The Macallan, Easter Elchies, Vertical Collection

The Macallan Easter Elchies series is a modern Macallan classic. In particular, the 2008-2013 Ribbon Label series is instantly recognisable and collectable. So, what exactly is it that makes the Easter Elchies series one of Macallan’s most famous series?

The Macallan Easter Elchies series was created to pay homage to the home of Macallan, the Easter Elchies house. The house was built in 1700 as a holiday home for Captain John Grant of Elchies. The house remained in the family for 59 years, until the grandson of Captain John Grant sold it to the Earl of Findlater & Seafield. Alexander Reid rented the house in 1820, and in 1824 he established the Macallan distillery, named for the ruins of a church and a parish nearby. The house was not very well maintained in the following years, and in the 1960s Macallan bought the house from the Seafields and reinvigorated it.

The most recognisable incarnation of the Easter Elchies is the Ribbon Label series. This series began in 2008, and one bottle was released every year until 2013, adding up to 6 bottles in total. Each of the bottles has a vintage statement and an age statement, and a different coloured ribbon adorns each bottle.

The series consists of rare 1990s vintages, and age statements all over twelve years old. In addition to this, the Easter Elchies series was released before Macallan underwent its drastic rebrand in 2018, thanks to the unveiling of a new distillery and visitor’s centre.

Therefore, it is safe to assume that many of these bottlings were bought to be consumed rather than collected. As such, the scarcity of these bottles is ever-increasing. The Macallan Easter Elchies series is not only rare due to the low volume of bottles that were released (600 bottles or less per release), but also due to the fact that single cask, cask strength Macallan is in itself incredibly rare.