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The Macallan just unveiled the Romantica Collection, a 258-bottle 1986 vintage release tied to the centenary of The Macallan 1926, still the most valuable bottle of wine or spirit ever sold at auction. The story behind it is the real flex. Cask no. 9925, a single sherry-seasoned European oak cask, was filled in October 1986, the same year the original 1926 was bottled, and laid down in a quiet corner of the estate. It was bottled in February 2026, after 39 years and four months of maturation. Bottled at 48.6% ABV in entirely natural color, the whisky shows apricot conserve, crystalised ginger and antique oak on the nose, with dark cherries, treacle and a hint of peat on the palate. The three artists who created original works for the 1926 (Sir Peter Blake, Valerio Adami and Michael Dillon) each return with a new piece for the Romantica Collection, themed around Time Travel, Nature and Community. Every bottle is personally signed by the artist, housed in a European oak presentation box, and limited to 86 bottles per artist edition.
It’s sold only as a complete three-bottle set, available directly through The Macallan starting July 30, 2026, with US inquiries routed to [email protected].
