The Return of The Dalmore’s Cask Curation Series
Limited to 150 sets, The Port Edition is a stunning trio featuring The 27 Year Old, The 30 Year Old and The 43 Year Old
In conjunction with the onset of autumn, single malt scotch whisky brands often announce some of their most spectacular annual releases. Among this year’s slate, The Dalmore has unveiled the second entry in their Cask Curation Series, known as The Port Edition. Sold as a set of three whiskies, and limited to 150 sets worldwide, this trio of age-statement single malts honors Graham’s, one of their illustrious barrel partners. It’s a rarity in the world of single malt scotch to name specific barrel partners, but The Dalmore is well aware of the heritage of Graham’s, and the quality of the barrels they have received. The Dalmore’s legendary master distiller, Richard Paterson OBE, worked with the Scottish Highland whisky’s house character (reminiscent of a chocolate orange) and utilized three rare barrels from Graham’s to produce extraordinary liquid.
“For these four years we will celebrate our very best partnerships with wineries and [sherry wine] bodegas, which we have nurtured over the decades to ensure we have ongoing access to casks that you won’t see anywhere else in the industry,” Craig Bridger, the Vice President of Sales and Advocacy for The Dalmore in the US, tells COOL HUNTING, over a tasting of The Port Edition trio. This exclusive set debuts after last year’s critically acclaimed trilogy, which was finished in proprietary casks from González Byass Sherry in Spain.
To represent the spirit of collaboration with Graham’s, The Dalmore incorporated the signature green of the port producer’s labels into the textured package design of this Cask Curation Series. The ultra-luxe teal green leather case, which is meant to evoke the golden age of trunk travel on trains and steamships, was meticulously hand-assembled by artisans in Italy’s AB Florence. “It also calls to mind the journey from different ports of call for these casks to Scotland,” Bridger adds.
As with last year’s debut, this set is also limited to 150—with only 26 coming to the US. “Last year, we launched in early October and my 26 sets were spoken for 12 days,” Bridger says. “A lot of those collectors, when they were made aware that this will be a four-part series, they wanted to make sure they get every one.”
All three whiskies speak for themselves. Each was drawn from one single cask and bottled at cask strength without chill filtration. The color is natural, as well. “Of all the things that we can talk about at The Dalmore, my favorite thing to tell people about is our program of exquisite cask curation,” Bridger continues. “It’s something that we are really proud of. It sets the whiskies apart. It’s not even necessarily about the wood so much as the wine that was in those casks. At the end of the day, our proposition is casks that held better wine. That’s why you’ll hear us talk so much about the different kinds of wine. All of those details are part of our story.”
Having had the privilege of sampling all three, we can affirm the flavorful nuance—as well as the fact that all three are so different from one another. Of course, with its milestone marquee age statement, we were most curious about The 43 Year, which—after four decades in bourbon—was finished for three years in a 1952 single harvest vintage tawny port pipe. The result is a scrumptious sweet orange taste with notes of almond, baked pear and plum. A lengthy finish extends the spicier flavors.
It’s maple that defines The 30 Year Old, though the maple notes transform to molasses on the palate. It’s dessert-like, with an elegant deliciousness. After 27 years in ex-bourbon barrels, this liquid aged for three years in a 1994 vintage single harvest port pipe. With an ABV of 43.9%, the finish is unyielding. Counter to that, The 27 Year Old spent 24 years in ex-bourbon before finishing in a 1997 single harvest port pipe. Even though it was bottled at 49.3% it does not nose of heat. Rather, it emits aromas of honey, cherrywood and citrus. On the tongue, there’s a melange of raisins, toffee, baking spice and roasted pineapple. Individually, any one of these liquids can tantalize collectors; together, they’re an exquisite homage to valued partner as well as a microcosm of The Dalmore’s capabilities.
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