The Macallan celebrates woman behind their £2m whisky with The Romantica Collection
The Speyside distillery is looking to the past to inform this artistic trio of whiskies, writes Rosalind Erskine.
When Janet 'Nettie' Harbinson filled and laid down cask 263 in Speyside in 1926, she could little have imagined that 97 years later it would break all records at the time to become the most expensive whisky sold at auction, selling for £2.2m.
The Macallan ‘Adami’ 1926 was one of only 40 bottles produced by the distillery and bottled in 1986 by Ms Harbison’s great nephew, Allan Shiach. It had a special‘fine and rare’ label designed by Italian painter Valerio Adami with Sotheby’s global head of spirits Jonny Fowle describing it as: “the one whisky that every auctioneer wants to sell and every collector wants to own”.
Now, 100 years on from the iconic 263 cask being filled, The Macallan are celebrating Ms Harbinson's legacy with a trio of bottles containing liquid that was put into a single sherry cask, no. 9925, in 1986 by Mr Shiach - at the same time as the maturation of cask 263 was coming to an end.
This single sherry seasoned European oak cask, no. 9925, is now being unveiled in 2026 as the Romantica Collection - a trio of 39 year old whiskies, which like their 1926 forbearers, have specially designed labels by artists.
In a notable creative reunion, the three globally acclaimed artists who contributed original art for The Macallan 1926 – Sir Peter Blake, Valerio Adami and Michael Dillon – return with new works conceived exclusively for Romantica Collection.
Each artist contemplated the journey undertaken by The Macallan during cask no. 9925’s years of maturation, from 1986 to 2026, and interpreted this in their own unique style.
Re-entering the world of The Macallan, each artist has produced a new artwork that responds to the themes – Time Travel, Nature and Community – through their own distinctive lens.
Acclaimed pop artist Sir Peter Blake’s collage, titled The Music Room, transports viewers to Easter Elchies House – the spiritual brand home of The Macallan as immortalised on every bottle – in 1986, where guests gather to celebrate the opening of The Macallan Octagon Room, a music room inside the manor house and a symbol of community at the heart of The Macallan.
Renowned for his distinctive style of narrative figuration, Valerio Adami’s bold composition, Romantica (1986), portrays Janet ‘Nettie’ Harbinson – custodian of The Macallan at the time the 1926 was distilled – standing in a bold red dress with a backdrop of the Scottish landscape, bridging past and future through a reflective reinterpretation of the 1926 bottle.
Mural artist and decorative painter Michael Dillon’s evocative landscape, The Macallan Estate, captures the natural beauty of Speyside and reveals the Estate’s modern distillery.
The label on every bottle is personally signed by the artist, highlighting the individuality of each edition and the rarity of the Collection - limited to 258 bottles in total, with just 86 from each artist.
Jaume Ferras, creative director at The Macallan, said of the new release: “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 honouring an iconic whisky, but celebrating the enduring power of artistic expression and the role it plays in shaping the heritage of the brand.
“Their artworks bring fresh meaning to a whisky shaped quietly over four decades, reinterpreting The Macallan 1926 for a new moment in time.”
I was lucky to try a small sample of this super rare Macallan, which was made extra special as the liquid was put into cask in the year I was born.
Bottled at 48.6% ABV, the first noticeable thing is how bright and vibrant the whisky smells given its age.
On the nose I found a sweetness reminiscent of summer fruits and stone fruits such as peaches, apricots and stewed apples with hints of spice, oak and a lovely whisper of smoke which you don’t get with newer Macallan whisky.
On the palate the sweetness is amplified with stronger tropical notes such as peaches, lychee, canned cherries, toffee and another hint of smoke. The finish is lingering and sweet with dried fruit notes.
It’s complex and flavourful whisky which still packs a punch despite being as old as it is.
Presented in its entirely natural colour, the whisky stands as an expression of The Macallan’s love of sherry seasoned oak, something the brand is still known for today
Kirsteen Campbell, master whisky maker at The Macallan said: “From the moment this cask was laid down in 1986, it became part of a legacy - a story that began with The Macallan 1926 and continues today. 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. It is a privilege to present a single-cask release that connects so profoundly with our heritage.”
Every bottle is housed in a bespoke wooden presentation box crafted from European oak sourced, worked and finished under complete stewardship.
Each box is decorated with the artist’s work, while inside, the bottle is accompanied by a numbered certificate signed by master whisky maker Kirsteen Campbell, a removable Collection Booklet, and a limited-edition giclée art print unique to each artist edition.
The Macallan Romantica Collection will be available exclusively as a complete set of three artist editions, directly from The Macallan from 30 July 2026, price on application.
As well as the Romantica Collection, The Macallan have added a small exhibition to Janet 'Nettie' Harbinson to their offering. Named Whisky’s Eternal Masterpiece, it marks the first time The Macallan has opened its heritage archive to the public and showcases never-before-seen documents, artworks and objects that trace how the 1926 vintage became legendary.
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