Auction house Sotheby’s unveiled another exclusive partnership between The Dalmore and V&A Dundee, honoring the fusion of whisky craftsmanship and architectural design. Led by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, the second release of Dalmore Luminary comprises two whiskies. Among them, ‘The Rare’ stands out as a scarce 49-year-old Highland Single Malt. Only three bottles of this exceptional whisky were crafted, each encased in a stunning glass sculpture, personally designed by Melodie Leung, director at Zaha Hadid Architects.
One of these bottles will go under the hammer at Sotheby’s London. The whiskey is anticipated to garner a six-figure sum at the auction with all the proceeds from the sale benefitting Scotland’s design museum, V&A Dundee. The auction is set to run from May 14 to 31, drawing keen interest from collectors and enthusiasts alike.
This 49-year-old Single Malt whisky has been aged in American white oak ex-Bourbon casks and then finished in a unique combination of rare Port Colheita Pipe 1963, 30-year-old Apostoles Sherry Cask, and select Bourbon Barrels.
It received further finishing in a special 1951 / Virgin Oak hybrid cask, specially air-dried and toasted by Gregg Glass at The Dalmore. Only three bottles and two sculptures exist, one of which is headed to the auction.
The second bottle will be displayed at The Dalmore Distillery, while the third bottle will be released in the future. A designer proof of the sculpture will also be exhibited at V&A Dundee.
About the collaboration, Ms. Leung shared, “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.”
Speaking of the bottle, the stunning sculpture is crafted from a single piece of glass, characterized by swirling and looping patterns. It draws inspiration from the layers of aging and flavor interactions inherent in the whisky-making process. The creation of this remarkable sculpture demanded countless hours of meticulous craftsmanship. Only a select few artisans worldwide possessed the requisite expertise and artistic vision to shape the glass into its desired form.
Fiaz Elson from The Glass Foundry employed a blend of contemporary methods and traditional techniques to bring the sculpture to life. This involved placing the glass in a handmade mold and subjecting it to controlled temperatures over a rigorous 12-week period. Weighing a substantial 80kg, the sculpture’s smooth, liquid-like texture and glossy finish were achieved through more than 500 hours of painstaking hand polishing.
The second whiskey in the series is ‘The Collectible’ which is the 16-Year-Old Single Malt and draws inspiration from both ‘The Rare’ whisky and sculpture.
