It’s no secret that Asia has become one of Edrington and The Macallan’s most important markets, both in volume and prestige sales, with China, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia often mentioned in industry reports.

In many Asian cultures, gift-giving peaks particular during the Lunar New Year festive season. To that end, it seems that The Macallan has subtly positioned its A Night on Earth series to tap into that tradition. The series is not explicitly branded for Chinese New Year, yet their persistent use of crimson-red and gold motifs (very auspicious in Chinese culture), exquisite multi-layered boxes, and seasonal release timing all hint at an elegant nod toward Lunar New Year gifting, without being overtly tied to a single culture.

The result is a series that feels authentic to each celebration it honours, yet universal in theme: “the seasonal joy of coming together, celebrating and well wishes,” as The Macallan puts it. We have Hogmanay in Scotland, New Year’s Eve in Spain, New Year’s Day in the Pacific – and the most telling release in 2022 that celebrates the experience of homecoming and reunions with loved ones which particularly evokes the sentiment of Lunar New Year in Asia where hundreds of millions make annual pilgrimage to their hometowns. It's no coincidence that The Macallan collaborated with Chinese artist Nini Sum for that release. In any case, every release sees a collaboration with an artist from a different region to design packaging that resonates culturally, while still appealing to the booming Chinese New Year gift market.

For the latest A Night On Earth release, The Macallan went farther afield to New Zealand, which the brand reminds us, is one of the first countries in the world to see the sunrise of every New Year. A Night on Earth – The First Light celebrates the dawn of New Year’s Day in New Zealand, capturing the magic of being among the first on Earth to greet a new year.

The Macallan enlisted Kiwi illustrator Bonnie Brown to bring these scenes to life on the packaging. Brown’s artwork spans three layers of the packaging, ingeniously depicting the progression from sunset to midnight to sunrise on New Year’s in New Zealand.

The outer sleeve is dominated by warm reds and oranges, reflecting the crimson glow of bonfires on sand as beach parties commence at dusk. Slide that off, and the inner box reveals deep blues and indigo – the night sky over the ocean, alive with fireworks and celebration at the stroke of midnight. Finally, you open the box to a gold interior and the bottle itself.

To capture this setting in flavour, The Macallan returned to a similar wood recipe as earlier editions, with a twist. It’s predominantly sherry-cask (both Spanish and American oak types), but with a touch of ex-bourbon to add sweet vanilla and perhaps a lighter fruity sweetness. The intention was to produce a flavour profile that feels bright, vibrant and lightly sweet - evocative of the brightness and warmth of a summer morning.

This expression is now available globally through select retailers and also via The Macallan's website.

Last Friday, we had the opportunity to give this new release a taste.

Whisky Review: The Macallan, A Night on Earth: The First Light, Scotch Single Malt, 43% ABV

Tasting Notes

Color: Yellow gold.

Nose: Immediate lift and brightness, with a soft airy sweetness of orchard fruits. Opens with vanilla, roasted marshmallows, followed quickly by a honeyed, malty warmth and a rounded, cereal depth driven by cooked barley and more maltose syrup, all filling the nose without any sense of dryness. As it opens up, bright orchard fruit character comes forth, with ripe nectarines and apricots providing a slightly syrupy richness. The overall profile stays very clean and bouncy, with no drying oak grip at all, and only a fresh bitterness and zestiness appearing at the edges from a small amount of orange peel. It's really expressive, setting a very promising tone right from the start.

Palate: The palate arrives medium-bodied with a smooth, cohesive texture that spreads evenly. A gentle warmth builds first, with malt and vanilla alongside spiced candied ginger and lighted toasted baking spices, before the sweetness deepens into a more rounded, floral register. Manuka honey and a subtle mineral dryness that gives a faint chalky edge. As the whisky moves across the palate, a cedary tone becomes more noticeable, a mellow vanilla and dry American oak tone rather than tannic grip. The fruit profile shifts into softer sweetness of tinned peaches and toasted coconut flakes reinforcing the impression of American oak.

Finish: Becomes more focused, with a gentle lift of citrus zest. A long, persistent run of toasted vanilla, while the whisky becomes increasingly warm and toasty, with layered spiced clove and anise notes lingering. Clean, warm and softly sweet without any sharp edges or bitterness.

My Thoughts:

This is one of the most vibrant and orchard fruits-forward expressions I have come across from The Macallan. The nose in particular is so luminous and expressive, leaning heavily into vanilla, malt and stone fruit rather than the typical dark dried fruit or spices we’ve come to associate with this malt.

That brightness carries through the palate and into the finish, where the warmth becomes more about toast and gentle sweetness than oak grip. While it still retains the signature roundness and sweet oak character of The Macallan, it clearly moves away from the distillery’s more European oak-dominant expressions.

This feels feel lighter and more playful without losing structure. Based on how it tastes, I suspect the use of more refill sherry American oak barrels, rather than a heavy reliance on first-fill European sherry casks, allows this whisky to maintain such a clear, luminous profile. It is The Macallan without a doubt, but delightfully different from what many might expect from the brand.

@CharsiuCharlie