"A tribute to some of the colourful characters from The Macallan’s past and present"
It may be hard to imagine today, but for much of the 20th century, Macallan was primarily a constituent malt in blends. It was not until the 1980s downturn in the market that the distillery decided to focus on its single malt brand. Fortuitously, this coincided with the crest of a wave of enthusiasm for the high quality releases that the distillery had licensed to Campbell, Hope & King and Gordon & MacPhail in the 1960s and 1970s. These remain some of the most collectible on the market. While global single malt sales volume is still lead by Speyside neighbours, Glenfiddich and Glenlivet, Macallan is easily the most sought after. So much so in fact, that they had to open a brand new distillery in 2018, a subterranean architectural masterpiece within the Easter Elchies estate, boasting 36 copper pot stills.
Presented in early 2021, An Estate, A Community and A Distillery is the result of the Speyside giant once again collaborating with acclaimed British artist, Sir Peter Blake. Famously the designer of The Beatles iconic Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band record sleeve, he is perhaps best known in the whisky world for labelling 12 bottles of the legendary Macallan 1926: currently the most expensive single malt in history. This is the third time he and The Macallan have worked together.
The bottle was released to celebrate the distilleries Anecdotes of Ages Collection and was available via ballot in March 2021. The presentation box houses the bottle, a certificate detailing the history and heritage on which the art was based, and artwork printed on a scroll.