The Macallan 25 Year Old Anniversary Malts: Everything You Need To Know

The Macallan 25 Year Old Anniversary Malts are some of the most sought-after and collectible bottles of Macallan in existence. The series spans 21 years and 16 vintages. Since the series began in 1983 the scarcity of these whiskies has increased, so too has their value.

In this article we will sum up with everything that you need to know about the Macallan 25 Year Old Anniversary Malts, whether you are a collector, investor, a Macallan fanatic, or a curious reader. Read on to find out more about:

• An introduction to the Anniversary Malts background
• The facts and figures
• Prices and values
• How to sell your bottle
• And how to buy and invest in a bottle

We have written in-depth guides to the Anniversary Malts, and recently released this video about the iconic series. 

An introduction to Macallan's Anniversary Malts

1983 was the year in which the 1957 vintage, and the first Macallan 25 Year Old Anniversary Malt, was released. At £25 per bottle this was still relatively expensive whisky at the time (£25 in 1983 is worth approximately £73 today). The thinking behind the pricing is that the 25 Year Old should be £25 per bottle, as part of the marketing behind the Anniversary Malts.

So, why exactly are they called the Anniversary Malts? The generally accepted answer - although only the former marketing heads at Macallan can be sure - is that it was a marketing ploy by Macallan to encourage people to buy 25 year old whisky for their 25th wedding anniversaries. The bottles are instantly recognisable by the red ‘25’ that sits front and centre on the label.

Macallan Anniversary Whiskies: Facts and Figures

The Macallan 25 Year Old Anniversary Malt Series began in 1983 with the release of the first vintage, a 1957. Since the first release there have been 15 others with vintage statements, and two without. The vintages and their release dates are:

There are differences in capsules between the bottles, with a few of the very first bottles having a screw cap, with more modern bottlings sporting a stopper cork. 

You will also notice that there are three missing vintages: 1960, 1961, and 1973. It is thought that these 60/61 whiskies were released in the non-vintage 75cl bottling, as the mid to late 80s (when the whisky turned 25 years old) saw the transition from using 75cl bottles to 70cl bottles. The non-vintage 70cl bottling is thought to contain some of the whisky from the missing 1973 vintage. 

The non-vintage bottlings were released between 2000 and 2004, when Macallan began releasing 25 Year Old whiskies as part of the Triple Cask range.  

Macallan 25 Year Old Anniversary Malts Price and Value

The Macallan 25 Year Old Anniversary Malts have been increasing in value since their release. They are extremely popular among collectors and investors due to the history and pedigree that they represent. These bottles were released before Macallan’s drastic rebrand and subsequent elevation to luxury status. As such, many of these bottles were enjoyed when they were first purchased, meaning that they have become rarer over time. This pushes the price up considerably; owning an older bottle of Macallan from before the rebrand is a much safer, better value investment than a new bottle of Macallan. This is because nobody buys Macallan whiskies to drink anymore, meaning that new bottles are not becoming rarer over time as older bottles did. In addition to this, age and vintage statements are becoming rarer and rarer as the industry recognises the restrictive nature of the statements. The Macallan 25 Year Old Anniversary Malts are very special in this regard, because most of the bottles in the series bear a vintage statement and an age-statement, something that is becoming increasingly scarce.

The gradual rise in value of the Anniversary Malts is testament to Macallan’s branding. When the distillery came to be recognised as luxury - arguably in 2018 with the unveiling of the new Macallan distillery - prices for the Anniversary Malts hit their peak. Collectors and investors alike recognised the history and rarity carried by old Macallan whiskies.

The 1957, 1958, and 1958/59 vintages are, perhaps unsurprisingly, the most expensive of the Anniversary Malts, with the median auction price for the 1957 vintage hitting £4,575 in 2018. The rest of the vintages had a median auction price of between £2,500 and £3,500 in 2018. 

How To Sell Your Bottle Of Macallan 25 Year Old Anniversary Malt

Are you looking to sell your bottle of Macallan 25 Year Old Anniversary Malt? Mark Littler Ltd can help. Selling your whisky can seem like a daunting task, but Mark Littler Ltd have made the process easy with this in-depth guide to selling your bottle of Macallan whether that is at auction, through our brokerage service, or on our online shop. If you are interested in selling your bottle of Macallan then visit the Mark Littler Ltd website.

If you have a different bottle of whisky that you wish to sell, then we will be more than happy to help. Just visit our What Is Your Bottle Worth? page and fill out the form for a free valuation.

Looking To Buy And Invest In The Macallan 25 Year Old Anniversary Malts?

Mark Littler Ltd thinks that the Macallan 25 Year Old Anniversary Malts are a great investment because there is 38 years worth of data showing that the value of these bottles has increased over time. Historic bottlings of Macallan will always be highly sought-after by collectors and investors because they represent a time before Macallan was a household name and have the rarity to reflect this. 

The Macallan Anniversary Malts are better suited to long-term investment as they do not see the jump and subsequent fall in price that most modern bottlings see. Instead, their value rises gradually over time. So, if you are looking for a long-term investment then these bottles are a great place to start. 

If you are a whisky collector, or just someone looking to try their hand, then get in touch with Mark Littler Ltd. We help people to start whisky collections, or build on existing ones. Register your interest by emailing whisky@marklittler.com and start your whisky collecting journey with a bottle of Macallan 25 Year Old Anniversary Malt.

Written by Mark Littler. Mark is the director of Mark Littler Ltd, one of the largest independent antiques consultants and whisky brokers in the UK. Mark values, provides advice and arranges the sale of whisky through auctions and private sales. If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy reading all about Macallan Private Eye here.