‘Ultra-Rare’ Macallan Folio 8 to Release in the U.S. For the First Time Ever

• The Macallan has unveiled Folio 8, the latest chapter in its highly coveted Archival Series.
• For the first time ever, this ultra-limited release will be available in the U.S.
• Approximately 450 bottles will be made available in the U.S. with prices starting at USD$400.

With all due respect to its exceptional output, The Macallan’s great success comes in its marketing. Equal parts status symbol and superior dram, the Speyside Scotch maker’s esteemed single malts endure as perfect gifts for corporate types and whisky lovers alike.

One might then be surprised to know that the distillery’s first proper advert didn’t appear in print until 1980. That successful campaign and the ones that followed have inspired the exclusive Archival Series, which will consist of 24 collectible ‘Folios’ by the time it concludes. Unleash your inner Mad Man and behold Folio 8, the collection’s latest chapter.

The Macallan Archival Series Story

It was London-based ad agency Holmes Knight Ritchie who oversaw The Macallan’s brilliant print and billboard campaigns throughout the 1980s and into the early 1990s. What began in The Times with a small advert next to the crossword puzzle grew quickly and exponentially, establishing the distillery as a pillar of quality with an innate sense of intelligence and wit. Earlier Folios in the Archival Series have paid homage to various ads and moments during this historic run and Folio 8 continues the theme.

Colossus of Nose

Picking up on the heels of Folio 7 aka “The Boffins Baffled”—in reference to a 1984 campaign where scientists tried to uncover the magic behind The Macallan whisky—Folio 8 goes out to the “Colossus of Nose” adverts from the same era. The campaign drew clever inspiration from The Colossus of Rhodes, a giant Greek statue that was formerly one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Playing upon this theme, the original adverts highlighted the whisky’s towering aromas. Towering. Get it? Yeah, you get it.

“The inspiration for this eighth edition of The Macallan Folio Archival Series is the eminent billboard advert from the 1980s; ‘The colossus of nose’ which playfully alludes to the magnificent aroma emitted by our single malt,” Steven Bremner, whisky maker at The Macallan said. “Drawing from The Macallan’s inventory of exceptional European sherry seasoned oak casks to deliver a whisky celebrating outstanding flavours and aromas, reflective of the stature and prominence of the artwork it reflects.”

The Macallan Folio 8

Drawing further upon its creative foundations, Folio 8’s bottle design features an overturned nose of monumental proportions. Then there’s the single malt itself, which was crafted from first-fill and refill European oak sherry casks. One should expect a downright epic nose and that’s exactly what this whisky delivers, walloping the senses with sweet sultanas, ripe dates, coffee brittle, berry compote, lemon peel, cinnamon, and hints of anise.

The flavour cuts a similar path in its complex fusion of sweet raisin, sultanas, ginger, lemon, orange zest, toffee, and oak. Everything trails out on a long and rich finish of sweet oak spice. It’s all swirling in a body of deep Terracotta colour, the kind that can only be cultivated by proper sherry cask maturation (The Macallan doesn’t use caramel colouring). Our palate is getting thirsty at the very thought of this luscious single malt and its uncompromising indulgence. Colossal, indeed!

The Macallan Folio 8 Price and Availability

The Macallan Archival Series is a limited engagement and an exclusive one at that. The only people who can purchase these single malts directly are The Macallan Society members and private clients via the distillery’s website. Folio 8 is the first of the series to be available in the U.S., where it’s being limited to approximately 450 bottles at a suggested price of USD$400.

Score a bottle for yourself and what you get in return is a pure representation of what this distillery does best: superb quality with the hard-earned status to match. Come for the craftsmanship, stay for the legacy.

The Macallan Folio 8

• Brand: The Macallan
• Release: Folio 8
• Series: Archival Series
• ABV: 43%
• Colour: Vintage Terracotta.
• Availability: 450 bottles in the U.S.
• Registration: Opens February 2025
• Price: USD$400
• Tasting Notes:
  • Nose: Golden sultanas and ripe dates, sweet berry compote, toffee brittle, lemon peel, cinnamon, and hints of anise.
  • Palate: Sweet raisins and sultanas, ginger, lemon and orange zest, toffee, and sweet oak.
  • Finish: Long, rich with sweet oak spices.