Macallan Carta Nautica is a new collection of four single malts from The Macallan, launched on 28 September 2026 at the TFWA travel retail show in Cannes. Each one spends its first years in sherry-seasoned oak before moving into ex-bourbon wood. The flagship is a 38-year-old from 1987 (45.2% ABV, 600 bottles). Below it sit a 20 Years Old for airport shoppers (42% ABV), a US-only 105 Proof (52.5% ABV) and a 43% ABV bottling without an age statement for Latin America and Mexico. All four are natural colour.
The Macallan has spent two centuries building its name on sherry casks from Jerez. With Macallan Carta Nautica, it keeps the sherry, but gives the last chapter to American oak that used to hold bourbon.
Carta Nautica is Spanish for “nautical chart”, and the theme is the Atlantic voyage Macallan’s oak makes before it ever meets new spirit. Staves leave American forests, some sail directly to Scotland, others stop off in Jerez to be seasoned with sherry, and everything finishes at Macallan’s Speyside estate. Four whiskies, four markets, one story about where the wood has been.
Macallan Carta Nautica at a glance
| Distilled in 1987 | 20 Years Old | 105 Proof | Carta Nautica (43%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABV | 45.2% | 42% | 52.5% | 43% |
| Age | 38 years (bottled 2026) | 20 years | No age statement | No age statement |
| Cask type | Sherry-seasoned oak, then ex-bourbon | Sherry-seasoned oak, then ex-bourbon | Sherry-seasoned American oak + ex-bourbon + sherry-touched bourbon barrels | Same three cask routes as 105 Proof |
| Flavour profile | Caramelised peach, rose, old oak, leather | Orange peel, mango, vanilla, figs | Honeycomb, toffee, golden syrup, pear | Vanilla cream, honey, melon, pear |
| Bottles | 600 | Not numbered | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Market | Macallan boutiques | Airport boutiques | USA | Latin America and Mexico |
| Price | Not officially announced | US$800 / £593 / €678 | Not officially announced | Not officially announced |
| Who it’s for | Collectors | Older Macallan fans who fly | US drinkers who like high strength | Latin American Macallan drinkers |
What is Macallan Carta Nautica?
Macallan Carta Nautica is a range, not a single bottle. The distillery debuted it at the Tax Free World Association show in Cannes, and the first two expressions went on sale on 28 September 2026.
What ties the four together is the order of the casks. Each whisky begins in sherry-seasoned oak and is then moved into ex-bourbon wood to carry on maturing. Speaking at the launch, Diane Stuart, whisky maker at The Macallan, described the idea as “bringing together both sides of the Atlantic”, explaining that the team picked sherry-then-bourbon on purpose to stack flavours in layers.
The two bottlings without an age statement go one step further. Their recipe mixes sherry-seasoned American oak and ex-bourbon casks with a third ingredient: bourbon barrels that had already spent time in sherry-seasoned American oak before this whisky went in. Macallan sums it up as three cask journeys in one bottle.
The packaging deserves a word too. The American artist Amy Genser, whose layered paper pieces echo flowing water, created the ocean-themed artwork used on the boxes, inside the 1987’s wooden case and across the launch pop-ups.
Who is The Macallan, and why the cask story matters
The Macallan was licensed in 1824 on the Easter Elchies estate near Craigellachie, high above the River Spey in Speyside, the most densely distilleried corner of Scotland. Today it belongs to Edrington, and since 2018 the spirit has been made in a new distillery built into the hillside of the estate.
The house style has always been built on wood, above all sherry-seasoned oak, and Macallan bottles its whisky at natural colour, so everything you see in the glass comes from the cask.
That focus on wood explains Carta Nautica. Edrington took a 50% stake in Grupo Estévez, owner of the Valdespino sherry bodega in Jerez, in 2023, and today owns sawmills in both the US and Spain. Valdespino makes a sherry that is used only to season Macallan casks. Carta Nautica is effectively a showcase for that whole chain, from American forest to Jerez to Speyside.
Wondering why a Speyside distillery prints “Highland Single Malt” on the label? Under the Scotch Whisky Regulations, Speyside is a protected sub-region inside the Highland region, and Macallan has long used the Highland designation.
