Anecdotes of Ages

Inspiration behind the 1967 Single Malt

The Macallan’s Lead Whisky Maker, Sarah Burgess, shares her inspiration behind this characterful 1967 whisky.

Inspiration can be found almost anywhere, it’s about the lens through which you choose to look, and the dedication with which you pursue it. Sir Peter Blake worked with The Macallan’s Lead Whisky Maker Sarah Burgess, to share sources of creative inspiration in their respective fields of expertise.

The Anecdotes of Ages Collection is a celebration of this collaboration- inspired by the rich history of The Macallan, the natural beauty of the Estate, and Sir Peter Blake’s creative artistry. The Macallan Estate, the anchor point of our narrative, provided many storied facets to investigate and bring to life again through this collection in 13 anecdotes.

This is a truly special whisky that finishes with complex flavors of chocolate and lightly spiced peach. It is in many ways, its own work of art.
Sarah Burgess The Macallan’s Lead Whisky Maker

The Macallan's Whisky Maker Sarah Burgess making whisky

Sir Peter Blake with Sarah Burgess on The Macallan Estate

The Macallan's Whisky Maker Sarah Burgess nosing whisky

The Macallan's Whisky Maker Sarah Burgess making single malt whisky

The Macallan's Whisky Maker Sarah Burgess and Sir Peter Blake in Distillery

The Macallan Anecdotes of Ages Collection Down to Work Photo by Mary McCartney

One of these 13 original label single malts - Down to Work - has been retained in The Macallan archives. Digital replicas of this label, still with the same 1967 single malt, have been created as a limited edition whisky.

Inspired by The Macallan and Sir Peter Blake’s shared appreciation of beauty, nature and legacy, Sir Peter Blake also designed the label for a limited edition whisky: An Estate, a Community and a Distillery. Displayed in a custom presentation box, the bottle is accompanied by a certificate detailing the history and heritage on which the label art was based, and Sir Peter Blake’s artwork printed on a scroll.

Spirit and Artistry

The Anecdotes of Ages whisky is a characterful 1967 single malt, selected by Lead Whisky Maker Sarah Burgess. Possessed of richly complex flavour notes, it is reflective of its sherry seasoned oak cask resting place, matured for over fifty years, and reminiscent of the year that Sir Peter Blake’s signature collages transcended from art into popular culture.

It was fascinating to watch Sarah work, because it was as mysterious as me making a collage. She has a whole range of little bottles, and would mix about five of them, and then taste that, and then add something else - it was like being an artist, really like making a collage.
Sir Peter Blake

Whisky Details

“This exceptional 1967 whisky was chosen for its classic yet distinctively colorful character, which is reminiscent of Sir Peter Blake’s work of the same year,” said Sarah Burgess.

The familiar and homely tastes of sweet oak, hazelnut burst and strawberry are tempered with hints from further afield: fig, pineapple, mango and lightly spiced peach bring distant horizons to mind. The senses are further stimulated with light nutmeg, ginger and warm chocolate.

The anecdotes shared on the labels reflect the complex spirit within. While firmly set on its Speyside foundations, this 1967 single malt embraces the broader narrative that is a necessary part of creating our whisky, from our sherry-seasoned oak casks to the people through the ages who have shaped and formed our history.

In the style of the year it was laid down, it encapsulates the positive, adventurous outlook of the late Sixties, an era that embraced the new with such enthusiasm. All told, this extraordinary collaboration has resulted in unique works of art that celebrate the unique work of art that is the whisky itself.

Anecdotes of Ages

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