The Dalmore is a staple of many great whisky cabinets, but for 2025 the scotch distillery is going after space in another important storage space for great booze: the wine cellar. The Dalmore Cask Curation Series: The Red Wine Cask Edition is a collection of three whiskies aged in barrels that once matured French red wines — a departure from their typical port and sherry finishes, for which the distillery is best known. The collection comprises three red wine casked whiskies: a 24-year, a 34-year, and a 43-year. 

The distillery’s official partner for this collection is Château Mont-Redon of Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Southeast of France. The winery, which is the largest single property in the appellation, was founded in 1923 — a full 13 years before the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation was even created. Founder Henri Plantin recognized the potential of the land’s terroir early, and the result of that decision has been more than a century of complex wines (and now, whiskies). 

This is not the first time that red wine has been used to make a Dalmore malt. Bottles like The Dalmore Quintessence have previously used red wine, though in the case of Quintessence, the barrels hailed from wineries in California, and featured Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Pinot Noir. The Dalmore launched the Cask Curation line in 2023 with its sherry series, and followed last year with an exploration of port casks. This third collection is the first to touch unfortified wines, specifically wines made from Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Grenache Noir. Dalmore describes these wines as “rich and plummy,” with savory notes and a jammy character.

Red wine has been an increasingly popular theme across malt whiskies in recent years, and generally speaking it’s been a reliable way for distilleries that specialize in things like sherry and port to showcase the range of their spirit. Red wine maturation delivers similar flavors to port and sherry, but typically these flavors are more bright, fresh, ripe, and juicy than the nutty, dark, concentrated flavors of fortified wines.

The Dalmore’s collection seems to be keeping in line with that rule. Tasting notes provided by the distillery suggest that the youngest whisky in this collection (the 24-year-old) teases notes of red berries, citrus, roasted coffee, and creme brulee. The 34-year-old builds on these flavors with wood spice, overripe berries, and a “touch” of licorice. As for the 43-year release, it adds dark chocolate, tropical fruits, and a more defined backbone of wood spice running through the palate, with a hint of leather on the nose.

Cask Curation 2025’s price is, thankfully, for all three bottles  — a full $47,750 (Cask Curation is sold exclusively as a set). Speaking of the set, there are just 150 of them for the entire global market, available from the beginning of October. 

G. Clay Whittaker is a Maxim contributor covering lifestyle, whiskey, cannabis and travel. His work has also appeared in Bon Appetit, Men’s Journal, Cigar Aficionado, Playboy and Esquire. Subscribe to his newsletter Drinks & Stuff for whisky reviews and trends, perspectives on drinks, and stuff.

Connoisseurs of ultra-rare whisky and incredible architecture will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity later this month when Sotheby’s auctions off one of the most exclusive and beautiful single malts ever created. The Dalmore Luminary – The Rare – 2024 Edition consists of a bottle of 49-year-old single malt from the legendary distillery’s rarest stocks, housed in a gorgeous glass sculpture by Melodie Leung of Zaha Hadid Architects.

We expect it to fetch in excess of $100,000, with all proceeds being donated to Scottish design museum V&A Dundee. There is only one other example of the sculpture in the world, which will be housed in the Dalmore’s archives. The project took two whole years to complete.

In addition to the marquee item, The Dalmore will release The Dalmore Luminary – The Collectible – 2024 Edition, a 16-year-old single malt housed in a presentation case that “echoes the glowing, swirling design of The Rare sculpture,” available in a limited edition priced at $350. Both whiskies were selected by Leung from The Dalmore’s precious casks in collaboration with Gregg Glass, the brand’s Master Whisky Maker, and Richard Paterson, Master Distiller.

“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,” Glass says. “Flavor, color and form meet together in a holistic sensory experience with swirls of texture, depth, complexity and nuance.” These concepts are impeccably interpreted via the sinuous curves of Leung’s sculpture, while the amber hue echoes both the distillery’s copper stills and the liquid within.

The 49-year-old whisky offers up 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. Glass and Paterson selected casks for Leung to sample based on nostalgic flavors and sensory recollections from her youth. The Collectible edition whisky finished in selected Italian Amarone red wine casks, having begun the process in American white oak. “This was a true meeting of minds, and the new releases beautifully express the shared journey we’ve all been on,” Glass notes.

“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,” Leung shares. “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. 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.”

Speaking further about her inspiration for the design, Leung said that after visiting The Dalmore’s distillery she began “to understand what is the process of the making of the expertise of the craft behind the whiskey. And through that discovery process, I was really inspired just by starting to imagine the almost unseen movements that create the final product of the whiskey. The way that the stills have this movement of the particles which is continuous and three dimensional, and the way that those layers through all of the different casks and the movements of the hands handling them.”

Leung was born and raised in Chicago and studied at University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, then earned her Masters from the Graduate School of Architecture at Columbia University. She has been the director of the world famous design studio Zaha Hadid Architects since 2005, and worked alongside Pritzker Architecture Prize winner Hadid for 11 years. Leung leads a team of more than 500 designers at the firm. Some of Hadid’s highest profile projects include the London Aquatics Centre for the 2012 Olympics, the Broad Art Museum in Los Angeles, Rome’s MAXXI Museum, and the Guangzhou Opera House in China.

