It's not every day that The Dalmore presents a bottle of ultra-aged single malt Scotch whisky. Three of them are making their debut today. The stunning triptych is part of the luxury brand's Cask Curation series: embarrassingly rare expressions, each successive chapter highlights a particular style of cask seasoning.
Cask Curation started last year with the Sherry Edition. Now we got a taste of this year's sequel, the Port Edition. Whiskey collectors are sure to be worked up – just 150 sets will be released worldwide this month, each with an MSRP of $37,500.
The Dalmore Cask Curation Port Edition consists of three distinct Scotchs from the storied 185-year-old Highland distillery. The youngest member of the group is 27 years old, followed by 30 and 43 years old. All in all, this means a whole century of maturation. All of the liquids are aged primarily in ex-bourbon casks, followed by a minimum of 24 months in special casks sourced from Graham's, one of the world's premier port producers.
The special barrels in question are known as “tubes”. Handmade elongated barrels from Portugal that often hold 550 liters worth of liquid in their crates. The artisans responsible for the famous fortified wine do not give them up so easily. However, the core ethos of the Dalmore Cask Curation range is to showcase the excellent relationship that this legendary distillery maintains. other floor barrel inspectors in different categories.
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For the 27-year-old Bottle I, Graham offered a fresh cask that had previously been used to store single-harvest tawny port from 1997. The 98.6 ABV liquid has a rich texture of roasted chestnuts, crystallized ginger and marzipan. in the middle.
“This whiskey embodies the charm of a balanced port,” says Greg Glass, whiskey maker at The Dalmore. “Warm and juicy.”
The II. bottle was placed in a 1994 vintage, yellowish-brown tube. The secondary cooper here interestingly produced an orange marmalade bomb. The aroma is brûléed blood orange, and the tongue is coated with tangerine jam. At 43.9 percent ABV, this is an excellent sipping dessert dram.
Yet the depth of his taste is obscured by the elder statesmen. Dalmore Aged 43 Years is a slow-moving sensory overload, starting with sugary plum notes on the nose, through the tropical fruits of its velvety body, to its lingering finish of cedar and warm caramel.
“It's absolutely magical,” Glass says of his 43-year-old masterpiece, which took 36 months to complete in barrels that had previously been infused with 72-year-old port. “Along the way it has acquired antique notes and rich, dark fruit.”
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He doesn't overdo it. This is the most impressive expression of the series, despite being the mildest by ABV. Regardless, it's highly unlikely that you'll ever get the chance to taste it alone. The Dalmore Cask Curation range comes as a kit. In the case of the Port Edition, it comes packaged in a teal tube made in Tuscany by Italian luggage company AB Florence. Each bottle is fitted with a chrome stopper and silver foil embossing, within which the relevant Scottish age designation is displayed.
If you're looking to stock up on this wildly elusive piece of memorabilia, it's best to contact Dalmore's prestigious private client team directly. The superstitious type may fear that bad luck comes in threes. But as far as Dalmore is concerned, at least that's exactly how good dramas come.
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