Macallan Carta Nautica tasting notes: all four bottles
None of these whiskies has been tasted by The Daily Whisky yet. The notes below are The Macallan’s own.
Carta Nautica Distilled in 1987: the 600-bottle flagship
This is the bottle collectors will chase. Laid down in 1987 and bottled this year, it is a 38-year-old single malt at 45.2% ABV, capped at 600 bottles and housed in a carved wooden case. Macallan calls it the opening release in a new run of vintage bottlings, so more Carta Nautica vintages should follow.
Macallan Carta Nautica Distilled in 1987, distillery tasting notes
Nose: Rose petal, pink grapefruit, caramelised peach, pineapple, aged oak
Palate: Orange oil, nectarine, rich oak, charred pineapple, berry compote, leather
Finish: Long, with sultanas and wood spice
ABV: 45.2% | Cask type:Sherry-seasoned oak (Jerez), then ex-bourbon | Bottles: 600 | Price: not officially announced
A note on age: some US label registrations list the 1987 as 39 years old. Macallan’s own product page says 38, and that is the figure we use.
Carta Nautica 20 Years Old: the airport bottle
The 20 Years Old is the one most readers can actually get hold of. It is sold only in travel retail, bottled at 42% ABV, and costs US$800 (£593 / €678).
Macallan Carta Nautica 20 Years Old, distillery tasting notes
Nose: Orange peel, vanilla cream, ripe mango, charred pineapple, apricot jam
Palate: Caramelised figs, peach tea, chocolate orange, leather
Finish: Medium-long, with dried tropical fruit, caramel, toasted orange spice
ABV: 42% | Cask type: Sherry-seasoned oak (Jerez), then ex-bourbon | Price: US$800 / £593 / €678
Read the notes and you can see both casks at work: vanilla and tropical fruit point to the bourbon wood, while the apricot and figs come from the sherry-seasoned European oak.
Carta Nautica 105 Proof: the US exclusive
At 52.5% ABV (105 on the US proof scale), the 105 Proof is the strongest whisky in the range. It is a US-only release, sold through a limited number of retailers in a 750ml bottle. There is no age statement, and it uses the three-part recipe: sherry-seasoned American oak, ex-bourbon casks, and bourbon barrels that spent time in sherry-seasoned American oak.
Macallan Carta Nautica 105 Proof, distillery tasting notes
Nose: Honeycomb, nougat, vanilla, lemon drizzle cake, almond brittle
Palate: Golden syrup, toffee, candied orange, poached pear, green apple
Finish: Malt biscuit, citrus zest, gentle oak spice
ABV: 52.5% | Cask type: Sherry-seasoned American oak + ex-bourbon + bourbon barrels with time in sherry-seasoned American oak | Price: not officially announced
Carta Nautica (43%): the Latin America bottling
The lightest and lowest-strength bottle in the range simply carries the collection name. It is a 43% ABV single malt with no age statement, built on the same three cask routes as the 105 Proof and sold through chosen retailers in Latin America and Mexico. Macallan says each country will get its own launch details once stock lands.
Macallan Carta Nautica (43%), distillery tasting notes
Nose: Vanilla cream, tres leches cake, fresh fruit
Palate: Floral honey, white chocolate, melon, pear, green apple
Finish: Not yet published by The Macallan
ABV: 43% | Cask type: Sherry-seasoned American oak + ex-bourbon + bourbon barrels with time in sherry-seasoned American oak | Price: not officially announced
Sherry first, bourbon second: what makes Carta Nautica different
Plenty of cask-finished Scotch spends its long maturation in American oak and gets a sherry finish at the end. Carta Nautica takes the opposite route, and that reversal is the most interesting thing about the release.
In practice it means the sherry oak lays down the dried fruit and depth early on, and the bourbon wood is left to add vanilla, citrus and tropical fruit on top. You can read that in Macallan’s own notes: mango, pineapple and orange peel sitting over figs and apricot, rather than the dark, raisin-led profile many drinkers associate with the house.
