A rare bottle of whisky from The Dalmore has sold for £93,750 (more than $120,000) at auction, with proceeds going to a local Scottish museum. The 49-year-old single malt, appropriately named The Dalmore Luminary No.2 The Rare, was a collaboration between the Scottish whiskey company and the V&A Dundee, a Scottish design museum.
The bottle, one of only three produced, was up for auction at Sotheby’s. Not only did the auction include the fine whiskey, but it was also presented in a huge and elaborate glass sculpture created by Melodie Leung of iconic British architecture and design firm Zaha Hadid Architects. The sculpture weight 80kg and was polished by hand over 500 hours.
The whisky itself was created by The Dalmore’s master whisky makers Gregg Glass and Richard Paterson, and has been matured in a selection of casks including ex-Bourbon and rare sherry casks, and was finished in a virgin oak hybrid cask from 1951. It is the second part of the Luminary series, which brings together The Dalmore Distillery and the V&A Dundee Museum to create rare blends. Of the other two bottles of No. 2 that have been created, one will be kept in an archive at the distillery, and the other will be saved to be released as part of a Luminary Series Compendium, which will be showcased once all three parts of the Luminary series are released.
“This is a thoroughly deserved result for a true collector’s piece that combines to brilliant effect a highly aged liquid, a high concept design and a worthy cause,” said Jonny Fowle, the Global Head of Spirits at Sotheby’s. “The Dalmore is an icon of the whisky world, and this second iteration in their Luminary series encapsulates all the key elements collectors are looking for in today’s premium whisky market.”
