There are a few names that are virtually synonymous with luxury Scotch—The Macallan, Bowmore, Royal Salute, and The Dalmore. That last distillery is known for producing single-malts that are initially aged in bourbon barrels and then finished in a variety of sherry and port casks, some of which spent decades being seasoned with these fortified wines before finding a second life at the Highland distillery. The latest exorbitant offering from The Dalmore is also one of its rarest: The Dalmore Luminary The Rare 2024 Edition. A single bottle will go up for auction this month at Sotheby’s, and we were lucky enough to get a taste to see what it’s all about.
The Rare is a 49-year-old single malt that was aged in American white oak barrels and then finished in an interesting blend of casks: Port Colheita 1963, Apostoles sherry, bourbon, and a hybrid 1951 and virgin oak barrel. But old whisky doesn’t necessarily mean good whisky. On the contrary, sometimes the liquid becomes overly oaky and full of tropical fruit notes that mask the character of the spirit.
The Rare, however, is refined and complex, despite being nearly half a century old. There are some tropical notes of burnt pineapple and fresh mango, but those are buttressed by flavors like dark chocolate, raspberry syrup, citrus, espresso bean, and a soft nuttiness on the palate. There’s a wisp of smoke on the nose that is even fainter on the palate, and according to a rep for the brand there may have been some peated malt included in the mashbill, a rarity for The Dalmore, which is not known for making smoky whisky.
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The Rare comes enveloped in a sweeping glass sculpture designed by Melodie Leung, director at Zaha Hadid Architects, who worked with Dalmore master whisky maker Gregg Glass and master distiller Richard Paterson OBE. There are just three decanters and two sculptures available, and one set will hit the Sotheby’s auction block this month with all proceeds going to benefit Scottish design museum V&A Dundee. “The sculpture we created for The Rare was inspired by our fascinating discussions around the interaction and flow of flavor notes in the whisky-making process,” said Leung. “It mirrors the multiple layers of aging and blending that went into creating this whisky, which is the exquisite product of nature channeled over time.”
The Rare is expected to fetch more than $100,000 at auction, so if you’re looking to spend a little less money on a new single malt, you’re in luck. There’s a second whisky in The Dalmore Luminary Series 2024 called The Collectible, a 16-year-old Scotch that costs $350. This is also a superb whisky, matured in ex-bourbon barrels and finished in Graham’s tawny port pipes and 30-year-old Apostoles sherry casks. There was a small amount of peated malt included in the blend for this release as well. That smoke comes through in a very subtle way, with the most prominent notes being chocolate orange, spiced nuts, milk chocolate, dark berries, and a touch of citrus.
Related: We've Tasted Hundreds of Scotch Whiskies. These 16 Bottles Are the Best of 2024
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