200 Years of a Global Whisky Icon

The Macallan kicked off its bicentennial celebration last month with a specially choreographed Cirque du Soleil show befitting its status as the gold standard for luxury Single Malts

- Radhakrishnan Nair

If you don't pronounce every victory as the greatest, The Macallan, is arguably among the world's most famous Single Malts, a favourite of the connoisseurs and enthusiasts at the top end of the whisky market referred to as the premium and the ultra-premium segments. The Scottish brand's leadership of this category is so complete that of the 25 most expensive whiskies currently available for purchase globally, according to the longtime industry tracker Wine Searchers, 17 are from The Macallan. Of course, all these are special edition Single Malts with big names like The Macallan Lalique 50-Years old which is priced at over Rs 25 lakh a bottle, and The Macallan 'The Reach' 81-Years Old which retails for the Indian equivalent of Rs 24 lakh a bottle.

Of course, The Macallan is also a big player in the more affordable segment of the market as well. The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years sells in Mumbai for around Rs 10,000, but if you move up the ladder to Sherry Oak 18 Years, the price jumps to around Rs 68,000. But the rarefied world of high age, limited edition Single Malts has largely been a creation of The Macallan, starting in the 1980s and 90s, and not many brands have been able to challenge its domination since.