While the jury is still out on who will replace Daniel Craig as the next James Bond, luxury Scotch makers The Macallan are raising a toast with an exclusive edition celebrating the classic 007 flick Diamonds Are Forever in a nod to its 55th anniversary.
“We know each other so well, and the process is so enjoyable,” The Macallan Creative Director Jaume Ferras told Maxim on a Zoom call from across the pond about working alongside the 007 team on yet another whisky on the heels of The Macallan x James Bond 60 in 2022.
While an ultra-rare private collection of The Macallan Scotch was just put up for sale earlier this year, this distinctively timed anniversary release should prove more accessible and fruitful for fans of the iconic MI6 agent with a license to kill, pairing a luscious Scotch with Bond’s distinct knowledge of wine in the film itself. In fact, across its esteemed nearly 200-year history, The Macallan had never used red wine-seasoned casks to finish a whisky, and the release serves as a heroic nod to Bond’s life-saving knowledge of wine in the film itself.
“For me, it was really exciting to be involved … in the second release” between the two flagship companies, said The Macallan Whisky Maker Russell Greig, calling the opportunity “such a privilege” and a true storytelling opportunity as a James Bond enthusiast. “I probably did make it a bit more difficult than it needed to be” when it came to searching for both “excellence” and “complexity of flavor” in crafting the 18-year-old single malt, which was first laid down in 2007, Grieg added with a chuckle.
Seen across the finish line by Greig, the partnership between Bond and The Macallan (billed as “Bond’s whisky of choice”) continues to prove especially fruitful, Greig told Maxim . That connection is perhaps best seen in eye-catching moments in 2012 Bond film Skyfall and memorably in a special 6-bottle collector’s edition Scotch set nodding to six decades of 007 in 2022.
“For us, when James Bond mentions sherry, when he demonstrates his knowledge of wine in (Diamonds Are Forever)… it’s happiness!” Ferras chuckled and said about watching the globetrotting epic in the three-to-four-year process of designing the bottle, its packaging and of course, the sumptuous whisky within. Both Los Angeles and Las Vegas, the driving locales in the movie, also offered inspiration for the glitz and glamor of 007, plus its legendary villain’s lair setting, Ferras added.
The 1971 Sean Connery film proved a perfect bridge between world-famous Scotch and a whisky release 18 years in the making, the Edrington-owned company noted, toasting a “shared appreciation for craftsmanship, innovation, and storytelling that connects The Macallan and James Bond.”
“It means the world to us,” Ferras said of once again working with the Bond team and EON Productions. Greig emphasized Bond’s connection to Scotland and its natural connection with The Macallan’s emphasis on innovation fused with historical excellence. “For me, it’s the shared icons of Scotland and our great single malt that shows our innovation as well,” Greig said.
Of course, both Greig and Ferra note The Macallan’s illustrious history in television and film productions across dozens of appearances over the years, well beyond 007. But for a man of exquisite taste, what could prove more fitting to enjoy than a luxe whisky seasoned with red wine casks? James Bond enthusiasts and fans of The Macallan have provided “lots of energy” and countless suggestions for secret agent-inspired Scotch, Ferras said.
The globetrotting agent famously sipped on The Macallan 50 in 2012, and a return to his Scottish roots seemed a fitting tribute for Diamonds Are Forever, a film that sees Bond entering relatively foreign territory (in this case, the red and orange Aztec sandstone of the desert outside Las Vegas), the whisky maker notes. Its presentation box and bottle, along with its quaffable 45.5 percent ABV, nod to the film itself and official Bond production art design archives.
It’s far from the last collaboration between the long-running film franchise and the lauded Scotch maker, Ferras and Greig said. “We keep ourselves very open” to fan-favorite suggestions and to the world of 007, a veritable gold mine of inspiration, Ferras added. As to the whisky itself, whisky maker Greig suggests fans enjoy The Macallan x 007 as they see fit: “It was about landing on the right ABV that represents the whisky to the best quality: You can enjoy it neat or add water to suit your palate. … I just want people to enjoy it! As a whisky maker, that’s all the matters to me,” Greig told Maxim.
For now, a taste of a Scotch 007 himself would assuredly love is available online at The Macallan and The Macallan Estate Boutique at an SRP of $750. And starting in March, the elusive and mysterious whisky will become available at select national and local U.S. retailers. In the interim, the illustrious world of The Macallan Society also offers the chance to unlock the secrets of a whisky beloved by Bond, James Bond.
