Edition No. 5 inverts the house's usual wood story. Sarah Burgess matured it entirely in American oak — first-fill ex-bourbon casks alongside first-fill and refill sherry-seasoned casks — with the casks hand-picked primarily for the colour they would give. The result is the palest whisky of the six editions, bottled at 48.5% ABV at natural colour with no age statement. The Pantone Color Institute developed a custom shade of purple for the release to stand for the complexity of natural whisky colour, and The Macallan owns the shade.

Every bottle sold through Midnight Whiskey is sourced as an authentic, sealed product and inspected before it ships. Orders are packed with padded, glass-rated handling and require an adult signature (21+) on delivery; we do not ship to anyone unable to verify legal drinking age. For our full sourcing and handling protocols, see our editorial and authentication standards.

Why is The Macallan Edition No. 5 purple?

The purple is a custom shade developed for the release by the Pantone Color Institute, whose vice president Laurie Pressman described purple as the rainbow's most complex colour — chosen to stand for the complexity of The Macallan's natural whisky colour. The Macallan owns the shade, and the whisky inside is the palest in the series.

What casks were used for The Macallan Edition No. 5?

Edition No. 5 is the only release in the series matured entirely in American oak: a combination of first-fill ex-bourbon casks and first-fill and refill sherry-seasoned casks, hand-picked primarily for the colour they contribute. The result is the producer's stated sunlit barley colour, drawn from the wood alone.

Who created The Macallan Edition No. 5?

Edition No. 5 was created by The Macallan whisky maker Sarah Burgess, working with the Pantone Color Institute. It is the first Edition after the series' original maker, Bob Dalgarno, and Burgess built it around The Macallan's commitment to natural colour.