The Macallan Archival Series is unlike almost any other collection in the distillery’s portfolio.

Rather than celebrating a particular age statement, vintage or unusual cask type, it looks backwards at the advertising that helped establish The Macallan as one of the world’s best-known single malt whiskies.

The Macallan Archival Series Folio 6 is one of the most memorable chapters.

Released in 2020, Folio 6 resurrects a famously playful Macallan advertisement known as “The Chairman”. The original illustration depicted then-chairman Allan Shiach dressed as a Scotsman and performing the Highland fling over a pen and paintbrush – symbols representing the creative partnership of advertising team Holmes and Salaman.

Inside the elaborate book-shaped presentation tin is a 70cl Macallan single malt bottled at 43% ABV, accompanied by a commemorative booklet exploring the story behind the advertisement.

The whisky itself offers classic Macallan flavours of orange, sultana, ginger, vanilla, cinnamon and soft chocolate.

Yet Folio 6 is as much about the history surrounding the liquid as the whisky itself.

For collectors exploring the wider Macallan collection at Hard To Find Whisky, the Folio releases provide an unusual record of how The Macallan communicated its identity during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.

What Is The Macallan Folio 6?

The Macallan Archival Series Folio 6 is the sixth release in The Macallan’s Archival Series.

The essential details are:

• Producer: The Macallan
• Series: The Archival Series
• Release: Folio 6
• Release period: 2020–2021
• Region: Speyside, Scotland
• Style: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
• Bottle size: 70cl
• Strength: 43% ABV
• Age statement: None
• Theme: “The Chairman”
• Presentation: Book-shaped metal presentation tin
• Additional contents: Commemorative advertising booklet
• Series position: Sixth Folio release.

The Macallan officially describes Folio 6 as a celebration of one of its most amusing historical campaigns.

That makes this expression particularly interesting to collectors because the bottle forms part of a much larger narrative.

What Is The Macallan Archival Series?

The Archival Series was introduced in 2015 to revisit the print, press and advertising campaigns that introduced The Macallan to a much wider audience during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.

The Macallan now describes the project as comprising 24 individual releases.

Each Folio takes one memorable piece of historical advertising and turns it into a whisky release.

The bottle.

The label.

The presentation book.

The tin.

And the accompanying story

all refer back to that original creative campaign.

The result sits somewhere between whisky collection and advertising archive.

That is where the name Archival Series comes from.

Why Advertising Matters to The Macallan Story

Today, The Macallan requires little introduction.

But the brand’s current global position did not happen automatically.

The Archival Series looks back at a period when the distillery was increasingly communicating its identity directly to consumers through distinctive advertising.

The advertisements were deliberately unusual.

Rather than simply showing a bottle beside tasting notes, they relied heavily on:

Humour.

Illustration.

Wordplay.

Characters.

Visual jokes.

And a slightly eccentric view of whisky culture.

The Macallan says those campaigns were instrumental in taking the brand name to a wider audience for the first time.

Folio 6 is a particularly good example because the joke was aimed partly at The Macallan itself.

The Story Behind “The Chairman”

The advertisement recreated for Folio 6 features The Macallan Chairman, Allan Shiach.

Shiach was not merely a corporate executive.

He was also a writer and occasionally suggested advertising concepts to the brand’s creative team.

That created an interesting relationship with Macallan advertising team Holmes and Salaman.

According to The Macallan, the two advertising men did not always welcome suggestions coming from above.

But when those suggestions came from the chairman, they were hardly in a position to ignore them.

Their response was beautifully mischievous.

They put the chairman himself into the advert.

Allan Shiach and the Highland Fling

The resulting illustration shows Allan Shiach portrayed as a traditional Scotsman performing a Highland fling.

Beneath him sit a:

Pen

and

paintbrush.

Those objects symbolised the writing and illustration skills of Holmes and Salaman.

The visual joke essentially turned the relationship between chairman and advertising agency into part of the campaign.

Shiach could offer his suggestions.

But the creative team would decide how to use them.

The Macallan describes the resulting advert as one of the brand’s most memorable and, for many, one of its funniest.