Macallan Carta Nautica price and availability
Carta Nautica Distilled in 1987: on sale from 28 September 2026 via the Estate Boutique in Speyside and Macallan’s boutiques around the world, while stock lasts. No official price has been published.
Carta Nautica 20 Years Old: first sold only by Lotte Duty Free at Singapore Changi Airport (28 September until 18 October 2026). From 19 October it rolls out to Macallan’s airport boutiques, London Heathrow Terminal 5 among them. US$800 / £593 / €678. At Changi, buyers can also swap in a blue Merlion bottle cap that is sold nowhere else.
Carta Nautica 105 Proof: United States only, through a limited group of retailers.
Carta Nautica (43%): Latin America and Mexico only, through chosen retailers, with dates varying by country.
For readers in Denmark, Germany, the rest of Europe and Australia, an airport boutique is the realistic way to find the 20 Years Old. None of the four is set for regular shop shelves in Europe at launch, and none is sold online for international shipping by Macallan.
Is the Carta Nautica 20 Years Old worth US$800?
We have not tasted the Carta Nautica whiskies yet, so this is our read of the release rather than a verdict on the liquid.
For most whisky drinkers, the 20 Years Old is the bottle that counts. At US$800 it sits in serious territory, and the appeal is the cask story: a tropical, vanilla-led Macallan at 20 years, a different shape from the house’s classic Sherry Oak style. If you pass through Heathrow or Changi this autumn and love older Macallan, ask to try it in the boutique before you buy.
It is not for drinkers who want maximum sherry weight. If dark, raisined Macallan is what you love, the Sherry Oak range remains the place to look.
The 1987 is a collector’s bottle, plain and simple. With 600 bottles and boutique-only sales, most will go to Macallan Society members and serious collectors, and few will ever be opened.
The 105 Proof is the one we are most curious about. A high-strength Macallan leaning on American oak and bourbon casks is unusual for the distillery, and US readers should take a close look. Beyond that, keep an eye on the 1987: Macallan has made clear it is the first of a new run of Carta Nautica vintages.
Macallan Carta Nautica FAQ
What is Macallan Carta Nautica? Macallan Carta Nautica is a range of four single malts released on 28 September 2026. Every whisky in it is matured first in sherry-seasoned oak and then moved into ex-bourbon casks. The name is Spanish for “nautical chart” and refers to the Atlantic crossing Macallan’s oak makes from American forests, via Jerez, to Speyside.
What does Macallan Carta Nautica taste like? According to The Macallan, the range leans brighter and more tropical than its sherry-heavy classics. The 20 Years Old shows orange peel, mango, vanilla and caramelised figs, while the 1987 adds rose, caramelised peach and old oak. The 105 Proof brings honeycomb, toffee and golden syrup, and the 43% shows vanilla cream and floral honey.
How much does Macallan Carta Nautica cost? The 20 Years Old costs US$800, £593 or €678 in travel retail. The Macallan has not officially published prices for the 1987 vintage, the 105 Proof or the 43% bottling. Given its age and 600-bottle run, expect the 1987 to land well into five figures, in line with other old Macallan vintages.
Where can I buy Macallan Carta Nautica? The 1987 is sold through Macallan’s Estate Boutique and its other boutiques worldwide. The 20 Years Old is at Lotte Duty Free in Singapore Changi until 18 October 2026, then in Macallan airport boutiques including Heathrow Terminal 5. The 105 Proof is US only, and the 43% is for Latin America and Mexico.
What casks are used in Macallan Carta Nautica? The 1987 and 20 Years Old begin in sherry-seasoned oak from Jerez and then move into ex-bourbon casks. The 105 Proof and 43% blend sherry-seasoned American oak, ex-bourbon casks, and bourbon barrels that had spent time in sherry-seasoned American oak. All four are bottled at natural colour, with no added caramel.
Is Macallan Carta Nautica 105 Proof cask strength? The Macallan does not call the 105 Proof cask strength. It is bottled at 52.5% ABV, which equals 105 on the US proof scale, making it the strongest whisky in the Carta Nautica range. It has no age statement and is sold only in the United States, through a limited number of retailers.
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