The Macallan Masters of Photography: Say cheers

For the seventh year running, The Macallan have launched a striking Masters of Photography Special Edition whisky range. A Limited Edition, this luxurious box set combines outstanding global photography with the finest Scotch, in a unique piece worthy of collecting. Every season, The Macallan invites legendary photographers to portray the spirit of the Brand through their lens. Albert Watson, Steven Klein, Mario Testino and Annie Leibovitz are just some of the chosen photographers who have left their imprint on the history of the distillery. 

The Macallan have changed the rules of the game for this Special Edition. The Magnum Edition was born as a collaborative effort between the Magnum photographers (one of the world’s finest cooperatives). Six world-class photographers working on the same objective, crafting images of the construction of The Macallan Estate’s new distillery, which features both state of the art technology and avant-garde architectural design.

The world-renowned photographers Steve McCurry, Martin Parr, Paolo Pellegrin, Mark Power, Gueorgui Pinkhassov and Alec Soth put together a collection of stunning images. Their only brief was to capture different aspects of this iconic distillery at the time of transition into the future. From the landscape and the materials from which the distillery is born to the character of the workers and protagonists who have brought it to fruition. The collection features artistic portraiture of people and casks, which complement the more abstract representations of the building and its unique structure.

© Gueorgui Pinkhassov / Magnum Photos

The official launch starts on April 3rd and continues until May 2nd 2019, at the World Whiskies at World Duty Free Heathrow. There will be a special installation featuring Masters of Photography’s past editions, as well as different whiskies from The Macallan distillery.

© Mark Power / Magnum Photos

“For the first time in The Macallan Masters of Photography series, we are working in partnership with multiple photographers to tell the story of the new The Macallan distillery and the people behind it, taking it from Genesis to completion. This coveted edition shows history in the making against the backdrop of The Macallan’s ongoing commitment to mastery.”, says Ken Grier, Creative Director for the Macallan.

© Alec Soth / Magnum Photos

Located on The Macallan Estate’s lands, the new distillery is destined to become a unique experience for visitors interested in the history of the brand and Estate. The six photographers had unrestricted access to the building site from the very beginning of the work. Through their camera lenses, they were able to witness and capture images of this amazing building ‘grow out of the ground’, in the words of Steve McCurry, and become a reality.

© Martin Parr / Magnum Photos

For this Special Edition, 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 photographic style of each of the Magnum photographers. The whisky is crafted from a vatting of eight different casks, including spicy ginger, oak notes, black cherry, and citrus fruits. Two additional casks pay homage to Magnum and The Macallan.

© Paolo Pellegrin / Magnum Photos

Like past editions, the Box Set is presented as an objet d’art in itself, influenced by the classic portfolio boxes exhibited at the Magnum Studio. It comprises a selection of six signed prints, one from each photographer, and an exclusive book of photography. This unparalleled set is crowned with a numbered Magnum limited edition bottle. The production is limited to just 2000 box sets globally.

© Steve McCurry / Magnum Photos