The Macallan Unveils The Romantica Collection 1986

The Macallan Unveils The Romantica Collection 1986

The Macallan has revealed The Romantica Collection 1986, a trio of artist editions drawn from a single sherry seasoned European oak cask filled forty years ago. The release reunites Sir Peter Blake, Valerio Adami and Michael Dillon, the three artists originally commissioned for the legendary Macallan 1926, with just 86 bottles released under each of their labels.

A Reunion Four Decades in the Making

In the 1980s, The Macallan invited three internationally celebrated artists to create labels for The Macallan 1926, a project that became one of the most storied collaborations in single malt history. Four decades later, the same three artists have returned to interpret another singular cask: number 9925, filled in 1986 and laid to rest in a quiet corner of The Macallan Estate.

The Three Artist Editions

Each artist edition is presented in its own packaging with original artwork. The whisky inside is identical across all three, drawn from the same single cask.

Macallan 1986 The Romantica Collection by Sir Peter Blake sees the godfather of British pop art apply his signature collage sensibility to a romantic tribute to cask 9925.

Macallan 1986 The Romantica Collection by Valerio Adami carries a label drawn from one of Adami's own sketches from 1986, a graphic composition of a lady beneath the moon and stars.

Macallan 1986 The Romantica Collection by Michael Dillon features a landscape painting of Easter Elchies Estate, with the modern distillery hidden under its undulating grass-covered roof.

Cask 9925

The Romantica Collection is drawn from a single sherry seasoned European oak cask, number 9925, filled in 1986 and matured undisturbed for forty years on The Macallan Estate. The cask was bottled in 2026 at 48.6% ABV, yielding 258 bottles in total, divided equally across the three artist editions.

Tasting Notes

The Macallan describes the whisky as having a luminous character of fruits, spice and rich oak, drawn from four decades in sherry seasoned European oak.

Release & Availability

The Romantica Collection 1986 comprises 258 bottles in total, with 86 bottles allocated to each artist edition. All three are available on Spiritory: by Sir Peter Blake , by Valerio Adami and by Michael Dillon .