Decades later, it became Folio 6.

Who Was Allan Shiach?

Allan Shiach played an important role in The Macallan’s history and later became closely associated with the development of the brand.

His presence within the Archival Series therefore carries more significance than a random humorous character.

He represents part of the leadership behind the period in which The Macallan increasingly developed its reputation as a premium single malt.

The Chairman advertisement also reveals something about the company culture behind those campaigns.

The brand was willing to make fun of itself.

That gives the old adverts considerable personality.

Rather than presenting whisky heritage with complete seriousness, they could be witty and self-aware.

Holmes and Salaman

The two creative figures represented by the pen and brush were David Holmes and Nick Salaman.

Their advertising work became closely associated with The Macallan’s growing profile.

The broader Archival Series preserves campaigns created during this influential period.

Some were humorous.

Some relied on strange visual metaphors.

Some placed The Macallan inside fictional stories.

Together, they created a distinctive voice that was very different from conventional whisky advertising.

Folio 6 is therefore not simply commemorating one advert.

It is acknowledging the people responsible for developing a significant part of The Macallan’s public identity.

The Folio Concept

The name “Folio” is particularly appropriate.

A folio traditionally refers to a collection of printed material or pages.

Each Macallan Folio effectively becomes another page in the brand’s advertising archive.

That is reinforced by the packaging.

Rather than arriving in a conventional cylindrical tube or rectangular whisky carton, the Archival bottles are presented in large book-shaped tins.

The presentation is deliberate.

Placed on a shelf, the Folio resembles a substantial volume from an archive.

Open it and the whisky sits where the contents of a book might normally appear.

The Folio 6 Book-Shaped Tin

Folio 6 continues that established Archival presentation.

The bottle is housed inside an oversized book-style metal case carrying artwork associated with The Chairman campaign.

The Macallan also includes a special booklet commemorating its vintage advertising.

That makes the complete package especially important for collectors.

The bottle alone contains the whisky.

The booklet and tin explain why the bottle exists.

Removing those components strips away much of the release’s intended context.

Why the Booklet Matters

The booklet provides background to the advertising campaign behind Folio 6.

That may sound secondary to the whisky.

For the Archival Series, it is not.

The whole collection exists to preserve these historical campaigns.

The bottle and booklet therefore work together.

For someone building a complete Folio collection, retaining:

The bottle.

The original book-shaped tin.

The booklet.

And any additional original material

creates a far stronger representation of the release than the bottle alone.

The Whisky Inside Folio 6

The liquid is a non-age-statement Macallan single malt bottled at 43% ABV.

The official tasting profile is immediately recognisable as Macallan.

It centres on:

Orange.

Ginger.

Pear.

Vanilla.

Cinnamon.

Nutmeg.

Sultana.

Chocolate.

Oak.

The whisky therefore remains rooted in the fruit-and-spice style historically associated with The Macallan.

The Archival concept may drive the packaging.

But the liquid still needs to feel like Macallan.

What Does The Macallan Folio 6 Taste Like?

The official tasting notes provide a clear profile.

Colour

Autumnal auburn.

The colour fits the flavour profile particularly well.

It suggests something warm, rich and mature without moving into the extremely dark mahogany tones associated with some heavily sherried older Macallan.

Nose

The aroma opens with:

Orange

and

ginger.

Then comes:

Poached pear

vanilla

cinnamon

nutmeg

and

fresh oak.

A subtle chocolate note develops underneath.

This is a very classic combination.

Fruit provides freshness.

Vanilla softens the profile.

Spice adds warmth.

Oak gives structure.

Palate

The palate returns to orange.

That citrus is joined by:

Sultanas

ginger

and

soft milk chocolate.

The transition from fresh orange towards dried fruit and chocolate gives the whisky greater depth than the relatively bright nose first suggests.

Finish

The finish is long with persistent ginger warmth.

That ginger note ties the entire whisky together.

It appears on the nose.

It reappears on the palate.

Then it carries through the finish.

Orange and Ginger

Orange and ginger form the central flavour pairing.

The orange provides both sweetness and citrus freshness.

