What we’re drinking: The Dalmore Cask Curation Series II: Port Edition
Where it’s from: Founded in 1839, The Dalmore is a Highlands single malt distillery that specializes in multi-cask maturation. You certainly recognize the bottles, as each one is adorned with the 12-point Royal Stag.
Why we’re drinking these: The Dalmore has a core whisky line that’s great (I love the chocolate orange note that runs through most of their releases), but I know the distillery better from lusting after their luxury limited-edition bottles, which retail in the five-figure range. So when I get a chance to try one of these rare expressions that are far outside my drinking budget, I’ll take one for the team.
The Port Edition marks the second release in The Dalmore Cask Curation Series, an annual limited release featuring sets of three extra-aged whiskies. The series launched in 2023 with a trio of rare whiskies aged in sherry casks from Gonzalez Byass in Spain. This year’s release features whiskies in single-harvest Tawny Port pipes sourced from Grahams in Portugal’s Douro Valley.
What the Hell Goes Into a $75,000 Whisky Anyway?
One thing that better not go into it? Ice.“We have a lot of exclusive relationships with winemakers and bodegas,” says Craig Bridger, a VP of Sales and Advocacy for Whyte & Mackay (The Dalmore’s parent company) who guided our tasting. “We’re sourcing tawny Port pipes that aren’t available anywhere else in the industry. It’s the quality of the wine that was in our casks that really defines The Dalmore.”
The packaging here is also a star: the bottles are presented in a bespoke teal green leather-finished travel case that was hand-crafted in Florence.
So, are these three rare Scotch bottles worth a yearly salary? Let’s take a few (careful) sips.
How they taste: All three of these releases were initially aged in American white oak ex-bourbon casks before their secondary maturation.
- The 27 Year Old (49.3% ABV): Finished in a 1997 Single Harvest Tawny Port cask, you’ll find notes of manuka honey, salted caramel and oak spice, along with a slight nuttiness and a hint of ginger. It’s juicy upfront and dry on the finish and, overall, a wonderful sipper that lingers.
- The 30 Year Old (43.9% ABV): Matured in American white oak ex-bourbon casks and finished in a 1994 Single Harvest Tawny Port cask, this one features hints of black cherry, honey, orange, dark chocolate, plums and vanilla.
- The 43 Year Old (41.8% ABV): Finished in a 1952 Single Harvest Tawny Port cask, the oldest release offers up notes of almond, tobacco leaf, cocoa, toffee, sandalwood, black licorice and a hint of tropical fruit.
Overall, these are distinct releases that still offer a classic Dalmore character, but elevated. If you have a chance to try them somehow, do so.
Fun fact: One of my most memorable whisky experiences arrived in 2017 when I tasted a 50-year-old Dalmore single malt with the brand’s former Master Distiller, Richard Paterson. He offered this advice when sipping something unique: “Don’t warm [the whisky dram] up with your hands. Hold low on the glass. Swirl it around, then bring it up and say hello. Each time you do this, you’ll get something different. And don’t knock it back! Say Slàinte Mhath [a Scottish toast meaning “to your health”], then when you drink it, hold that liquid in your mouth — on top and under and then back in the middle. The longer you keep it there, around 20 to 30 seconds, the more flavors you’ll extract. The more warmth, the more you’ll open it up. You won’t need water or ice.”
Where to buy: Only 26 sets will be available in the United States (out of 150 total) at an SRP of $44,450, starting on October 1.
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