The Dalmore Luminary Series ends

The Dalmore Luminary Series has sadly ended with the launch of Edition No.3. 

The final chapter is a two-part release that includes The Dalmore 17 Year Old Luminary No. 3 – 2025 Edition Whisky and The Dalmore Luminary 2025 Edition — The Rare.

The ultra-premium range draws to a close following a series of collaborations with V&A Dundee, Scotland’s design museum. The third release continues the theme of partnering The Dalmore’s whisky-making prowess with the vision of world-class designers.

This time, it’s Ben Dobbin of Foster + Partners who joined forces with The Dalmore’s Master whisky makers to produce two final releases.

The Dalmore Luminary No.3 – The Rare

First, let’s look at the 52-year-old single malt. Yes, you read that right. 

It was matured in American white oak bourbon casks and then finished in a frankly absurd line-up of rare casks: 1980 vintage Calvados, a 1940 Colheita port pipe, a tawny port pipe, 40-year-old Pedro Ximénez, and Châteauneuf-du-Pape red wine casks. 

Only three sets exist – one now on display at V&A Dundee, one at the distillery’s brand home, and the other is being auctioned by Sotheby’s Hong Kong. The bidding closes today (Friday, 16 May). 

The whisky is housed in a striking sculpture of bronze, brass, and Scottish brown oak. Dobbin was inspired by the architectural principle of “tensegrity” to create it. The portmanteau of “tensional integrity” refers to the perfect balance of tension that holds everything together. Remove one part and the whole thing collapses.

From Tension to Tasting

Dobbin’s sculpture is a delicate balance of forces. Take away one component and the whole thing crumbles.

It’s a tidy metaphor for cask curation. The Dalmore team admits the whisky doesn’t even taste like Dalmore in its first few years. Then at the seven-year mark, it begins to settle, evolve, and reflect its origins. From 7 to 21 years, the flavours integrate, layer upon layer. 

When creating new expressions, master blender Richard Paterson speaks in words. But whisky maker Gregg Glass sketches in lines – movement, direction, intensity. Like an architect.

These are not just preferences, but expressions of how each interprets structure. Because whisky making, like architecture, is a craft. A discipline that sits at the intersection of science and art.

Both rely on tension, not just metaphorically, but physically. In architecture, tension gives rise to form: think of a suspension bridge or a tensile canopy, where balance isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. Remove a single anchoring force, and everything collapses.

In whisky, it’s the push and pull between spirit and cask, time and temperature, expectation and surprise. The whisky must hold together across decades of change, its character shaped by invisible stresses and careful restraint.

Neither discipline can succeed on maths alone. A great building must move you. So must a great dram.

The Dalmore Luminary 2025 Edition No.3 The Rare review

I was fortunate enough this week to get an opportunity to taste one in The Rare. What are they missing out on? Something very impressive.

Dalmore’s cask curation is pretty extraordinary in this instance. The list of cask profiles sounded crowded, like a Travelling Wilburys line-up padded with the members of The Highwaymen for good measure. But each component – the American white oak, the sherry-seasoned wood, the timing – functions like a load-bearing beam. It all comes together in a dram that doesn’t taste slapped together or unbalanced.

The Rare walks a nice line. It’s not vibrant like an ancient Midleton whiskey, as such, but it’s not dusty and dulled like some bad old whiskies are. It’s rich, deep, and dark while retaining an elegance and brightness. This is a single malt wearing its retro Dalmore smoking jacket proudly, but there’s still life in the old boy yet. 

Nose: It has an ancient sherried nose. First marmalade, prunes, stewed and compote dark fruits, and red apples. Then, creme brulee, raspberry, old oak cabinet, balsamic, wet stone, gingerbread, minty dark chocolate, and violets. 

Palate: Lots of dark chocolate, blood orange, blackcurrant jam, figs, herbal tea, and some olive oil. Underneath there’s wood spice, leather, drying coffee, and a little rancio. You can chew on those fruits for a while. 

Finish: Marmalade on brown bread, vanilla, wood spice, fireplace embers, and a lovely juicy apple note.  

The Dalmore Luminary No.3 – The Collectible

For those who missed out on The Rare (read: everyone), there’s also The Collectible. The 17-year-old single malt echoes its elder sibling in flavour and presentation. 

It’s finished across seven cask types, including aged Calvados, rare Matusalem and Apostoles Sherries, Bordeaux and Châteauneuf-du-Pape red wine casks, plus fully matured American white oak. 

We actually have stock of this one, so get involved. It’s bloody delicious.

Sip it and consider the parallels of architecture and whisky. Both demand precision. Both reward imagination. Both tell stories. Only one gets you drunk. Slàinte.

The post The Dalmore Luminary Series ends appeared first on Master of Malt blog.