The Macallan Folio 8 lands in GTR

Edrington-owned The Macallan has released the latest edition of its Archival Series exclusively to global travel retail (GTR).

The Archival Series first launched in 2015 and celebrates the brand’s advertising campaigns from the 1980s and 1990s. The Macallan released the seventh edition in 2023, which spotlighted a 1984 campaign. The eighth release in the series focuses on a billboard campaign from the 1980s called ‘The Colossus of Nose’, a play on The Colossus of Rhodes statue. Art director David Holmes and copywriter Nick Salaman created the original campaign. Folio 8 features a booklet commemorating the campaign, packaged with the bottle in a book-shaped box, as well as additional digital content. Jeremy Speirs, Edrington’s regional managing director for GTR, said: “The Archival Series has always resonated with whisky collectors and enthusiasts, and we are thrilled to bring Folio 8 to travel retail. “This release not only honours The Macallan’s rich creative legacy but also offers travellers a chance to own a piece of the brand’s storytelling history. With its unique character and distinctive packaging, Folio 8 will be a highly sought-after release in The Macallan’s global travel retail network.”

The whisky

The liquid offers ‘golden sultanas, ripe dates, sweet berry compote, toffee brittle, lemon peel, cinnamon, and hints of anise’ on the nose. On the palate, ‘sweet raisins, sultanas, ginger, lemon and orange zest, toffee, and sweet oak’ are revealed, followed by a finish characterised by ‘sweet oak spices’. The whisky’s colour is said to be reminiscent of the roof tiles in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain and references the nose sculpture of the 1980s billboard. Whisky maker Steven Bremner said: “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. “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.” Folio 8 will be available from April at selected The Macallan airport boutiques and shop-in-shops worldwide. It is bottled at 43% ABV and retails for US$400.