“Our Luminary continues Zaha Hadid’s philanthropic endeavors, including nurturing up-and-coming designers to think individually, generate creative visions, and inspire to remain at the forefront of the industry,” Leung says of the fact that proceeds from the auction will go to V&A, one of the UK’s most important design museums, linked to the original V&A museum in London.

The Dalmore distillery was founded in 1839 by Alexander Matheson. It’s rarest and most exclusive whisky release to date, a 62 year old, sold for $250,000 and is listed as one of the ten most expensive bottles of whisky in the world. The Dalmore is one of the most storied and most awarded distilleries in Scotland, known for its equally beautiful bottles and branding.

The legend of the Dalmore dates back to 1263, when Colin of Kintail, then the Chief of the Mackenzie tribe, saved King Alexander III of Scotland from being killed by a stag. He dispatched it with a spear as he shouted “Save the King!” The king then bequeathed Colin with land, and the iconic logo of the Damore bottle features the iconic 12-point Royal Stag as a crest.

In 1839 The Dalmore distillery was born on the bleak banks of the North Sea, bucking the trend of the many distilleries then being founded in Speyside, and marking it off as more individual in character. The Mackezie family bought The Dalmore in 1867, connecting the ancient legend with more modern history. The Dalmore’s Luminary series celebrates the distillery’s relentless pursuit of excellence “through compelling collaborations between luminaries in whisky mastery and architectural design.”

“From their respective homes in Scotland, both V&A Dundee and The Dalmore are integral to the community, and cultural hubs at the heart of the region,” said a spokesman for the brand. “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.”

The Dalmore Vintage Collection gains its two newest members, The Select Edition 2005 and Select Edition 2008, and they appear to be more than worthy of The Dalmore name.

The 18-year 2005 effort (with an SRP of $499.99) boasts the distillery’s “iconic chocolate and orange flavor profile,” and the 2008 Select Edition (at a suggested retail price of $199.99) also carries on that lineage.

Both releases are part of a five-decade-old process that takes place each number, focused on precise hand selection of Scotch “from the most exceptional casks.”

These expertly selected casks are then married with mature spirit for the final blend, one that The Dalmore says results in “one harmonious expression” or two, in this case).

Gregg Glass, the master whisky maker at The Dalmore, highlights the chocolate and citrus notes of the 2005 expression in particular, calling it “a flavor experience to be remembered and savored.”

Of the 2008 edition, Glass notes it’s a “beautiful example of refined elegance from The Dalmore, captured at a moment in time.”

Both editions arrive in The Dalmore’s signature, striking bottle with a special-edition display box, a fine way to enjoy and savor either whisky as part of a carefully curated bar cart.

The distillery says both expressions showcase the “finest qualities of The Dalmore’s house style,” and that sounds to us like a worthy whisky for any season.

If you thought your home bar cart was well-stocked, think again. To be more specific: Think again, and then get ready to invest some serious cash into some of the best scotch whisky on the planet. The Dalmore, the revered Highlands producer of incredible Scotch whisky, just debuted The Dalmore Rare & Aged, a trio of out-of-this-world spirits with a price tag to match (try a $30,000 value for all three).

Why the expensive price tag? Let’s start with some brief history. The Dalmore has a pedigree unlike any other, with heritage stretching back to the 1200s (yes–the 1200s).

King Alexander III granted Colin of Kintail, Chief of the Clan Mackenzie, the right to use the Royal Stag emblem on his family’s coat of arms after Colin saved the King from a charging stag. Still with us? Fast-forward to 1867, when descendants of the Clan bought The Dalmore and emblazoned the emblem on Dalmore bottles. The rest, as they say, is history.

What goes into The Dalmore Rare & Aged? The collection is made up of three exceedingly rare Scotch whisky marques, aged for 35, 40 and 45 years, respectively. And the results? Unlike anything you’ve ever sipped, and available for a seriously limited time.

Better yet, each whisky is encased in a bespoke decanter from French crystal house Baccarat, which is then adorned with a solid silver stag from Hamilton & Inches. Talk about the world’s finest whisky, delivered in as refined a way as possible.

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Master Distiller Richard Paterson handcrafted each expression with care, nuance and attention to detail, putting his more than five decades of industry experience to the test. The Dalmore 35, with aroma notes of coffee mousse and palate notes of dark treacle cake and ground Java coffee (among others) might be the perfect post-dinner Scotch, while the Dalmore 40 (valued at $8,800) features palate notes of honey.

It’s clear to us that you really can’t go wrong with any expression in this super-aged, incredibly refined and nuanced collection of the world’s best Scotch whisky. And if you really feel like upping the ante, might we suggest The Dalmore 45 — clocking in at a valuation of $14,600.

This expression was carefully aged in American white Oak ex-bourbon casks, then placed in two separate Vintage Graham’s Port Colheita pipes. Both are then brought together in first-fill American white oak ex-bourbon casks, providing what the distillery calls “exquisite” tasting notes of soft licorice, bitter chocolate and Manuka honey, among others.

Naturally, this means that any of the three whisky expressions found in The Dalmore Rare & Aged have the potential to be the finest you’ve ever tasted — and just might be worth that hefty investment.