The Macallan unveils the Anecdotes of Ages Collection in HK

The Macallan presents the Anecdotes of Ages Collection, a special whisky collaboration with British pop artist Sir Peter Blake, in Hong Kong.

The collaboration is the distillery’s third with the iconic artist and has spanned more than three decades. Launched in Hong Kong this May, the distillery staged an immersive exhibhition in K11 Musea, Tsim Sha Tsui, to showcase the full display of the labels of the other 12 bottles, created by Sir Peter Blake and photographed by Mary McCartney.

The scarce collection comes in 13 bottles of the exceptional 1967 whisky. The single malts in this exclusive series has been matured for more than 50 years and was carefully selected to represent the year that Sir Peter Blake’s signature collages transcended from art into popular culture.

Each individual bottle features its own original Sir Peter Blake collage art on the label, detailing unique stories relating to The Macallan’s history, community and the beautiful natural landscape of The Macallan Estate.

At the heart of the exhibition is the expression “The Giant and The Fish’, which is the bottle specially allocated to Hong Kong market. There are two more bottles in this collection that is available in Asia, one in Singapore and the other in Shanghai.

The long-held relationship between The Macallan and the artist began in 1986, where Sir Peter Blake collaborated with The Macallan to create a bespoke label for The Macallan 1926 taking inspiration from the events of the era. In 2012, The Macallan and Sir Peter Blake collaborated again to create a unique, limited edition art piece in celebration of his 80th birthday and decades of collaborating with The Macallan.

As part of The Macallan’s strong support for the arts, one of the extremely scarce 13 Anecdotes of Ages bottles is being auctioned at Sotheby’s New York in last March , which realised US$437,500, to support the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.

Sir Peter Blake said: “I am deeply inspired by the incredible legacy of The Macallan, and its emphasis on family, tradition and the natural world.

“Each collage in the Anecdotes of Ages Collection is inspired by The Macallan’s history and heritage, one that respects time and craft, two essential components of my own creative process. I meticulously worked on each collage, pulling from The Macallan Estate’s rich history to complete a collection that is a celebration of art and whisky.”

Sarah Burgess, Lead Whisky Maker at The Macallan, said: “This exceptional 1967 whisky was chosen for its classic yet distinctively colourful character, which is reminiscent of Sir Peter Blake’s work of the same year. With notes of oak and fig leading to a burst of hazelnut and strawberry, this is a truly special single malt that finishes with complex flavours of chocolate and lightly spiced peach. It is in many ways, its own work of art.”

Each of the 13 original bottles are hand-blown with an oak stopper, and feature a label signed by Sir Peter Blake. Presented in a handcrafted European oak case incorporating thumbnail photography revealing Sir Peter Blake’s inspirational journey with The Macallan, the expressions are also accompanied by a leather-bound book showcasing all 13 label artworks and corresponding stories, as well as a certificate of authenticity.

While one of the original bottles will be retained in The Macallan archive, a highly limited edition whisky featuring a duplicate label and the same rare 1967 whisky will be released as The Anecdotes of Ages Collection: Down to Work Limited Edition. Only 322 bottles will be available worldwide.

Whisky lovers will also welcome the release of a further special single malt Scotch created to commemorate Sir Peter Blake’s visit to The Macallan Estate on the legendary River Spey. An Estate, A Community and A Distillery is displayed in a custom box inspired by Sir Peter Blake’s art, alongside a certificate outlining the history and heritage on which the art was based, and Sir Peter Blake’s artwork printed on a scroll.

The Anecdotes of Ages Collection: Down to Work Limited Edition and the An Estate, A Community and A Distillery will both be available from June 2021.