Sotheby’s to offer exceptionally rare 49 Year Old Single Malt Whisky
from The Dalmore, housed in a unique glass sculpture co-created with Zaha Hadid Architects
Luminary No.2 – The Rare co-conceived by Melodie Leung of ZHA and award-winning Whisky Makers Gregg Glass and Richard Paterson OBE
Auction open 14th-31st May and expected to raise six-figures, with all proceeds donated to Scotland’s design museum, V&A Dundee
The second in The Luminary Series from Highland Distillery, The Dalmore, was unveiled in March to much acclaim from attendees spanning the worlds of whisky, art, design and luxury.
The Dalmore Luminary Series is a unique three-part partnership between The Dalmore and V&A Dundee, which celebrates the worlds of whisky mastery and architectural design. Melodie Leung, director at Zaha Hadid Architects is the esteemed talent and creative collaborator behind Luminary No.2.
Each edition of The Luminary Series offers two entirely different whiskies. Firstly, ‘The Rare’, which will be offered for auction by Sotheby’s London and comprises a 49 Year Old Highland Single Malt, one of only three bottles to be made, uniquely housed in a striking glass sculpture, designed by Leung.
The exquisite sculpture is made of one continuous piece of glass, which swirls and loops, inspired by and depicting the layers of age and the interactions of flavour found in the whisky making process and the whisky itself.
The creation of this precious sculpture has been incredibly high-risk and has taken hundreds of hours of work. When commissioning the glass work, only a handful of artisan markers across the world had the necessary experience and vision to manipulate the glass to deliver the desired form.
Fiaz Elson from The Glass Foundry combined modern techniques with centuries-old craft to create the sculpture, placing it in kiln in a handmade mould, taking the glass to temperature before lowering one degree at a time across a tense 12 week period. Weighing a substantial 80kg, the sculpture’s liquid-like texture and gloss finish comes from over 500 hours of hand polishing.
‘The Rare’ whisky itself, is exceptional and was created in further true collaboration between Leung and The Dalmore’s master makers Gregg Glass and Richard Paterson OBE, as together they explored flavour and form, with inspiration ranging from childhood memories, to travel, food and music.
This 49 Year Old Single Malt has been matured in American white oak ex-Bourbon casks and finished in an assemblage, encompassing a rare Port Colheita 1963, an exceptionally rare 30YO Apostoles Sherry and select Bourbon. The whisky has been further finished in a unique 1951 / Virgin Oak hybrid cask, air dried at The Dalmore and bespoke toasted by Gregg Glass himself.
Only three bottles and two sculptures have and will ever be created. One set will be offered at auction In London via Sotheby’s online, as part of a Finest and Rarest Whisky sale, open 14th-31st May. This auction will be presented as part of ‘The Luxury Edit’, a series of sales at Sotheby’s in London, showcasing watches, jewellery, spirits, wine and pop culture.
The Dalmore Luminary No.2 ‘The Rare’, is expected to reach six-figures at auction, with The Dalmore donating all proceeds to V&A Dundee. Both the sculpture and decanter will be on display in Sotheby’s New Bond Street galleries from 24th-29th May, alongside an array of items, also featured in the luxury auctions.
The second set will be displayed at The Dalmore distillery in the Highlands, with the third bottle released as part of a compendium of the series, in years to come. A designer proof of the sculpture will be on permanent display at V&A Dundee, joining the designers’ proof from Luminary No1, released in 2022.
This auction marks the second milestone in The Dalmore and V&A Dundee’s Luminary Series, which celebrates the relentless pursuit of excellence through compelling collaborations between luminaries from the worlds of whisky making mastery and architectural design.
Alongside ‘The Rare’, the second whisky available as part of The Dalmore Luminary Series 2024, is ‘The Collectible’. Strictly limited to 20,000 bottles worldwide, ‘The Collectible’ is a 16 Year Old Single Malt and draws inspiration from both ‘The Rare’ whisky and sculpture. This release offers whisky enthusiasts the opportunity to be part of The Dalmore Luminary Series and is selling rapidly via Global Travel retail and the finest luxury retailers worldwide at an RRP of £275.
