PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
This is one of the rarest bottles a whisky retailer can offer: a single malt distilled in 1967, matured for more than fifty years in sherry-seasoned European oak, from a collaboration between The Macallan and Sir Peter Blake, the British pop artist who designed the cover of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The Anecdotes of Ages Collection was Blake’s third collaboration with The Macallan, a set of thirteen one-of-a-kind bottles, each with a hand-blown glass bottle, a solid oak stopper, and a label signed by Blake, each telling a different story about The Macallan’s history.
Down to Work is the thirteenth. The original labelled bottle, depicting the story of the distillery’s post-war leadership by George Harbinson, was laid down in The Macallan Archives, and a limited edition with a digital replica of the label, containing the same 1967 spirit, was released as the Down to Work Limited Edition: only 322 bottles worldwide, in the same European oak box and accompanied by a green leather book sharing all 13 label artworks. The story behind the label is one of conviction. In the 1970s, Harbinson made the decision to prioritize sherry-seasoned oak casks, rather than the cheaper and more readily available ex-bourbon casks, “in the face of pressure to compromise,” a decision that remains a foundation of The Macallan today.
The whisky was selected by Lead Whisky Maker Sarah Burgess, who says it 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,” finishing with “complex flavours of chocolate and lightly spiced peach,” a whisky that is “in many ways, its own work of art.” It’s bottled at its natural colour at 46.7% ABV (93.4 proof).
The official notes describe a color of “caramelised peach”; an aroma of “classic antique oak, dried fruit and fig combined with hints of pineapple and mango layered with a decadent chocolate strawberry note”; a palate of “warm chocolate with light nutmeg and ginger, oak spices and sweet oak opening into pineapple and coconut with an unexpected strawberry and hazelnut burst”; and a finish that is “complex with a medium to long finish of chocolate, sweet oak and lightly spiced peach.” Five decades in oak has given it a tropical-fruit brightness that few whiskies of this age retain.
This is a trophy bottle for collectors of rare Macallan, the Sir Peter Blake series, and art-and-whisky crossovers, and a centerpiece for a serious whisky collection or a once-in-a-lifetime gift. It’s best kept sealed and displayed in its case, and opened on a landmark occasion.
The Macallan Anecdotes of Ages Collection: Down to Work Limited Edition is produced by The Macallan Distillery in Speyside, Scotland. It is a single malt distilled in 1967 and matured for more than fifty years in sherry-seasoned European oak casks, selected by Lead Whisky Maker Sarah Burgess. Natural colour. Bottled at 46.7% ABV / 93.4 proof. 322 bottles worldwide, each in a European oak box with a green leather book of the collection’s 13 label artworks and a digital replica of the original label. Artwork by Sir Peter Blake.
No professional critic scores are published for this ultra-rare release.
Sarah Burgess, Lead Whisky Maker, The Macallan:
“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.”
The Macallan (whisky maker’s notes):
“Colour: Caramelised peach. Aroma: Classic antique oak, dried fruit and fig combined with hints of pineapple and mango layered with a decadent chocolate strawberry note. Palate: Warm chocolate with light nutmeg and ginger, oak spices and sweet oak opening into pineapple and coconut with an unexpected strawberry and hazelnut burst. Finish: Complex with a medium to long finish of chocolate, sweet oak and lightly spiced peach.”
Nose
Caramelised peach in color. Classic antique oak, dried fruit, and fig, with pineapple, mango, and chocolate strawberry.
Palate
Warm chocolate, nutmeg, and ginger, with oak spice and sweet oak opening into pineapple and coconut, with a burst of strawberry and hazelnut.
Finish
Medium to long, with chocolate, sweet oak, and lightly spiced peach.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Style | Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky — Vintage 1967, Limited Edition |
| ABV / Proof | 46.7% ABV / 93.4 Proof |
| Vintage / Age | Distilled 1967; matured 50+ years |
| Maturation | Sherry-seasoned European oak casks |
| Colour | Natural |
| Distillery | The Macallan — Speyside, Scotland |
| Whisky Maker | Sarah Burgess (Lead Whisky Maker) |
| Collection | Anecdotes of Ages — third Sir Peter Blake collaboration; the 13th bottle, “Down to Work” |
| Production | 322 bottles worldwide |
| Packaging | European oak box with a green leather book of the 13 label artworks; digital replica label |
| Story | George Harbinson’s 1970s decision to prioritize sherry-seasoned oak casks |
| Style / Identity | A rare, 50-plus-year-old sherry cask single malt with tropical fruit, chocolate, and spice |
| Aromas & Flavors | Antique oak, fig, pineapple, mango, chocolate strawberry, hazelnut, spiced peach |
| Bottle Size | 750ml |
If opened, serve neat in a Glencairn glass at room temperature, with a few drops of water, and give it time to open.
Bottle Size: All bottles are 750ML/700ML unless otherwise noted.
21 and Over: Adult Signature Required
Your cart is empty
Start shopping