Ginger introduces spice without overwhelming the whisky.

Together, they create a profile that is warming but still lively.

This works particularly well alongside the Folio concept.

The whisky does not need to be enormously old or excessively heavy to be interesting.

Its purpose is to accompany the storytelling rather than dominate it.

Poached Pear and Vanilla

The poached pear note adds a softer orchard-fruit character.

Unlike fresh green pear, poached pear suggests:

Greater sweetness.

A softer texture.

And gentle cooked-fruit richness.

Vanilla then reinforces that softness.

The result is a relatively elegant opening before cinnamon, nutmeg and oak introduce more structure.

Cinnamon and Nutmeg

The combination of cinnamon and nutmeg gives Folio 6 a warm baking-spice character.

These flavours complement:

Orange.

Pear.

Sultana.

Chocolate.

The result moves towards something almost dessert-like without becoming excessively sweet.

Sultanas

Sultanas become more prominent on the palate.

This is one of the most recognisable flavour families in Macallan whisky.

Dried grape character naturally works alongside sherry-influenced maturation and gives the whisky greater depth than fresh fruit alone.

Here, the sultana note connects:

Orange.

Ginger.

And chocolate.

Milk Chocolate

The official palate note specifically identifies soft milk chocolate rather than darker cocoa or bitter chocolate.

That distinction matters.

Folio 6 is not presented as an aggressively tannic or heavily mature whisky.

Milk chocolate adds richness while maintaining sweetness.

It fits the broader approachable character of the expression.

Is Macallan Folio 6 Sherry Matured?

The Archival Series is closely associated with Macallan’s sherry-cask house style, and specialist whisky records identify Folio 6 with sherry cask maturation.

However, The Macallan’s current Folio 6 product page focuses primarily on the advertising story and tasting profile rather than publishing a detailed breakdown of individual cask types.

For accuracy, it is therefore better to describe Folio 6 as displaying classic sherry-influenced Macallan character rather than inventing a highly specific cask recipe that the producer has not published.

Does Folio 6 Have an Age Statement?

No.

Folio 6 is a non-age-statement Macallan.

That does not mean the whisky is young.

It simply means The Macallan chose not to specify the age of the youngest component on the label.

This allows the whisky maker to focus on flavour and cask selection rather than building the expression around a numerical age.

Within the Archival Series, that makes sense.

The defining identity is the advertising campaign.

Not an age statement.

Why 43% ABV?

Folio 6 is bottled at 43% ABV.

That strength is consistent with several Macallan collector releases designed around elegance rather than raw power.

The whisky’s main flavours are subtle:

Poached pear.

Orange.

Vanilla.

Milk chocolate.

Cinnamon.

A dramatically higher bottling strength could potentially shift the emphasis away from that balanced profile.

At 43%, Folio 6 is approachable neat.

Folio 6 vs Folio 5

The natural comparison is the previous release, The Macallan Archival Series Folio 5.

Folio 5 has a richer dried-fruit profile, with The Macallan highlighting dates, fresh figs, raisins, ginger and wood spice.

Folio 6 moves towards:

Orange.

Pear.

Vanilla.

Ginger.

Milk chocolate.

That makes Folio 6 somewhat brighter and more citrus-led.

The more important distinction, however, remains the advertising.

Folio 5 tells one chapter.

Folio 6 tells The Chairman story.

Folio 6 vs Folio 7

The next chapter is The Macallan Archival Series Folio 7.

Folio 7 resurrects the “Boffins Baffled” campaign from 1986, which tells the story of scientists unable to explain exactly why The Macallan was so special.

That creates an interesting sequence.

Folio 6

The Chairman.

Corporate creativity.

The Highland fling.

Holmes and Salaman.

Folio 7

The Boffins Baffled.

Science meets whisky.

A deliberately mysterious explanation of Macallan quality.

For collectors, consecutive Folios become increasingly important as the series expands.

Folio 6 vs Folio 8

The later Macallan Archival Series Folio 8 revisits “The Colossus of Nose”, another deliberately humorous 1980s advertisement.

