Carta Nautica 20 Years Old will be available exclusively at Changi until 18 October.

The Macallan introduced its new global travel retail exclusive, Carta Nautica 20 Years Old, to partners and media at TFWA World Exhibition & Conference in Cannes this week, offering guests an insight into the new expression and the craftsmanship behind its creation.

The presentation, held aboard Lady Trudy, came as the single malt made its world-first retail debut at Singapore Changi Airport in partnership with Lotte Duty Free. It is available exclusively at Changi from 28 September to 18 October, before rolling out to selected airports globally from 19 October.

Carta Nautica, derived from the Spanish term for ‘nautical chart’, takes inspiration from the transatlantic journey of The Macallan’s oak, connecting North America, Jerez de la Frontera and Scotland.

Introducing the whisky in Cannes, The Macallan Senior Whisky Maker Diane Stuart explained how those three locations are brought together in the liquid itself. “The Atlantic Ocean connects these three places, and those three places are hugely important to us. They’re also hugely important to the creation of this whisky as well,” she said.

Carta Nautica 20 Years Old has undergone what The Macallan describes as an “anomalous” maturation journey. The whisky was initially matured in sherry-seasoned oak casks before being transferred into casks that previously held bourbon – reversing the more common practice of moving whisky from bourbon into sherry casks.

“All of this liquid that you have in your glass has been influenced by both sherry casks and by bourbon casks, bringing together both sides of the Atlantic Ocean,” Stuart explained. “Most people will mature in bourbon and then move it to sherry, but we have made the very specific decision to mature in sherry and then move it to bourbon, and with that we get a delicious layering of flavour within this whisky.”

Bottled at 42% ABV, the 20-year-old expression features notes of orange peel, vanilla and tropical fruits including pineapple and mango, followed by peach tea, caramelised figs, leather and chocolate orange on the palate.

The Macallan’s Senior Whisky Maker Diane Stuart and Brand Education Manager GTR Stefan Mases were onboard Lady Trudy in Cannes to introduce delegates to the new launch.

The packaging extends the nautical theme through artwork by American artist Amy Genser, whose paper-based work draws inspiration from water and organic forms.

The Macallan Carta Nautica Distilled in 1987 is also being showcased alongside the 20 Years Old, with the 38-year-old single malt, bottled at 45.2% ABV, the first in a new series of vintage releases, presented in a sculpted wooden case featuring Genser’s artwork.

Speaking earlier in the Cannes event, Edrington Regional Managing Director Western Europe & Global Travel Retail Kasper Andersen said the company remains committed to GTR despite what he described as “demanding” and “tough” trading conditions. “We do still hold an enormous faith in the GTR channel,” he said, pointing to long-term passenger growth and the opportunity to convert more travellers into purchasers.

The team also showcased The Macallan Carta Nautica Distilled in 1987.

Andersen said around two-thirds of consumers make their purchasing decision in-store, making the travel retail environment an important opportunity to influence shoppers. At the premium end of the market, he added, consumers are increasingly interested in “storytelling and the emotional connection with brands”, alongside quality, craftsmanship, authenticity and heritage. “We do constantly try to find those meaningful experiences when we’re looking at the consumers,” he said. “The way we are designing the experiences, particularly in the airports, are meant to help drive that engagement and that purchase conversion.”

That approach is being brought to life for Carta Nautica at Changi through two dedicated pop-ups created with Lotte Duty Free Singapore and Changi Airport Group. The experience includes an interactive table tracing the journey of The Macallan’s oak between North America, Spain and Scotland, alongside a gifting station where shoppers can personalise bottles with a Changi-exclusive blue Merlion cap. The activation will initially run in Terminal 3 before moving to Terminal 2.

There will be two dedicated pop-ups in Changi for Carta Nautica, created with Lotte Duty Free Singapore and Changi Airport Group.

The launch also arrives as The Macallan begins rolling out its new global brand campaign, Mastery Beyond Reason. Stuart described the concept in Cannes as a new campaign built around a longstanding approach to whisky making. “It’s a new campaign, but it’s not a new ethos in terms of the approach that we take to making whisky,” she said. “It’s about doing the right thing.”

For The Macallan, she explained, that can mean choosing processes that are “more difficult”, “more time-consuming” and “more expensive” in pursuit of the quality expected of its whiskies.

Andersen added that differentiation will be central to finding future growth in travel retail, alongside creating experiences capable of engaging travellers as they move through the airport.

READ MORE: ‘Growth is not a trend, it’s a choice’: Diageo and Mondelēz target untapped TR potential

READ MORE: Take a glimpse inside the consumer-voted Travel Retail Awards

READ MORE: Dufre presents Æterna Gin and VE Nice Gin at TFWA in Cannes