The Macallan Is Releasing a Scotch to Honor James Bond's 60th Anniversary in the Movies

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Few movie characters are as enduring as James Bond. The British secret agent's big screen debut was 1962's Dr. No — after which he immediately started making way too many sequels before way too many sequels was even a thing. Over the ensuing 60 years, 007 has appeared in 25 films (well, maybe 27 depending on who you ask), including at least two in all six decades.

Now, admittedly, Bond is known for his love of martinis — shaken, not stirred, of course — but as far as enduring beverages are concerned, nothing really compares to Scotch, so in that regard, the film franchise's partnership with The Macallan — which dates back until at least 2012's Skyfall when Bond drank the dram on screen — works well enough, right?

For their latest partnership, the Bond films and The Macallan have teamed up for The Macallan James Bond 60th Anniversary Release — a Scotch whisky bottled across six different packages, one for each of the six decades of 007's movies.

The Macallan writes, "The distinctive packaging brings to life the creative development process of the films in a behind the scenes exploration of the James Bond archives." It's a somewhat wordy way of saying that the packaging is actually quite subtle — things like scene sketches and script pages — each colored in a different muted hue and labeled with a Roman numeral denoting the period.

As for the whisky itself, the distillery says it was created by The Macallan Master Whisky Maker Kirsteen Campbell "to reflect the enduring character of James Bond, a force of nature defined by his Scottish heritage, who carries himself with modesty and humility." Interestingly, despite celebrating Bond's 60th anniversary, the liquid isn't a 60-year-old. In fact, it has no age statement at all. The Macallan only says that it's a "selection of ages" based on the attributes their team was looking for.

The resulting 43.7 percent ABV Scotch — another subtle nod to "007" — is said to offer aromas of "fresh and vibrant notes of lemon and lime, a sprinkle of sherbet, leading into a sweet vanilla and coconut, with a hint of dried fig and raisin" followed by flavors of "orange zest and fizzy sherbet with a lemon freshness, gentle oak and subtle ginger spice, leading into a deep dark chocolate, figs and baked apple tart with a honey drizzle." The finish is billed as "sweet and long with complex layers."

"This October, James Bond will celebrate its 60th anniversary, making it the longest running and one of the most loved franchises in the world of entertainment, comprising 25 films over six decades and six lead actors over time," Jaume Ferras, The Macallan's global creative director stated. "The Macallan is James Bond's whisky of choice and as two renowned global brands, we share many synergies, most notably as modern innovators linked by our Scottish heritage."

Additionally, The Macallan says they've created an exhibition of "The Macallan in Cinema" to be shown at The Macallan Estate "which will take viewers through The Macallan's history on film and transport them through the six decades of James Bond." The estate will also be holding a series of exclusive film screenings.

But if it's just the whisky you're after, get ready for sticker shock: Each bottle has a suggested retail price of $1,007 — once again, a 007 reference, but in a place you'd rather not see it — meaning if you want to "collect them all" be prepared to throw down $6,042. (That said, all the actual Scotch is identical, so if you only plan on drinking it, just pick your favorite decade.)

The bottles will start rolling out this month at The Macallan Online Boutique, The Macallan Estate Boutique, the global network of domestic and travel retail Boutiques, and in premium and specialist retailers and bars globally. However, they won't specifically be sold in the U.S. until February of 2023.