records. A single bottle sold for $2.7 million (£2.1 million) at Sotheby’s in 2019, cementing its status as the most sought-after whisky in existence.
The Macallan Romantica Collection will be available exclusively as a complete set of three artist editions directly from The Macallan from July 30, 2026.
