Case study

Serious whisky lovers have a rare chance to pick up a Dalmore collector set

Even for the Dalmore, a storied distillery in the Scottish Highlands known for long-aged whiskies and rare special releases, this fall’s launches are nextlevel lavish. The Dalmore Decades is a trio of bottle collections – including one Canada-bound set – that offer a once-in-a-lifetime chance to taste the evolution of the brand’s liquid DNA.

The decadence kicks off in early October when a marquee six-bottle set hits the auction block at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong. Each expression marks an important moment in the distillery’s history since the oldest vintage in the mix was distilled in 1951. “I think there’s a lot of excitement because this is one of the biggest things we’ve done in a long time,” says Stephen Martin, the global singlemalt whisky specialist at Dalmore owner Whyte & Mackay. “There’s not many distilleries capable of producing whiskies at this age, but a big part of our philosophy is long maturation.” Just one bottle of the Dalmore from the 1951 vintage commanded nearly $100,000 at auction earlier this year. Whatever the winning bid this time around, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the V&A Dundee design museum in Scotland.

Two other abridged versions will also be available this fall including 15 No. 5 Collection sets, which will be sold at high-end retailers around the world, as well as 25 No. 4 Collections, one of which will be available at B.C. Liquor for $200,000. Its four bottles include whisky distilled in 1979, 1980 and 1995. The last vintage is liquid that came off the still at 12:02 a.m. on the first morning of the new millennium.

Martin believes whoever purchases the bottles should savour them. “What I really hope is that the collection is opened and enjoyed with the right people at the right time,” he says.