A creative collaboration brings two new limited-edition whiskies to ‘The Dalmore Luminary Series’ curated in partnership with V&A Dundee

The collaboration is the second chapter of The Dalmore Luminary Series curated in partnership with V&A Dundee, Scotland’s design museum, which brings together luminaries from the worlds of whisky and architectural design

‘The Rare’ 49 Year Old Highland Single Malt, housed in a dramatic glass sculpture by Melodie Leung of Zaha Hadid Architects, will be auctioned at Sotheby’s in May 2024 with all proceeds donated to V&A Dundee

The Dalmore Luminary Series, curated in partnership with V&A Dundee, is releasing new masterpieces: a remarkable glass amber sculpture and collectable presentation case housing two new, exceptionally rare Highland Single Malt whiskies. The Dalmore Luminary – The Rare – 2024 Edition will be offered at auction with all proceeds donated to Scotland’s design museum, and The Dalmore Luminary – The Collectible – 2024 Edition will be available at leading luxury and specialist retailers globally from April 2^nd, 2024.

The three-part series celebrates the relentless pursuit of excellence through compelling collaborations between luminaries in whisky mastery and architectural design. The Dalmore Luminary – The Rare – 2024 Edition sees the whisky and its sculptural housing designed by Melodie Leung, Director at Zaha Hadid Architects, together with Gregg Glass, Master Whisky Maker at The Dalmore, and Master Distiller Richard Paterson OBE.

Leung and The Dalmore whisky makers have worked side by side to share and examine where their intricate skills and knowledge converge. The result of the close collaboration is two, beautiful new releases that creatively stretch the signature styles of Zaha Hadid Architects and The Dalmore. Both of these promise to delight both whisky and design enthusiasts in a fascinating exploration of the interaction of flavour and form.

The Dalmore Luminary – The Rare – 2024 Edition

• Only three decanters and two sculptures will ever be made of The Rare, a 49 Year Old Single Malt from The Dalmore housed in a dynamic, glass amber sculpture designed by Leung and her team at Zaha Hadid Architects
• With an extraordinary maturation and blending process, the 49 Year Old Highland Single Malt offers layers of intense vanilla, dark berry fruit and cacao aromas, with a palate of freshly roasted chestnuts, blackcurrant, Doyenne pears and soft patisserie spices leading to a subtle, sweet smoke finish
• The whisky was matured in American White Oak ex-Bourbon casks and finished in a blend of Port Colheita 1963, Apostoles sherry, select Bourbon and a unique 1951/Virgin Oak hybrid cask

One covetable set is expected to attract interest from collectors globally and achieve upwards of six figures when offered at auction through Sotheby’s in May 2024, with all proceeds donated to V&A Dundee.

The Dalmore Luminary – The Collectible – 2024 Edition

• Whisky enthusiasts can also discover a one-of-a-kind expression from The Dalmore through The Collectible which features a small amount of exceptionally rare peated Dalmore spirit
• This introduces a whisper of herbal wood smoke over a nose of Manuka honey, crème brûlée, antique leather and delicate tropical notes complemented by a rich palate of ripe figs, oranges, forest fruits and brioche
• The 16 Year Old was matured in Bourbon casks and finished in a blend of Graham’s Tawny Port pipes and Apostoles sherry casks, with a small portion in peated, hand-selected, ex-refill Bourbon casks
• The bottle is housed in a presentation case that echoes the glowing, swirling design of The Rare sculpture
• From April 2^nd 2024, 20,000 sets will be available at a recommended retail price of £275 at select luxury and specialist retailers worldwide as well as global travel retail

The carefully crafted elements of The Dalmore Luminary – 2024 Edition were conceived entirely collaboratively, with Glass, Paterson and Leung working symbiotically to bring the whiskies to life. Glass says: “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.”

