Fine and Rare 1940s Global EN

The 1940s were indisputably a game of two halves. Conflict and tragedy gave way, with peace, to an extraordinary reawakening and the blossoming of a progressive future. Tucked away from turmoil, these influences were deftly interpreted at The Macallan.

Respect for the old ways did not diminish. Traditionally distinctive, peat smoke infused character is wonderfully evident in the Fine & Rare bottling from 1947. Back then, lives worn down by wartime reached once more for timeless pleasures, the familiar friends of cards, dominoes and golf. And yet, equally, new diversions beckoned. Air travel was taking off for all. The Edinburgh International Festival crackled into being in 1947, proudly weaving Scottish Arts into the national conscience. Music was everywhere. A spirit of exploration, both literal and cultural, awoke at home and abroad.

Photography by Tim Walker, inspired by The Macallan Estate.

In this atmosphere, an increasingly independent path was anticipated at The Macallan. The dominant business of supplying the blenders’ market, would, in years to come, give way to play second fiddle to single malt bottlings, bearing the company name with unshowy simplicity.

It was time for ‘The Macallan’ to stand on its feet. In the post-war euphoria, the name already resonated with those who knew exceptional quality when they met it. For a fortunate few, some seventy years later, the amazing spirit of that optimistic age is happily available.