The Macallan Master's Of Photography Series
Join us as we take a retrospective look at the collection so far and what we can expect from the seventh entry in the series - The Macallan Masters of Photography: Magnum Edition.
Chapter One: Rankin Edition
The Macallan Masters of Photography: Rankin Edition was the first entry into this fascinating series. Famed for his knack for capturing the spirt and character of his subjects, Scottish photographer Rankin was invited to Easter Elchies House, home to The Macallan. He was encouraged to interpret the spirit of The Macallan through his lens, capturing the heart, soul and essence of the estate through his photography.
The results were captured on polaroid so that no digital enhancements or alterations can be made.
The Masters of Photography: Rankin Edition was presented in a black leather box, lined with velvet and containing an original Rankin Polaroid. Each unique bottle has an individually printed label which matches the specific Polaroid contained within the box and a booklet of authenticity signed by Rankin.
The liquid is Macallan Fine Oak which is triple cask matured in unique, complex combination of exceptional oak casks, a process that is unique to Macallan. It combines European oak casks seasoned with sherry, American oak casks seasoned with sherry and American oak casks seasoned with bourbon to deliver an extraordinary smooth, delicate, yet complex single malt.
Chapter Two: Albert Watson Edition
Albert Watson was drafted in for the second chapter of the Masters of Photography series – visually documenting The Macallan’s oak casks and their journey for the first time.
Watson ventured to the deep forests of Spain then travelling all the way to the Scottish Highland’s to the home of Macallan. The journey took a total of 12 days with Watson beautifully capturing the breathtaking scenery from the beautiful forests of Northern Spain where the oak is grown, to the traditional cooperage in Jerez.
Watson used Platinum print, a long-lasting material that can (if cared for) last thousands of years.
A limited collection of 1,000 unique The Macallan Sherry Oak 20 Years Old bottles were each labelled with a specially commissioned label by Albert Watson and a set of 10 portfolio prints unique to this edition. A further 36 individually customised bottles of The Macallan 1946 whisky, the year Watson first met his wife Elizabeth, were labelled with a signed one-off collectable platinum print.
Chapter Three: Annie Leibovitz Edition
For the third entry into the series Macallan had one aim: to convey the emotional power of the brand. Annie Leibovitz was chosen as she was unquestionably the most famous luxury and celebrity photographer in the world.
The leading man chosen shows that sometimes everything comes full circle. Scottish actor Kevin McKidd, born in Elgin, just 14 miles from The Macallan Distillery, worked for Lumsden’s, coppersmith on the Macallan stills themselves.
The shoot comprised four shots in extraordinary locations, each depicting a Macallan moment.
A limited edition of 1,000 bottles, four one-off single cask whiskies from The Macallan were each paired with a specific image that graces the bottle itself. Unique and specially commissioned, these four powerful Annie Leibovitz images embody a depth of feeling captured expertly on the shoot.
Chapter Four: Elliott Erwitt
Erwitt was chosen for the fourth entry to specifically capture the people of Macallan. According to Macallan “In his ‘Great Scottish Adventure’, Erwitt interprets and showcases the unique richness and depth of Scottish character through his shrewd observational skill and subtle humorous style.”
Showcasing the tradition and eccentricities of the Scottish people, Erwitt’s shots were captured against dramatically different backdrops that all showcase Scotland; Highlands and Islands, Glasgow and Edinburgh. This “resulted in some of the most iconic and powerful photographs of our time.”
The Masters of Photography: Elliott Erwitt Edition was The Macallan’s most extensive, and ambitious to date, with 58 unique single cask whiskies being paired with a different signed print captured during his Scottish adventure. Only 35 of each of the exclusive pairings were made available, a complete global release of 2,030.
Chapter Five: Mario Testino
Testino, being one of the world’s most prolific portrait and fashion photographers, was tasked with bringing the Six Pillars of Macallan to life.
Testino brought together six characters – one to represent each of the pillars of The Macallan.
The Masters of Photography: Mario Testino Edition brought together six different casks to showcase the complexity of The Macallan. Each of these six perfect whiskies is the definitive representation of one of The Six Pillars. These 6 specially selected casks which were chosen by Macallan whisky maker, Bob Dalgarno.
