The Macallan Harmony Collection V: Inspired By Phoenix Honey Orchid Tea Single Malt Scotch Whisky

A soft, floral-fruited single malt from The Macallan’s Harmony V series, Inspired by Phoenix Honey Orchid Tea offers an exotic, honey-orchid-inflected profile, balancing lush dessert-wine and tea-leaf tones with rich oak and tropical fruit sweetness. It’s elegant, refined, and designed for sipping, especially by those who enjoy whisky with layered floral/floral-honey and fruit character, rather than peat or heavy smoke.

Key Specs & Production

Flavour & Aroma Profile

Here are the flavour/aroma highlights as described in the Macallan copy, retailer/pre-release notes, and tea collaboration materials:

• Nose / Aroma: Peaches, apricot, floral honey, tropical fruits; orchard blossoms; subtle dessert wine aromas; hints of tea leaf and sweet oak. 

• Palate / Taste: Creamy toffee, honeyed fruit like peach & apricot; more tropical fruit notes; sweet oak; floral notes; a touch of citrus peel for balance; smooth oak-spice undertones. 

• Colour / Appearance: Warm honey (golden honey tone) 

• Finish: Soft honey sweetness lingers; the oak echoes; floral & fruit notes taper gently; tea-leaf dryness or subtle bitterness may balance the sweetness. (Based on tasting notes shared by retailers)

What Makes It Special

• Tea Inspiration & Collaboration: The flavour profile is guided by a specific tea, Phoenix Honey Orchid (a single-garden oolong tea from Phoenix Mountain, Guangdong). The Macallan + JING Tea collaboration is intended to evoke the tea’s lush dessert wine aromas, exotic fruit, honey, and floral orchid notes in whisky form. 

• Cask Selection: Using both sherry-seasoned European & American oak + a touch of ex-bourbon casks gives multiple layers — sweet oak, richness, fruit, and balancing influences. The sherry oak gives depth and roasted / dessert wine richness; bourbon casks add sweetness for contrast. 

• Sustainability & Packaging Innovation: They’ve used “waste tea leaves” (unsuitable for consumption) in the box packaging; also emphasise natural materials and sustainability in the presentation. It’s part of The Macallan’s “future packaging journey.”

• Beautiful for those who like floral, honeyed, fruit-forward whiskies rather than smoky or heavily peated styles.

• Elegant and complex enough for sipping neat; tea lovers will likely appreciate the inspiration and connections.

• Solid balance: sweetness + oak + fruit + floral touches, with tea influence giving a different twist among modern Macallan releases.

Suggested Serving & Pairing

• Best sipped neat in a tulip or Glencairn glass to capture the floral & honey aromas; allow it to rest briefly in the glass to open up.

• A drop or two of water may help bring out more orchard fruit or tea-leaf nuance.

• Pair with desserts like honey-glazed fruit tart, peach cobbler, crème brûlée, or lighter floral desserts. Also pairs nicely with tea itself (Phoenix Honey Orchid or similar) for an interesting whisky-tea pairing.

• Consider serving with a gentle cheese board: soft cheeses (e.g. goat cheese, mild Brie) plus fruit (apricots, peaches) and light nuts.