David T Smith reports on the launch of Macallan’s latest 007 tie-in whisky at Dukes in London.
David T Smith trying to decipher the hidden secret of the label
2026 celebrates the 55th anniversary of the release of Diamonds Are Forever (1971), a film that saw a change in tone after On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and, of course, the return of Sean Connery to the role of 007.
The Macallan, producers of Single Malt Scotch founded in 1824, have launched a special edition to celebrate this milestone.*
The Macallan have had a close relationship with the international spy since Skyfall in 2012, where it is the whisky of choice in various places including M’s office and apartment, taking over from her previous fondness for Jack Daniel’s.
The Macallan Diamonds Are Forever 55th Anniversary Release was created by Russell Greig and distilled in the year 2-007. Even the “2” represents something here, as this is the second direct collaboration that The Macallan have done with James Bond, the first being the 60th anniversary decades releases.
Bottle and presentation pack
To celebrate the launch of this new whisky, a small group was invited to an event at Dukes Hotel at the beginning of February 2026 to explore the new expression and learn more from Whisky Maker Russell Greig.
Whisky Maker Russell Grieg and Brand Ambassador George Michie at the launch
Dukes Hotel was founded in 1908 (the same year that Bond author Ian Fleming was born) and has been undergoing some recent renovations.
The event took place in the Delaney Drawing Room, which includes a new whisky bar with some rather executive bottlings. The room is inspired by Mary Delaney, an artist from Mayfair who was known for her botanical-inspired artwork and prints.
Guests were welcomed by a “Las Vegas Sour”, a variation on an New York Sour made with The Macallan 12 The cocktail consisted of whisky, lemon juice, and egg white with a layer of red wine on the top.
Las Vegas Sour
Russel recounted that his first experience of James Bond was The Spy Who Loved Me. He specifically recalled the impact of the metal-teethed villain, Jaws, as well as the submarine-car, the Lotus Esprit. Russel’s love of James Bond obviously comes through in his approach to making the whisky and his first step was to watch the film Diamonds are Forever for inspiration.
Bottled at 45.5% ABV,the whisky is made using a combination of four different types of cask:
- 1st fill Sherry seasoned European Oak
- A small amount of refill (aka second use) casks (The Macallan only use cask a maximum of 2 times)
- American Oak Red Wine (Rioja) seasoned casks
- Hybrid casks, which use staves of both American and European oak and are seasoned with sherry
The use of these casks reflect two pieces of drinks-related inspiration from the film: one regarding sherry and the other red wine:
- The first comes from the scene where Bond is being briefed on Diamond Smuggling with M and Sir Donald Munger (Chair of The Diamond Syndicate) Bond shows off his knowledge of sherry by identifying the original vintage (1851) that the solera of the sherry is based on.
- The second is at the end of the film, when assassin Mr Wint, posing as a sommelier, fails to identify a Mouton Rothschild ‘55 as a Claret.
In addition, the use of the hybrid cask, made using a mix of American and European oak staves, reflects that the film is set between Europe and the USA.
Closeup of Liquid
The taste
Colour: Officially “Nevada Rock”; to me, a sandstone red.
Nose: Red fruit and rose, salted peanuts, raspberry, dried strawberry, and a gentle sweetness.
Taste: A little dark, and then milk, chocolate with a richness akin to thick caramels. A touch of cappuccino, dried fruits – apricot and fig – before a little ginger and nutmeg. Warm spice with more red fruit, slightly tannic, and a long, lingering finish. Evolves beautifully in the glass, especially on the finish.
Overall, I found the whisky to be dryer than I expected, but with a little splash of water it opens up and sweeter notes really come through.
Correspondent David T Smith with the bottle, at the launch
When it comes to the packaging, the presentation tube features original set design sketches by Ken Adams as well as snippets of the Diamonds Are Forever script. As an extra easter egg, the reverse of the rear label (visible through the glass bottle as you drink) reveals a small, but particularly noteworthy part of the script; I won’t spoil it here, but let’s just say it’s an interaction between 007 and the real WW.
As Bond fans, we can sometimes be jaded by brands jumping on the bandwagon (or should that be BONDwagon?) when it comes to product tie-ins, but in this case that is not an issue. The passion and care is obvious throughout every stage of this whisky: from the development, story, production, and packaging; it’s a whisky from Bond fans, for Bond fans.
The Macallan Diamonds Are Forever 55th Anniversary Release will be available exclusively via www.themacallan.com, The Macallan Estate Boutique, and at Heathrow Airport from 3rd-17th February 2026. The release will then be available at selected UK retailers, including Harrods, Selfridges, The Whisky Shop, Master of Malt, and Amazon from 5th March 2026 at £600 RRP.
* Some readers may raise a Moore-esque eyebrow at the significance of “55 years”, but as most of the pre-Craig Bond films were released on odd years, it makes having a decade anniversary (50, 60 years) difficult in even years such as 2026.
