The Anecdotes of Ages Collection, a limited-release whisky and art with renowned British pop artist, Sir Peter Blake

 

 

The Macallan Reveals Third Art Collaboration with Sir Peter Blake: The Anecdotes of Ages Collection Inspired by the Legacy of The Macallan Estate.

The Macallan Anecdotes of Ages Collection, Macallan’s third collaboration with legendary British pop artist, Sir Peter Blake.

At the heart of the esteemed collection are 13 one-of-a-kind bottles of exceptional 1967 whisky, chosen for its classic yet distinctly colorful character representative of the year that Sir Peter Blake‘s collage style transcended the art world into pop 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. One of the original bottles will be auctioned by Sotheby’s in support of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum’s diversity, equity, access, and inclusion initiatives.

Collaborating with Sir Peter Blake for more than three decades, this esteemed whisky collection is a natural partnership.

Over the decades, Sir Peter Blake’s unique and timeless signature style has transcended fashion, music, and art movements. For this collection, each bottle of whisky was carefully selected and the art labels that Sir Peter Blake created are of the finest caliber, designed to resonate with The Macallan collectors and the world of art. Sir Peter Blake deftly applies his particular mix of styles, from colorful lettering to likeness drawing, to various projects—most recently, the building wrap for Hyde Parks Mandarin Oriental Hotel, his largest yet, and his current project ‘Joseph Cornell’s Holiday,’ a series of crowd collages that continue the life of a fellow collagist.

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

Each of the 13 original Anecdotes of Ages 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 the 13th original bottle 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 for an SRP of $83,000.

“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 Macallan Lead Whisky Maker. “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 flavors of chocolate and lightly spiced peach. It is in many ways, its own work of art.”

To round out the collection, a specially created whisky inspired by The Macallan and Sir Peter Blake’s shared appreciation of beauty, nature and legacy – An Estate, A Community and A Distillery – will be sold for an SRP of $1,200 displayed in a custom box inspired by Sir Peter Blake’s art, alongside a certificate outlining the art’s history and heritage, and Sir Peter Blake’s artwork printed on a scroll.

In March 2021, Sotheby’s will host a live auction where one of the 13 original bottles of The Macallan Anecdotes of Ages  Collection will be sold to raise funds to benefit the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. Support from The Macallan will advance efforts underway at the Guggenheim to increase free access and develop engagement with a variety of audiences, in alignment with the museum’s diversity, equity, access, and inclusion initiatives.