Quotes:
The carefully crafted elements of The Dalmore Luminary – The Rare – 2024 Edition were conceived entirely collaboratively, with Glass, Paterson and Leung working symbiotically to explore flavour and form. Glass said: “This was a true meeting of minds, and the new releases beautifully express the shared journey we’ve all been on in mastering our crafts.
“We were struck by the symbiosis between our two disciplines, which are simultaneously art and science, sensing and seeing, nature and nurture. They are about perfect structure and proportion leading to harmony, and harmony enhancing the human experience over time. We are delighted to finally be sharing this exceptionally rare whisky and Melodie’s incredible creation, with the world.”
Leung adds: “Experiencing The Dalmore’s outstanding pursuit of excellence 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, including the unique silhouettes of the copper stills. 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.”
Jonny Fowle, Global Head of Spirits, Sotheby’s, said: “It’s an honour to partner once again with The Dalmore to offer one of their rarest releases for such a good cause. This whisky exemplifies The Dalmore’s signature style of highly aged liquid with complex maturation and brings in the additional elements of collaboration and high concept design. The result is a true collector’s piece and a unique auction opportunity for only the most dedicated Scotch whisky collectors.”
Carina Villinger, Head of 20th Century Design, Sotheby’s, added “This exquisite glass sculpture, designed by Leung, is a true collector’s piece. It seamlessly blends architecture and design, showcasing an impressive swirling form reminiscent of Zaha Hadid Architects’ signature treatment of architectural forms.”
Leonie Bell, Director of V&A Dundee said: “The Dalmore and V&A Dundee partnership is ambitious. It brings our worlds of design, whisky, internationalism, innovation, and a deep commitment to celebrate Scotland’s unique icons, landscapes and crafts together. The Dalmore are generously donating the entire proceeds from the auction of the unique sculpture and decanter. This collaboration is invaluable to V&A Dundee and supports our work to generate joy, spark curiosity and to deepen our social impact through design.”
For more information on The Dalmore Luminary Series, please click here.
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, Doyenné 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
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.
About Sotheby’s Wine
Founded in 1744, Sotheby’s is the world’s leading destination for art and luxury. Sotheby’s facilitates access to and ownership of exceptional works of art and luxury goods through auction and immediate purchase channels, including private sales, e-commerce and retail. Our trusted global marketplace is supported by a state-of-the-art technology platform and a network of specialists covering 40 countries and 70 categories, including Contemporary Art, Modern & Impressionist Art, Old Masters, Chinese Art, Jewellery, Watches, Wine & Spirits, Design, as well as Collector Cars and Real Estate. Sotheby’s believes in the transformative power of art and culture and is committed to making our industries more inclusive, sustainable and collaborative.
Sotheby’s Wine’s annual worldwide auction sales of wine and spirits achieved a record total of $159 million in 2023, surpassing the previous record total of $158 million in 2022. Sotheby’s currently holds the world records for any whisky collection ever sold at auction, any private collection of wine ever sold at auction, the most valuable bottle of wine ever sold at auction and the most valuable bottle of spirits ever sold at auction, in addition to the highest total ever achieved for a charity wine auction (Hospices de Beaune).
In addition to auctions, Sotheby’s Wine launched a retail business in 2010. With a retail shop located at Sotheby’s headquarters in New York and an e-commerce site at www.sothebyswine.com, Sotheby’s Wine offers a carefully selected range of wines from the world’s most prestigious producers and important regions. Compiled by our experienced specialists, this selection is based on long-standing relationships with winemakers around the world. It includes bottles ready for immediate consumption, as well as investment-worthy wines from highly sought-after vintages. A second outlet was opened in the galleries of Sotheby’s Hong Kong in 2014, followed by a third at Bucherer in Zurich in 2022.
The Dalmore
www.thedalmore.com
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V&A Dundee
www.vam.ac.uk/dundee
Instagram & X @VADundee
Zaha Hadid Architects
www.zaha-hadid.com
Instagram @zahahadidarchitects
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