Macallan debuts James Bond experience

The Macallan has launched an interactive experience at Harrods to mark the release of a whisky range created to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the James Bond film franchise.

In October last year, the single malt brand revealed The Macallan James Bond 60th Anniversary Release, a collection of six limited edition bottles to mark six decades of the Bond franchise.

To mark its release, the brand will host a James Bond-themed interactive experience for four weeks from Sunday 19 February at luxury department store Harrods in Knightsbridge, London.

“The Macallan has become one of James Bond’s favoured whiskies, a reflection of his appreciation of the finer things in life,” said Neil Skinner, director of marketing at Edrington UK, owner of The Macallan.

“Both are the modern innovators willing to push boundaries and linked by their Scottish heritage. We’re delighted to partner with Harrods – another global icon – for the first of what we hope will be many such initiatives.

“Innovation and craftsmanship is at the heart of what we do, and we are thrilled to be showcasing these qualities in such a fitting and distinguished setting.”

The new whisky was crafted by Macallan’s master whisky maker, Kristeen Campbell, who aimed to ‘capture the character of Bond’.

Each design is dedicated to a decade of the film franchise, and features illustrations from the film’s archives.

The collection is presented in a case designed by British luggage brand Globe-Trotter, exclusively for Harrods.

Interactive experience

Meanwhile, the interactive experience features a timeline composed of illustrations and artwork showcasing the development of the Bond films, including a display of Little Nellie, the compact autogyro flown by Sean Connery in You Only Live Twice.

The final stage of the experience takes the form of Moneypenny’s office, and features memorabilia such as a gold bar from Goldfinger, signed by Connery.

Alex Unitt, partnerships director at Harrods, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with The Macallan on this special project, which marks the coming together of four iconic British brands.

“The Macallan, James Bond, Globe-Trotter and Harrods are all synonymous with luxury and discerning taste, something which resonates hugely with our Harrods customer in the UK and beyond.

“Harrods is proud to bring the rare and exclusive to our audience in every corner of our business and this is no exception. The level of craftsmanship and dedication to quality is remarkable at The Macallan distillery, and these are values that we hold very dear at Harrods.”

Auction of rare 1988 cask

Digital marketplace Metacask will also be auctioning a rare Macallan cask valued at more than US$3 million.

The 35-year-old butt will come with commissioned artwork by Italian artist Rubenfro, real name Ruben Frosali, along with the audio-visual NFT of the original digital art.

Only 495 bottles of cask #4178 remain, and the whisky can be bottled now, or remain in the cask to hit the 50-year mark.

Boasting notes of dried fruits and nuts with a cereal base, the liquid delivers a long and warming finish, and clocks in at 51.2% ABV.

In October 2021, Metacask auctioned a 1991 Macallan cask for US$2,327,563.

“Metacask auctioned a 1991 cask ‘The Angel’s Share’ in 2021, now just over a year later, we’re back with another much-anticipated auction,” said Nim Siriwardana, co-founder and chief technology officer of Metacask.

The auction will run from 12 to 19 February on Metacask’s marketplace.

Earlier this month, The Macallan debuted its first bartender advocacy programme in the UK, called Masters of their Craft.