Leung adds: “Experiencing The Dalmore’s outstanding craftsmanship first-hand and being initiated into the complex world of whisky making by Gregg and Richard 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 Rare and The Collectible are covetable additions to any serious collection and reflect the shared commitment of The Dalmore, V&A Dundee and Leung to champion exceptional design and innovation on a global scale. All proceeds from Sotheby’s sale of The Rare will be donated to V&A Dundee in support of its important mission to inspire and empower through design.

The Dalmore, Zaha Hadid Architects and V&A Dundee have combined forces and included the architectural practice in an exciting new exhibition opening at V&A Dundee on Friday 29th March, Photo City: How Images Shape the Urban World – see Editors Notes.

 https://www.thedalmore.com/en-gb/luminary-series/luminary-2024-edition/  

The Dalmore Luminary – The Rare – 2024 Edition

TASTING NOTES

• Aroma: Madagascan vanilla, rich dark berry fruits, cinnamon and dark cacao
• Palate: Freshly roasted chestnuts, blackcurrant, Doyenne pears, and soft patisserie spices
• Finishing notes: Sugared almonds, plums, roasted Colombian coffee with lifts to a subtle sweet wood smoke
• Bottled at 40.6% ABV, natural colour, and non-chill filtered

MATURATION

• The 49 Year Old was matured in American White Oak ex-Bourbon casks and finished in a blend of Port Colheita 1963, Apostoles sherry, select Bourbon and unique hybrid casks
• A final flourish in a bespoke 1951/Virgin Oak hybrid cask air-dried at The Dalmore distillery and hand-toasted by Glass himself

THE DALMORE LUMINARY – THE RARE – 2024 EDITION GLASS SCULPTURE

• The Dalmore worked closely with Fiaz Elson from The Glass Foundry – one of the few master glass artists with the necessary experience and vision to manipulate glass to the desired form – to combine modern techniques with a centuries-old craft to deliver this unique sculpture
• The sculpture was in the kiln at The Glass Foundry for 12 weeks
• The initial moulding was made at 890 degrees and held at that temperature for 15 hours to ensure all moisture and air bubbles were released. The temperature was then gradually lowered around a degree a day until it was at room temperature. After this proving period, it was lifted carefully from the kiln, weighing in at 80 kilograms
• In a process that took over 500 hours, the sculpture was then fine-polished by hand across the entire surface area to achieve the liquid texture and gloss finish

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• In addition to the set offered at auction at Sotheby’s, a second complete set will be held at the distillery’s Highland home and one further decanter will be saved for a final Luminary Series Compendium Edition No 1, 2 and 3
• Two designer proofs will also go on display at V&A Dundee and Zaha Hadid​ Architects

The Dalmore Luminary – The Collectible – 2024 Edition

TASTING NOTES

• Aroma: Manuka honey, crème brûlée, antique leather, delicate tropical notes of pomegranate, guava, and cherry blossom
• Palate: Ripe figs, Seville oranges, forest fruits, passion fruit, lightly roasted Colombian coffee, fermented black limes, and brioche
• Finishing notes: Freshly roasted chestnuts, sweet wood spices, dark cacao, and Alphonso mangoes with a delicate whisper of herbal wood smoke
• Bottled at 48.6% ABV, natural colour, and non-chill filtered

New Exhibition at V&A Dundee – co-curated with the V&A to feature ZHA – Photo City: How Images Shape the Urban World (opens 29 March 2024, free)

Photo City brings together iconic images from the V&A’s spectacular photography collections as well as works by contemporary photographers, architects, and digital artists to explore how photography and cities have influenced each other.

ZHA has works held at the V&A South Kensington and now V&A Dundee have included the architectural practice in a new exhibition opening at V&A Dundee on Friday 29th March.

Supported by The Dalmore, the exhibition will be open to the public until 27 October to celebrate Dundee’s Decade of Design, the 10th anniversary of Dundee’s designation as the UK’s only UNESCO City of Design.

