Seeing one bottle from The Macallan Six Pillars Collection is rare enough. Seeing all six Lalique decanters lined up together, in the same room, on the same evening, is the kind of thing that almost never happens outside the distillery’s own archive. That is exactly what Rare Wine put in front of us at Kunsten in Aalborg.
The setting did half the work. Kunsten is one of Denmark’s internationally recognised art museums, and walking a collection of this calibre through its galleries turned a tasting into something closer to an exhibition. We were taken through the whole journey: the bottles, the history behind them, and why these particular releases became the collector objects they are.
What the Rare Wine evening at Kunsten actually was
This was an invitation-only event hosted by Rare Wine, the Danish importer behind a good slice of the rare bottles that reach this country. The format was part guided walkthrough, part tasting, part dinner.
Jonas Gram, Macallan’s Nordic Brand Ambassador, took us bottle by bottle through the collections. That matters, because with whisky at this age and this price, the story is most of the value. He explained the thinking behind each release, why the ages were chosen, and what makes the Six Pillars idea more than marketing.
Food was served alongside, and the one whisky on the night you could actually drink rather than admire behind glass was The Macallan Harmony Collection Jing.
The whisky we actually tasted: Macallan Harmony Collection Jing
The Harmony Collection is Macallan’s annual limited series, built around sustainable packaging and a flavour collaboration each year. The Jing release is the tea chapter, made with JING Tea and inspired by Phoenix Honey Orchid, a rare oolong grown in China’s Phoenix Mountain. Even the box is made from repurposed waste tea leaves.
In the glass it leans into that tea idea. This is matured predominantly in sherry-seasoned American oak, so it sits on the lighter, brighter side of the Macallan house style rather than the dark, dried-fruit sherry bombs the brand is also known for.
The Macallan Harmony Collection Jing tasting note
Nose: soft peach, honey, light florals, a touch of green tea
Palate: orchard fruit, gentle toffee, vanilla from the American oak, delicate spice
Finish: medium, clean, with a fragrant tea-like dryness
ABV: 43.9% | Cask type: sherry-seasoned American oak | Size: 70cl Price: around £152
The Macallan Six Pillars Collection: six Lalique decanters, one idea each
The Macallan Six Pillars Collection is a collaboration between Macallan and French crystal house Lalique, released across eleven years from 2005 to 2016. Each decanter celebrates one of the six “pillars” Macallan considers the foundation of its character: Exceptional Oak Casks, Natural Colour, Finest Cut, Curiously Small Stills, Spiritual Home, and Peerless Spirit.
The ages climb as the series goes on, from a 50 Year Old to a 65 Year Old, and the whiskies inside are some of the oldest single malts Macallan has ever bottled. Complete sets have sold at auction for sums north of 600,000 dollars, which tells you why assembling them for a single Danish evening is unusual.
What you take away from seeing them together is the consistency. These were filled, in some cases, before the modern distillery existed, and the through-line of sherry-cask Macallan character is the whole point of the exercise.
The Macallan Red Collection bottles: ultra-aged Macallan up close
After the Six Pillars, we were shown several bottles from The Macallan Red Collection: the 60, 71, 73, 74, 77, and 78 Year Old expressions, lined up side by side.
That lineup is worth pausing on. The Red Collection launched in 2020 and is built on a permanent core of 40, 50, and 60 Year Old single malts, joined from time to time by high-aged guest releases. The 71, 74, and 78 arrived first in 2020, with the 78 standing as the oldest age-statement whisky Macallan had ever released at the time. The 77 followed in 2023, distilled back in 1945, and the 73 came in 2024, distilled in November 1950 and bottled at 44.9%. Seeing five of these guest releases together, plus the 60, is something even serious collectors rarely get to do.
The original launch set in 2020 was a different beast again. Its bottles carried bespoke labels illustrated and signed by Spanish artist Javi Aznarez, with only two such sets ever made, and a complete Red Collection sold at Sotheby’s that year for close to a million dollars.
The name traces back to the colour red running through Macallan’s history, from the sherry that seasons its oak to the surname of founder Alexander Reid, which means “the red one” in Scots. Standing in front of this many of the guest releases at once, rather than meeting them as single lots scattered across auction catalogues, is the part of the evening that sticks with you.
Who is Rare Wine and why this night mattered
Rare Wine is a Danish importer specialising in fine wine and rare spirits, and they are one of the more reliable routes into allocated and collectible bottles in this market. Hosting an event of this level at Kunsten signals where Macallan and Rare Wine see the Danish collector market heading.
For context, almost none of these bottles are things you walk into a shop and buy. The Six Pillars and the high-aged Red Collection releases trade privately or at auction, often well into six figures. An evening like this is less about buying and more about access, the chance to stand in front of bottles most enthusiasts only ever see in a hammer-price report.
Our verdict: one of the most complete whisky nights we have been to
This is not a night you review with a score. There were no drams of 78-year-old Macallan being poured. The value was in the access and the storytelling, and on both counts it was as good as Danish whisky events get.
If you collect Macallan, or you care about the upper end of Scotch as cultural objects rather than just liquid, this is the kind of event worth saying yes to without hesitation. Keep an eye on Rare Wine’s calendar, because evenings that put a complete Six Pillars set in one room do not come around often.
Ofte stillede spørgsmål / FAQ
What is The Macallan Six Pillars Collection? The Macallan Six Pillars Collection is a set of six crystal decanters made with French house Lalique, released between 2005 and 2016. Each decanter celebrates one of Macallan’s six founding “pillars” and holds an ultra-aged single malt, from a 50 Year Old up to a 65 Year Old.
What bottles are in The Macallan Red Collection? The Red Collection has a permanent core of 40, 50, and 60 Year Old single malts, joined by high-aged guest releases. The first guest trio in 2020 was the 71, 74, and 78 Year Old, followed by the 77 Year Old in 2023 and the 73 Year Old in 2024.
How much does The Macallan Six Pillars Collection cost? There is no fixed retail price, as the decanters trade privately and at auction. Complete six-bottle sets have sold for over 600,000 dollars, and a record sale by Le Clos in Dubai reached 816,748 dollars, making it one of the most valuable Scotch collections ever assembled.
Where can I buy rare Macallan in Denmark? Rare Wine is a Danish importer that handles fine wine and rare spirits, including allocated and collectible Macallan. Ultra-aged releases like the Red Collection and Six Pillars are not stocked openly and are typically sourced privately or through auction houses.
What is the Macallan Harmony Collection Jing? Jing is the tea chapter of Macallan’s Harmony Collection, made with JING Tea and inspired by Phoenix Honey Orchid oolong. Bottled at 43.9% ABV and matured mainly in sherry-seasoned American oak, it carries soft peach, honey, and light floral notes, with packaging made from repurposed tea leaves.
Where is Kunsten in Aalborg? Kunsten Museum of Modern Art is in Aalborg, northern Denmark, in a building designed by Finnish architect Alvar Aalto. It is an internationally recognised art museum and was the venue for the Rare Wine evening showcasing the Macallan collections.
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