Folio 8 is also bottled at 43% ABV and offers a profile centred on:

Dried fruit.

Berry compote.

Toffee.

Lemon peel.

Cinnamon.

Anise.

Ginger.

Citrus.

Sweet oak.

The increasing number of releases strengthens the relevance of the earlier Folios.

Someone purchasing Folio 8 may naturally begin looking backwards for Folios 7, 6 and earlier.

That is one reason complete-series collecting becomes important.

Folio 6 vs Folio 3

HTFW also carries The Macallan Archival Series Folio 3.

Folio 3 is another 43% ABV release with dried fruit, orange peel, dark chocolate, spice and elegant oak.

The flavour family therefore overlaps.

But again, the advertising history separates them.

Each Folio is intended to represent one piece of Macallan’s creative archive.

That gives collectors a reason to own multiple bottles even where the whisky style shares familiar Macallan characteristics.

How Many Folios Will There Be?

The Macallan now describes the Archival Series as a collection of 24 individual releases.

That makes the project considerably larger than an ordinary six- or eight-bottle limited series.

At the time of writing in 2026, Folio 8 is the latest listed edition on The Macallan’s official Archival Series page.

That means much of the collection still lies ahead.

For an owner of Folio 6, that is particularly interesting.

The bottle is already an earlier release within what is intended to become a much larger chronological archive.

When Was Folio 6 Released?

Folio 6 dates from 2020, with broader market and travel-retail availability extending into early 2021. The Macallan’s own imagery identifies it as a 2020 Folio 6 bottling, while contemporary industry reporting documented wider availability from the first quarter of 2021.

This occasionally causes the bottle to be described as either a 2020 or 2021 release.

For collector cataloguing, 2020 is the most useful bottling reference.

How Many Bottles of Folio 6 Were Produced?

Several specialist whisky references report an outturn of around 3,000 Folio 6 sets.

The Macallan’s current official product page, however, does not publish an outturn figure.

For that reason, the 3,000 figure is best described as the widely reported production quantity rather than presented as a current official Macallan-confirmed number.

That distinction matters for collectable whisky.

If an exact bottle count does not appear in the producer archive, it is better to be transparent about the source.

Is Macallan Folio 6 Limited Edition?

Yes.

Folio 6 is part of The Macallan’s limited Archival Series rather than the distillery’s continuing core range. The producer now lists Folio 6 as an archived release.

The bottle therefore cannot simply be expected to remain continuously available like Macallan 12 Year Old.

Remaining stock comes from the original release.

That naturally increases its collector interest over time.

Why Folio Releases Are Collectable

The attraction comes from several different factors.

Numbered Series

Folio 6 occupies a fixed position in a planned 24-part collection.

Discontinued Release

It is now part of The Macallan archive rather than a continuing current release.

Historical Advertising

Each bottle preserves a specific campaign from the brand’s history.

Distinctive Presentation

The book-shaped tin and commemorative booklet make the Folio instantly recognisable.

Macallan Collector Demand

The Macallan has developed one of the largest collector followings in Scotch whisky.

Series Completion

As additional Folios appear, collectors wanting a complete run need to acquire earlier bottles.

None of this guarantees future financial appreciation.

But it gives Folio 6 clear collector relevance.

The Importance of a Complete Folio 6 Set

Condition and completeness matter considerably with an Archival bottle.

A collector should ideally look for:

• Original 70cl bottle
• Unbroken seal
• Correct fill level
• Original book-shaped metal tin
• Commemorative booklet
• Clean artwork
• Undamaged hinges and presentation case
• Original packaging components
• Clear provenance

The book-style case is not incidental.

It is one of the elements that identifies the release as an Archival Folio.

A loose bottle therefore tells only part of the story.

Folio 6 as Macallan Memorabilia

This is where Folio 6 differs from a standard limited whisky.

The bottle has value not only because of the liquid.

It also functions as Macallan advertising memorabilia.

The presentation reproduces historical design and gives collectors access to imagery originally created decades earlier.

That potentially broadens the audience beyond whisky drinkers.

A Macallan historian or advertising collector could find the Folio series interesting even if they never intend to open the whisky.

