The Macallan Edition No. 5 Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 750ml

The Macallan Edition No. 5 is the fifth installment in the iconic Macallan Edition Series, released globally in autumn 2019 as a strictly limited annual bottling from The Macallan Distillery, founded by Alexander Reid in 1824 in the village of Craigellachie in Speyside. The Edition Series ran from 2015 through 2020, with each release organized around a different defining element of Macallan's whisky making process: Edition No. 1 and No. 2 explored cask influence, No. 3 explored aroma, No. 4 explored structure, and Edition No. 5 turned to color, celebrating Macallan's commitment to 100% natural coloring (no spirit caramel added) and the natural color spectrum that emerges from the brand's exceptional sherry seasoned oak cask program. The release was created in unprecedented partnership with the Pantone Color Institute in New Jersey, whose Vice President Laurie Pressman led a custom color development project to create a uniquely bold shade of purple (described by Pantone as "the rainbow's most complex colour") specifically for the Edition No. 5 packaging, reflecting the multi faceted enigmatic complexity of the whisky itself. Hand selected by Macallan Whisky Maker Sarah Burgess from 100% American oak casks sourced from three distinguished Spanish bodegas, the recipe brings together five distinct cask types in unique proportions: first fill ex bourbon barrels, second fill refill hogsheads and butts, first fill Tonsa hogsheads and butts, first fill Vasyma butts, and first fill Hudosa hogsheads and butts. The 100% American oak composition is unusual for Macallan (which more commonly features high European oak content), delivering a notably brighter, more vanilla forward, more orchard fruit driven character than the brand's flagship sherry oak range. Bottled at the Edition Series signature elevated 48.5% ABV (significantly above the 43% standard core Macallan ABV) with natural color and no chill filtration. Original 2019 SRP around $120 USD, now permanently discontinued and trading well above original retail.

ABV / Proof

Tasting Notes

Color: Sunlight barley, a bright golden hue with cherry wood warmth and golden shimmer (Macallan's official color note for this release).

Nose: Vanilla and toffee leading, with oak, nutmeg, ginger, lemon basil, pear, dried fruits, salted caramel, sawdust, sugar coated apples, delicate maraschino cherries, lemon flavored gummy bears, strawberry cupcake with sugary topping, and gentle alcohol buoyancy from the elevated ABV.

Palate: Fresh, sweet, and smooth, with caramel moving into poached peaches and ripe pear, followed by toffee sweetness, light oak spices in the form of nutmeg and ginger, chewy nougat sweetness (a signature Macallan note), curd freshness, ginger sharpness, dried fruits, ripe plums, milk chocolate, new leather, lemon zest, white pepper, and black pepper warmth.

Finish: Long and sweet, with nutmeg and ginger lingering, leather, dark chocolate, sweet oak, and baking spice.

FAQ

What is The Macallan Edition Series? The Macallan Edition Series was an annual limited edition program launched by The Macallan in 2015 and concluded in 2020, with each release organized around a different defining element of the brand's whisky making process. Edition No. 1 (2015) and Edition No. 2 (2016) explored cask influence, No. 3 (2017) explored aroma (in collaboration with master perfumer Roja Dove), No. 4 (2018) explored structure (in collaboration with architect Santiago Calatrava), Edition No. 5 (2019) explored color (this release, with Pantone), and Edition No. 6 (2020) closed the series with a tribute to the River Spey. All six bottles were bottled at the elevated 48.5% ABV signature of the series and have become collected as a complete set among serious Macallan enthusiasts.

How did the Pantone collaboration work? Macallan partnered with the Pantone Color Institute in New Jersey, the world's foremost authority on color (Pantone is the brand behind the universal Pantone Matching System used by virtually every print and design professional worldwide). Pantone Vice President Laurie Pressman led a custom color development project specifically for Edition No. 5, creating a uniquely bold new shade of purple that does not exist in any other Pantone reference book. The color was chosen because purple is, in Pressman's words, "the rainbow's most complex colour," reflecting the multi faceted enigmatic complexity of the whisky's five cask flavor profile. The Pantone color appears prominently on the bottle label and presentation box.

Why 100% American oak? The Macallan core range is famously built around sherry seasoned European oak cask maturation, which delivers the brand's signature ruby mahogany color, dried fruit, and dark spice character. For Edition No. 5, Whisky Maker Sarah Burgess made the unusual decision to compose the recipe entirely from American oak casks (sourced from three distinguished Spanish bodegas, all sherry seasoned), specifically because American oak naturally delivers a brighter, more golden, more vanilla forward color profile than European oak. The color choice was the starting point and the whole composition was tuned to celebrate Macallan's natural color spectrum in its lightest, most luminous form. The result is one of the brightest, most fruit forward Macallan releases ever produced.

How rare is this 2019 release? Strictly limited and now permanently discontinued. The Macallan Edition Series ended in 2020 with Edition No. 6, and the original Edition No. 5 inventory has long since sold through at retail. Wine-Searcher US currently shows an average market price of $358 per 750ml, with sealed bottles in the original purple Pantone presentation box increasingly scarce. The complete six bottle Edition Series in matched original packaging is among the most collected modern Macallan sets, with collectors particularly seeking Edition No. 5 for the unique Pantone color story and the brand's only 100% American oak NAS bottling.

Where can I buy The Macallan Edition No. 5 online? Available here at Liquor On Broadway while stock lasts, with fast insured shipping nationwide.