Macallan partners with Pantone for Edition No.5

The Macallan has launched the fifth bottling in its Edition series, which celebrates the natural colour of the Speyside single malt and features a “unique” shade of purple created by Pantone on its packaging.

The Macallan Edition No.5 is described as a “homage to the diversity and complexity of natural colour”. The whisky has been aged exclusively in American oak casks, offering “sweet notes of caramel and fresh fruit combined with oak spices”. It follows the launch of four previous expressions in the Edition range, which “explores the unique elements” of The Macallan. Edition No.1 celebrated the brand’s use of wood; Edition No.2 celebrated taste through a collaboration with The Roca Brothers of El Celler de can Roca; Edition No.3 celebrated aroma in collaboration with master perfumer Roja Dove; and Edition No.4 celebrated the architecture of The Macallan’s new distillery. “We can find much common ground between whisky making and colour creation and with Edition No.5 we have been able to explore and celebrate these two art forms,” said Sarah Burgess, The Macallan whisky maker. “Whilst colour development starts with mixing basic colours with precision to achieve different shades, for whisky making, it is the knowledge and understanding of a specific palette of colours from the cask which is the starting point. From here we can craft the desired character and specific colour of the final whisky”. Pantone Color Institute created an exclusive colour for The Macallan Edition No.5 – an “intricate combination” of red and blue. “As the rainbow’s most complex colour, purple naturally felt like the ideal shade to highlight the equally complex process involved in The Macallan’s whisky making,” said Laurie Pressman, vice-president of Pantone. “This new vibrant shade developed for Edition No.5, brings to life the exquisite combination of distinctive natural hues found in this whisky.” The Macallan Edition No. 5 is bottled without an age statement at 48.5% ABV and carries an RRP of £92 (US$115). It will be available from select retailers and on-trade accounts.