Edrington Focused On Bolstering Its Malt Portfolio For The Long Term
With a million cases in global volume and annual retail value of $1.38 billion, according to Impact Databank, The Macallan is the global leader among all single malt Scotch whiskies in value terms, and the fourth-largest Scotch whisky overall after Johnnie Walker, Ballantine’s, and Chivas Regal. While the single malt category in the U.S. has faced headwinds along with much of the drinks market, brand owner Edrington tells SND that it’s continuing to invest behind the luxury malt label with an eye to the future.
In 2025, The Macallan grew 2.8% to 229,000 cases in the U.S., putting it 20,000 cases above its 2020 position. As with most spirits brands, the luxury single malt benefited during the early years of the pandemic, reaching 267,000 cases in 2021, according to Impact Databank, before shedding volume from 2022-2024. Last year it reversed the trend to get back to growth.
“We continue to invest in the long-term health of our brands,” says Paul Condron, marketing director for The Macallan, Highland Park, and The Glenrothes at Edrington. “The Macallan now owns and oversees every stage of its Sherry-seasoned oak cask journey, from oak sourcing and sawmills in the United States and Europe, through cooperages, vineyards, and bodegas in Jerez de la Frontera, before arriving at The Macallan Estate in Speyside for filling and maturation. This end-to-end stewardship is unlike anything else in the industry and helps protect the quality and craftsmanship of The Macallan.”
The Macallan accounts for the lion’s share of Edrington’s $1.1 billion in total revenue. In June, when Edrington reported its financial results for the fiscal year ended in March 2026, the company noted strong gains for The Macallan’s 12-year-old bottling. Driven by the 12-year-old expression, Edrington said The Macallan’s core range delivered volume growth for the year, boosted by expanded distribution and new product launches in select markets.
With The Macallan as its leading single malt, Edrington also owns Highland Park, the 15th-largest single malt brand in the U.S. at 13,000 cases. Edrington has started a campaign to boost Highland Park’s profile in the U.S. “We have also gone through a transformation for Highland Park as we introduced our ‘Different by Nature’ campaign in 2025 and 2026 with the rollout of new packaging and creative storytelling. New releases such as Cask Strength: Heather have helped us share what makes Highland Park unmistakably different,” said Condron.
Looking ahead, Condron said the “Different by Nature” campaign will continue, with Highland Park getting support from new releases, including an upcoming addition to the U.S. portfolio. Outside the U.S. the brand is being supported in travel retail. “We are also extending the Highland Park experience in global travel retail with Light of Orkney 11-Year-Old, an approachable new expression that is beginning its international rollout,” said Condron.
Portfoliomate The Glenrothes remains small in the U.S., but has also received recent attention from Edrington, with a focus on highlighting the brand’s luxury credentials. Last year, the brand launched The Glenrothes 51, the oldest bottling from the brand and a halo release in the portfolio. In addition, the brand has added a Private Bottlings program for The Glenrothes, introducing a more bespoke option for selecting a bottling.
With its outlook focused squarely on the long-term, Edrington is positioning its malts portfolio to take an increasing share of luxury consumers. “The spirits industry continues to face challenging trading conditions, but we continue to see strong consumer interest in premium spirits,” said Condron. “As more consumers choose to drink less but better, we remain focused on building for the long-term through investment in our quality, craftsmanship, and consumer experiences.”—Shane English
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