Dalmore collaborates with V&A

Scotch brand The Dalmore has revealed the second chapter of its Luminary Series, which is a partnership with Scottish design museum V&A Dundee.

The collaboration is intended to ‘bring together luminaries from the worlds of whisky and architectural design’.

Two whiskies have been created for the partnership – called ‘The Rare’ and ‘The Collectible’ – which are presented in glass amber sculptures created by Melodie Leung of Zaha Hadid Architects.

The Rare is a 49-year-old Highland single malt. Only three decanters of the expression and two sculptures were created.

One decanter and sculpture set will be auctioned at Sotheby’s in May, with all proceeds donated to the museum. The other set will be kept at the Dalmore’s distillery, while the third decanter will be saved for a final Luminary Series Compendium Edition.

To create the sculpture, The Dalmore and Leung worked closely with glass artist Fiaz Elson from The Glass Foundry.

The whisky was matured in ex-Bourbon American white oak casks and finished in a blend of Port Colhieta 1963, Apostoles Sherry, select Bourbon and unique hybrid casks. It was bottled at 40.6% ABV.

Leung said: “Experiencing The Dalmore’s outstanding craftsmanship first-hand and being initiated into the complex world of whisky making by Gregg [Glass, master whisky maker] and Richard [Paterson OBE, Whyte & Mackay master distiller] provided extremely fertile ground for design inspiration.

“The sculpture we created for The Rare was inspired by our fascinating discussions around the interaction and flow of flavour notes in the whisky-making process.

“It mirrors the multiple layers of ageing and blending that went into creating this whisky, which is the exquisite product of nature channelled over time.”

The Collectible is a 16-year-old Highland single malt, which will be available at luxury and specialist retailers from 2 April.

The whisky was matured in Bourbon casks and finished in a blend of Graham’s Tawny Port and Apostoles Sherry casks, with a small portion finished in peated, ex-refill Bourbon casks.

Bottled at 48.6% ABV, the expression will retail for £275 (US$347), with 20,000 bottles available.

Master whisky maker Gregg Glass said: “This was a true meeting of minds, and the new releases beautifully express the shared journey we’ve all been on.

“While crafting our two new whiskies, we used the technique of time nurtured carefully to transform through blending to elevate The Dalmore to a new level.

“Flavour, colour and form meet together in a holistic sensory experience with swirls of texture, depth, complexity and nuance. We are delighted to finally be sharing these special whiskies with the world.”

The first chapter of the Luminary Series saw the Scotch brand collaborate with architect Kengo Kuma.

The Dalmore has also supported the V&A Dundee’s new exhibition, ‘Photo City: How Images Shape the Urban World’.