Each of the 1,000 editions comprised a different Mario Testino print capturing The Six Pillars, an exclusive photo-archival booklet featuring a total of 20 images shot by Testino during the process, one bottle of the single malt whisky and six miniatures from each of the selected six casks.
Chapter Six: Steven Klein
For the sixth chapter in the series, master of art and visionary photographer, Steven Klein, imagines a world where time stands still. Macallan say “in an exploration of The Macallan’s most important ingredient, time, Klein alters the rhythm of the series and puts a unique spin on this continuing collaboration by taking it beyond the click of the shutter into the moving image.”
This Speyside Single Malt celebrates the work of Steven Klein in a limited edition of only 1,000 bottles. A truly awe-inspiring whisky, each component of Steven Klein's art is reflected in the master whisky maker's vision, creating a very specific and unusual whisky that mirrors the art itself.
Steven Klein has created a stunning tableau that captures and distils a single moment in time on film. Similarly, the whisky itself captures a moment in time. Inspired by the past, peated notes represent the smokiness of the industrial setting of the Klein film, while Macallan whiskies from the era were also smoky in profile. This combines with an incredible cask selection, including the first ever use of Rioja-seasoned casks by the Macallan, giving the whisky pinkish tones, again reflective of the Klein film colourways.
Each of the Steven Klein Editions are presented in a stunning black leather presentation box. Within each box is a signed Steven Klein print, a distinctive black horse's head bottle stopper designed by Klein and a range of alchemic glassware including a dropper, an aroma still, an infuser, a cocktail class, a highball glass and a tumbler.
The nose has sweet berries to the fore, hints of chalk and light vanilla moving to dried fruits and period oak, with caramelised ginger, orange and a wisp of smoke. The palate has a lingering sweet spice, opening to the briefest subtle smoke, before dark chocolate, orange zest, oak and a late wood smoke. The finish is soft and rich, ending in wood smoke.
Chapter Seven: Magnum
Chapter Seven is a celebration of the new Macallan Distillery and it tells The Macallan story as a collection of the world’ leading photographers record this milestone in the storied life of The Macallan.
The result is an awe-inspiring collection of images, taken by six world renowned Magnum photographers - Steve McCurry, Martin Parr, Paolo Pellegrin, Mark Power, Gueorgui Pinkhassov and Alec Soth, which captures the build of the stunning new distillery.
This magnificent and world class collectible set of images comes together as a limited edition objet d’art, presented in a stunning archive style gift box. It comprises a special limited release whisky; a selection of six signed prints, one from each photographer, and an exclusive book of photography.
The Macallan Whisky Maker Sarah Burgess has created “a single malt crafted from a combination of eight casks, all differing in character to reflect the photography style of each of the Magnum photographers and to represent Magnum itself.”
The casks include:
A spicy gingered cask reflects McCurry’s bold and brave style; a cask of age where oak influence prevails over individual characteristics symbolises Parr’s oblique view of the world;
A classic cask with an intense black cherry note complements Pellegrin’s forceful black and white pictures; two casks reflect Power’s photography which captures the familiar, but from an often obscure point of view.
An ex-European red wine cask imparting a rich mahogany red colour represents Pinkhassov’s contrasting and brightly coloured work; a first fill American barrel with its delicate citrus notes captures Soth’s heritage and spirit of adventure.
The resulting final cask is an intensely sweet yet classic Macallan with edge and depth, bringing the whole creation together and representing the imagination and brilliance of Magnum.
Tasting Notes
Sarah Burgess, Whisky Maker
ABV: 44%
COLOUR: Deep amber with rose gold hues
NOSE: Light hints of peat layered into warm spiced ginger with mellow oak notes. Gently coming behind these notes, are an almost tangerine citrus and caramelised apple
PALATE: Candied dried fruits and a butterscotch sweetness with a tickling of spice that moves into a honeyed nut note
FINISH Medium to long finish ending in sweet earthy peat notes
This stunning collectable set includes:
- A selection of six 11x14” signed prints, one from each photographer
- A special limited edition of a completely unique Macallan single malt whisky
- The bottle is engraved with The Macallan and Magnum logos and the names of the six photographers
- An exclusive book of photography featuring stunning images from the six photographers
- This special release comes together as a limited edition objet d’art presented in a stunning archive style gift box, and is one of only 2000 available worldwide.
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