The Macallan and Collectable Design

The Folio releases fit into a broader Macallan tradition of combining whisky with art, design and storytelling.

HTFW’s Macallan collection includes numerous series built around themes extending beyond conventional age statements, from Fine & Rare and M Collection releases through to artistic collaborations and commemorative editions.

The Archival Series is distinctive because the artwork comes from Macallan’s own past.

It is not commissioning an artist to invent a completely new story.

It is turning its historical marketing archive into a modern whisky collection.

Folio 6 and Macallan Heritage

The Macallan was founded by Alexander Reid in 1824 on the Easter Elchies Estate above the River Spey.

Its history therefore stretches back almost two centuries before the Folio 6 release.

But the Archival Series concentrates on a much more recent chapter.

It explores how a historic distillery transformed itself into a modern international brand.

That makes the advertising genuinely worth preserving.

The whisky history explains what was being made.

The adverts help explain how people learned about it.

Why the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s Matter

The Archival Series specifically commemorates campaigns from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.

These decades were crucial to the development of modern single malt whisky.

Blended Scotch had traditionally dominated the international market.

Single malt increasingly became a category consumed and collected in its own right.

Macallan’s distinctive advertising helped communicate why one distillery’s malt should matter.

The adverts were therefore selling more than a bottle.

They were helping build an identity.

Is Folio 6 a Good Drinking Whisky?

Yes.

The collector presentation can sometimes overshadow the liquid, but Folio 6 has an appealing classic Macallan profile.

Orange.

Pear.

Vanilla.

Sultanas.

Ginger.

Cinnamon.

Nutmeg.

Milk chocolate.

At 43% ABV, it is also immediately accessible neat.

Someone primarily interested in drinking Macallan may find better value elsewhere in the range.

But Folio 6 is not merely an empty collector package.

The whisky remains an important part of the experience.

How Should Macallan Folio 6 Be Served?

If opened, begin neat.

A tulip-shaped whisky glass will concentrate the pear, orange, vanilla and spice aromas.

At 43% ABV, substantial dilution is unnecessary.

Allow the whisky several minutes in the glass before tasting.

Then, if desired, add only a small amount of water and look for changes in:

Orange.

Pear.

Vanilla.

Chocolate.

Ginger.

The whisky’s relatively elegant profile means excessive dilution could quickly flatten its subtler flavours.

Should You Open Macallan Folio 6?

That depends entirely on the buyer’s objective.

A collector building the Archival Series has a strong reason to preserve the bottle.

Once opened, the set can never again be considered fully sealed.

But whisky exists to be drunk.

And Folio 6 offers a genuinely attractive combination of orange, sultana, ginger and soft chocolate.

A drinker may therefore value the experience more than preservation.

Neither approach is inherently wrong.

The important distinction is understanding what makes the bottle valuable to you.

Does Folio 6 Continue Ageing in the Bottle?

No.

Once whisky leaves the cask and enters the bottle, it no longer accumulates additional whisky age.

A Folio 6 kept unopened until 2040 remains the same non-age-statement whisky.

Its bottling age and historical provenance may become more interesting.

Its cask maturation does not increase.

Is Folio 6 an Investment?

Folio 6 is unquestionably collectable.

That does not mean its future value is guaranteed.

Whisky prices can move according to:

Collector demand.

Series popularity.

Condition.

Completeness.

Macallan market sentiment.

Auction supply.

And broader economic conditions.

The best reason to own Folio 6 is therefore an interest in:

The Macallan.

The Archival Series.

Historical whisky advertising.

Or the whisky itself.

Potential financial appreciation should remain uncertain rather than assumed.

Who Is Macallan Folio 6 For?

Folio 6 makes particular sense for:

• Macallan collectors
• Archival Series collectors
• Whisky advertising collectors
• Limited-edition Scotch collectors
• Buyers completing Folio 1–8 runs
• Fans of Macallan history
• Whisky memorabilia collectors
• Gift buyers seeking a discontinued Macallan
• Collectors interested in unusual presentation formats

Someone simply seeking a bottle of Macallan to drink may be better served by the distillery’s regular Sherry Oak or Double Cask releases.

