Macallan Colossus 20 and Kilkerran Tulzie: Two New Single Malts with a Scottish Story

Two labels, two stories from Scotland

Two new single malts have appeared in the label database of the US authority TTB: the Macallan 20 Years Old Colossus and the Kilkerran Tulzie. Both labels were approved on 3 November 2026. What makes them stand out is that each whisky tells a story from the 1800s on its back label. For Macallan it is an engineer who gave the Highlands roads and bridges; for Kilkerran it is a quarrel between two brothers that ended with a new distillery.

The Macallan Colossus 20 Years Old: 20 years in oak for 20 years of Telford

According to the back label, the barley was grown exclusively on The Macallan Estate, where the whisky was also distilled. It then matured for 20 years in first fill, sherry seasoned European oak casks. The Highland single malt is bottled at 43.4% ABV with natural colour, in a 700ml bottle.

Macallan ties the age statement to Thomas Telford. The 20 years of maturation reflect the two decades of rural transformation the Scottish engineer led. In 1801 Telford drew up a master plan to improve travel and transport in the Highlands. The plan ran for some 20 years and covered around 1,480 kilometres (920 miles) of new roads and more than a thousand new bridges.

The label names one of his best known works itself: the Craigellachie Bridge. This cast-iron arch bridge was built from 1812 to 1814 and crosses the River Spey in a single 46 metre span. Today it is a Category A listed structure, the highest level of protection in Scotland. Craigellachie is also the distillery's address: Macallan distils and bottles at Easter Elchies, Craigellachie, the village where Telford's bridge crosses the Spey.

Kilkerran Tulzie: a family quarrel that became a distillery

Tulzie, pronounced "Tooly", is defined on the label as a quarrel, scuffle, broil, skirmish, struggle or turmoil. The back label tells of exactly that. In the second half of the 1800s, the brothers John and William Mitchell jointly ran Springbank Distillery in Campbeltown while also working as farmers. After an almighty tulzie, allegedly over sheep, William left Springbank. A short distance along the road he set up his own distillery: Glengyle, opened in 1872.

Glengyle fell silent by 1925. Rebuilding began in 2000, and production restarted in 2004, which is why the label reads "Established 2004". The whisky is called Kilkerran because the rights to the Glengyle name belong to another company. Today Glengyle and Springbank both belong to the J&A Mitchell group, so the two brothers' distilleries are back under one roof.

Tulzie is made with more heavily peated malt than the usual Kilkerran, and the front label carries a "Peated Malt" stamp. It is bottled at 55% ABV in a 70cl bottle. The distillery describes it as bold and smoky. It carries no age statement.

And why Colossus?

Tulzie explains its name on the back label. Colossus does not, and Macallan has not said where the name comes from. Anyone who knows Telford's story may have a guess all the same: his friend Robert Southey, later Poet Laureate, gave him the punning nickname "Colossus of Roads", a play on the Colossus of Rhodes. If that is the reference, the name and the age statement on the bottle point to the same man.

Prices, tasting notes and a release date have not been announced yet.

You can already find the Macallan 20 Years Old Colossus and the Kilkerran Tulzie on Spiritory.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Macallan Colossus 20 Years Old?

A Highland single malt made from barley grown on The Macallan Estate, matured for 20 years in first fill, sherry seasoned European oak casks and bottled at 43.4% ABV with natural colour.

What does Thomas Telford have to do with the whisky?

According to the label, the 20 years of maturation reflect the two decades of rural transformation Telford led in Scotland. One of his best known works is the Craigellachie Bridge over the River Spey.

What does Tulzie mean?

Tulzie is pronounced "Tooly" and means a quarrel. The name recalls the quarrel between the brothers John and William Mitchell, after which William founded the Glengyle distillery.

How strong is Kilkerran Tulzie?

It is bottled at 55% ABV and made with more heavily peated malt than the usual Kilkerran. It carries no age statement.

When will the two whiskies be released?

Their labels were approved in the US on 3 November 2026. The distilleries have not yet named a release date or prices.