In 1981, the same year the 1938 Macallan was bottled, Andy Warhol designed an advertisement for Absolut Vodka, further endearing vodka to spirits drinkers and signifying its pinnacle of popularity. Vodka cocktails like the espresso martini and the cosmopolitan were developed, party shots were all the rage, many of which made use of the clear liquor that packed a punch, and the diet-focused masses of the ‘80s embraced a lighter tasting liquor that blended easily with seltzer and diet sodas for a relatively low calorie option. 

Vodka as a ubiquitous cultural symbol had reached a fever pitch, leaving Scotch whiskey in the dust. A dark liquor, drunk straight, was a notion relegated to old men. With a shrinking demand, the enormous surplus stock of blended Scotch whisky, or “whisky loch” sent producers into a tailspin, nearly destroying the industry entirely, and causing more than a dozen Scotch distillers to shutter their business. Many beloved Scotch distilleries were done for, never to be revived. Irish and Japanese distillers likewise suffered within their own localized markets, indicating no refuge for whisky producers. And yet, Macallan turned its eye toward its quiet, long suffering cask of 1938, and saw a glimmer of hope. 

The Handwritten Label Series

With Scotch blends on the brink of death globally, a fledgling interest in single malt whiskies by connoisseurs led Macallan to refocus. They had announced their single malt label back in 1966, and in the early 80s, under the operation of Allen Shiach, grandson of the operator that originally saw the 1938 distilled and casked, managed to drum up interest in a handful of special bottlings. Shiach, who we would later learn was harboring a passion for film writing that would eventually steer him away from the whisky industry entirely, released the 1938, 1940, 1950, 1957, and 1973 handwritten labels between 1980 and 1983. As Macallan wasn’t known for its collectible bottles at the time of the ‘38’s release, the handwritten labels were purchased to be enjoyed. Today, the rarity of these bottles contributes to the high numbers they fetch at auction. 

A decade after the ‘38’s release, Shiach would leave Macallan, and eventually co-create Netflix hit, The Queen’s Gambit, as well as a healthy list of other well-known film and TV projects. In a way, the 1938 Macallan’s final near-miss was being released before the head of Macallan was romanced by the glitz and glamour of the big screen.