Folio 6 exists for a more specialised buyer.

Folio 6 as Part of a Growing Collection

One of the most important things to understand about Folio 6 is that its story is unfinished.

The broader Archival Series is intended to reach 24 individual releases.

That creates an unusually long collecting horizon.

Folio 6 will always remain:

The sixth release.

The Chairman edition.

The Highland Fling Folio.

No future release can replace that position.

That permanence is one of the strongest collector characteristics of a numbered series.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Macallan Folio 6?

The Macallan Folio 6 is the sixth release in the Archival Series, a collection celebrating historical Macallan advertising from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.

What advert inspired Folio 6?

It celebrates “The Chairman”, an advert featuring Macallan chairman Allan Shiach performing a Highland fling over a pen and paintbrush.

Who was The Chairman in the advert?

The figure represents Allan Shiach, then chairman of The Macallan.

What do the pen and brush represent?

They represent advertising team Holmes and Salaman, responsible for the written and visual creative work behind the campaign.

What ABV is Macallan Folio 6?

It is bottled at 43% ABV.

What size is the bottle?

The bottle contains 70cl / 700ml.

Does Macallan Folio 6 have an age statement?

No. It is a non-age-statement single malt.

When was Folio 6 released?

It is associated with 2020, with broader availability continuing into 2021.

What does Macallan Folio 6 taste like?

The official tasting profile includes orange, ginger, poached pear, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, oak, sultana and soft milk chocolate, with a long ginger-led finish.

What colour is Folio 6?

The Macallan describes the colour as autumnal auburn.

Does Folio 6 come in a book-shaped tin?

Yes. The bottle and commemorative booklet are presented inside the distinctive book-shaped Archival Series tin.

Does Folio 6 include a booklet?

Yes. The Macallan includes a special booklet commemorating its vintage advertising.

How many Macallan Folio releases will there be?

The Macallan states that the Archival Series comprises 24 individual releases.

What came before Folio 6?

The previous release was The Macallan Archival Series Folio 5.

What came after Folio 6?

The next release was The Macallan Archival Series Folio 7, celebrating the “Boffins Baffled” advertising campaign.

What is the latest Archival Folio?

As of August 2026, The Macallan’s official series page lists Folio 8 as the latest release.

How many Folio 6 bottles were made?

Specialist whisky references commonly report approximately 3,000 bottles, although The Macallan’s current official Folio 6 page does not publish a confirmed outturn.

Is Folio 6 collectable?

Yes. Its position as the sixth chapter in the numbered Archival Series, discontinued status, distinctive presentation and historical advertising theme give it clear collector relevance.

Does HTFW sell other Macallan Folio releases?

Yes. HTFW lists other editions including Folio 3, Folio 5, Folio 7 and Folio 8.

Buy The Macallan Archival Series Folio 6

The Macallan Archival Series Folio 6 demonstrates why the Folio collection has become such a distinctive part of modern Macallan collecting.

Inside is a classic 43% ABV Macallan single malt offering orange and ginger before poached pear, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg emerge. Sultanas and soft milk chocolate develop across the palate before ginger warmth carries the long finish.

But the real identity of the release lies in the advertisement.

Former chairman Allan Shiach, dressed as a Scotsman, performs the Highland fling above the symbolic pen and brush of advertising team Holmes and Salaman – an affectionate joke born from the creative tension between chairman and agency.

Decades later, The Macallan turned that joke into the sixth chapter of a series intended to span 24 Folios.

Collectors looking backwards can explore Folio 5 and Folio 3, while those continuing the sequence can move forward into Folio 7 and Folio 8.

The wider range can be explored through The Macallan at Hard To Find Whisky, including modern expressions, discontinued releases, vintage bottlings and some of the distillery’s most collectable series.

Folio 6 nevertheless has a character entirely its own.

The Chairman. The Highland fling. A pen and a paintbrush. And one of the most memorable advertisements in The Macallan archive brought back to life as whisky.

Shop The Macallan Archival Series Folio 6 at Hard To Find Whisky.