The exhibition explores how photographs are powerful tools that not only document the city, but also help us to project and design future cities and new ways of living together. The exhibition also expands on the idea of what photography is by including contemporary imaging technologies such as GPS, drones, gaming technology and lidar scanning.

About The Dalmore

Founded in 1839 on the banks of the Cromarty Firth in the Scottish Highlands, The Dalmore has been making masterpieces of whisky for over 180 years.

The 12-point silver stag which proudly adorns each bottle was bestowed upon the first chieftain of Clan Mackenzie in 1263 by King Alexander III of Scotland. The stag became the whisky’s emblem when descendants of the clan took over the distillery in 1878.

The Dalmore distillery’s collection of idiosyncratic stills creates a New Make spirit of unique character and depth – robust and fruity, particularly well-suited to longer and more complex maturation. This allows renowned Master Whisky Maker Gregg Glass and his team to develop spirit over longer periods, continuing a tradition of visionary whisky-making as they fully express their art using rare casks from some of the world’s finest wineries and bodegas.

About V&A Dundee

V&A Dundee is Scotland’s design museum. Designed by renowned architect Kengo Kuma, the museum is at the centre of Dundee’s reimagined waterfront and is part of the V&A family of museums that celebrate creativity in all its forms from across centuries, for everyone.

V&A Dundee features world-class exhibitions alongside the permanent Scottish Design Galleries, and a changing programme of commissions, events and activities.

The V&A and The Dalmore share a historic legacy of pioneering work and innovation. Founded in 1839, The Dalmore holds exclusive use of the royal 12-pointed stag emblem after the Chief of the Clan Mackenzie, the distillery’s historic owners, saved King Alexander III from a charging stag. Just over a decade later, in 1852, the V&A was founded with a mission to educate designers, manufacturers and the public in art and design. This followed the Great Exhibition of 1851 which was created and championed by Prince Albert.

From their respective homes in Scotland, both V&A Dundee and The Dalmore are integral community and cultural hubs at the heart of the region.

Today, both V&A Dundee and The Dalmore are proud champions of Scottish culture, and unite to celebrate a relentless pursuit of excellence. Their collaboration is anchored in exporting shared purpose, talent and stories, and in curating and advocating exceptional design and craftsmanship.

About Melodie Leung

Leung is Director at the internationally acclaimed design studio, Zaha Hadid Architects.

Having joined in 2005, Melodie worked alongside the late Pritzker Architecture Prize winner, Zaha Hadid for 11 years, who entrusted her to lead a team of 500+ designers and architects. Our Luminary continues Zaha Hadid’s philanthropic endeavours, including nurturing up-and-coming designers to think individually, generate creative visions and aspire to remain at the forefront of the industry.

Leung was born and raised in Chicago, now living, and working in London, and is of Hong Kong heritage. She studied architecture at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and proceeded to a Masters of Architecture from the Graduate School of Architecture, Preservation and Planning at Columbia University, New York. ​

Zaha Hadid was described by many as one of contemporary architecture’s most influential figures, Leung narrates “…working with Zaha, in the practice that she founded, it was much more about challenging the process – so challenging each other, and our preconceptions in our design ideas.”

About Zaha Hadid Architects

Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) redefined architecture for the 21st century with a repertoire of projects that have captured imaginations across the globe. Form and space are woven within the structure of buildings that engage the senses, creating unrivalled spatial experiences that are clearly organized and intuitive to navigate.

Receiving the highest honours from civic, professional, and academic institutions worldwide, ZHA is one of the world’s most consistently inventive architectural studios—and has been for four decades. These 40 years of research are inscribed within more than 70 award-winning projects built for clients with reputations for excellence and visionary communities across six continents.

With over 80 pioneering designs currently in development around the world, ZHA is a global leader in improving how the industry constructs. Marrying advancements in design technologies with ecologically sound materials and sustainable construction practices, ZHA does not look at the disparate parts but works to understand them as a whole to meet the aspirations of each new generation.

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