The Macallan Unveils Carta Nautica Collection, Led by a 38 Year Old
Most Macallan drinkers know the brand for sherry casks, and when bourbon wood is involved, it usually comes first, with sherry as the finishing touch. The new Carta Nautica Collection flips that script. The Macallan has launched the range around a transatlantic cask journey, and it is led by a 38 year old single malt distilled in 1987.
Did You Know?
Carta Nautica is Spanish for "nautical chart," a nod to the path The Macallan's oak staves and casks travel from North America to Jerez de la Frontera in Spain and on to Scotland.
The 1987 is the first release in a new series of vintage bottlings from The Macallan.
Per the distillery, the brand's oak has crossed the Atlantic for more than two centuries.
The Release
The collection is built around one idea: following the oak. The Macallan's Whisky Mastery Team matured each whisky in two stages. The spirit first goes through a double maturation in sherry-seasoned oak casks from Jerez de la Frontera, then moves into casks that previously held North American bourbon. The journey ends at The Macallan Estate beside the River Spey, where the whisky finishes maturing in those well-traveled casks.
The Macallan says this sherry-first, bourbon-second approach departs from its usual method, which leans on sherry-seasoned casks or ex-bourbon casks followed by a sherry cask finish. According to the distillery, the result adds depth, richness and complexity while bringing brightness and balance.
The headline bottle is The Macallan Carta Nautica Distilled in 1987. It matured for 38 years and is bottled at 45.2% ABV. According to the distillery, the nose and palate offer creamy vanilla, caramelised peach, antique oak and subtle floral notes, plus nectarine, charred pineapple and soft leather. The finish is described as long, with wood spice and sultanas. The 1987 is a limited release, sold through The Macallan Estate Boutique and other Macallan Boutiques globally from 28th September, subject to availability and location.
The second bottle is The Macallan Carta Nautica 20 Years Old, a Global Travel Retail exclusive bottled at 42% ABV. The distillery points to orange peel, creamy vanilla, charred pineapple, mango and apricot conserve on the nose. The palate moves through peach tea, caramelised figs, leather and chocolate orange, ending in dried tropical fruits, caramel and toasted oak spice.
Both bottles carry artwork by American artist Amy Genser, whose paper-based pieces draw on the movement of water and the organic forms of nature. Her work is unique to each expression. Some coverage also mentions further expressions for Latin America and Mexico and for the US, so check with your local retailer for what reaches your market.
Euan Kennedy, Lead Whisky Maker at The Macallan, called the collection "a celebration of journey and transformation."
The Story of Macallan
The Macallan sits in Craigellachie, in Speyside, in the northeast of Scotland. The distillery was founded in 1824 by Alexander Reid and began life as a farm distillery. The name is said to blend the Gaelic "magh," meaning fertile ground, with "allan," a reference to a local stream.
Sherry has defined the brand for most of its history. For a long time the whisky matured only in oak sherry casks brought over from Jerez de la Frontera. In 2004 the brand added bourbon oak to its main lineup with the Fine Oak series, later renamed the Triple Cask Matured range in 2018. Carta Nautica builds on that dual-cask heritage, but with a different order of operations.
Why It Stands Out
Vintage-dated, age-stated Scotch from a name like Macallan always draws collector attention, and a 38 year old that kicks off a new vintage series adds to that. The reversed cask sequence is the other talking point. Sherry first, then bourbon, is a different path from what most Macallan fans know, and it is worth tasting side by side with the brand's usual releases.
The Details
Style: Single malt Scotch whisky
Age: 38 years (Distilled in 1987); 20 years
ABV/Proof: 45.2% ABV (Distilled in 1987); 42% ABV (20 Years Old)
Cask/Finish: Double maturation in Jerez sherry-seasoned oak, then ex-bourbon casks, finished at The Macallan Estate
Release Size: Limited (1987)
Availability: 1987 through The Macallan Boutiques globally, subject to availability and location; 20 Years Old in Global Travel Retail only
Release Date: Launched in late September 2026
Tonights Poison Take
Macallan is changing the script on cask order, and that makes this more than another prestige bottle. The 1987 will be hard to find and likely costly, but the 20 Year Old in travel retail offers a more reachable way to taste the idea. If you like fruit-forward, oak-rich Scotch, both are worth watching.
Bar Talk: Carta Nautica matures Macallan in sherry casks first and bourbon casks second, the reverse of how the brand often does it.
Send this to the Scotch collector who thinks Macallan has only one way of using sherry casks.
Please enjoy responsibly.
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