Much to my personal satisfaction, whisky enthusiasm has been steadily growing for decades.
However, in this complex world of luxury goods, even whisky was not spared in 2025. The category experienced reduced demand, especially in the super-premium category where many of my favoured whiskies reside. Granted, this isn’t great for the brands, but personally I see the “market correction” as an overall positive thing.
With every rising trend, especially those that proffer financial gain, there is an influx of a “different” type of consumer, ones that are more focused on speculative returns with no real love — or care — for the subject matter itself. For them, whisky is purely an investment, something to keep for a while in the hope of one-day selling for more.
Not for the enthusiasts that I’ve encountered on many a distillery tour, and certainly not for those that expound expertise and years of time crafting this liquid, in the hope that one day the recipient will ingest their labour with joy and understanding. This waning of collector interest in some factions is a sign the space is healing and the whisky brands are responding.
One of the most astute proponents of luxury whisky is The Dalmore, a brand that makes one of my most enjoyed drams — The Dalmore Cigar Malt Whisky — and are also the first distillery I visited over a decade ago as a fledgeling whisky enthusiast.
At the end of last year the brand announced the third chapter in their highly anticipated Cask Curation Series — The Red Wine Cask Edition. Through a long-term alliance with Château Mont-Redon and fourth-generation winemaker Pierre Fabre, The Dalmore gained rare access to freshly emptied Châteauneuf-du-Pape red wine casks. Generously seasoned for up to two years with Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault, the casks arrive richly stained with tannin, carrying with them the deep, expressive character of Château Mont-Redon’s red wines.
The set comprises three uniquely characterful expressions; the 24 Year Old, The 34 Year Old and The 43 Year Old.
Being blessed to sample the collection in a taster set — which are also limited edition given the liquid’s rarity — I’m glad to report that they did not disappoint, and in fact, quite the opposite. As it happens, one of my favourite red wines is actually Châteauneuf-du-Pape, so given my priors with The Dalmore this was set to be my ultimate dram; flavour compounded.
The pick of the set — for me at least — was the 34 Year Old, cutting a nice balance between age and vibrancy.
On the nose it greets you with a gentle but warm embrace, with the quiet confidence of a long-time friend. The fruits are rich but mature, raisin-ed through time with a vanilla hue. On the palate, the flavour is spritely but hesitant, taking its time to make your acquaintance before rewarding you with a generous serving of dark fruits, backed by gentle wood spice and warm honey. The finish is light and chocolatey, with traces of liquorice taking its time to fade away.
The famed saying of Clan Mackenzie — the founding family of The Dalmore — is “Luceo non Uro”, meaning “I shine, not burn” and more than ever a perfect summary of this latest Cask Curation Series. With the Matusalem Oloroso sherry cask maturation preceding a short stay in 2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine casks, the whisky was never going to be anything but gratuitously resplendent; gently glowing with flavour.
Each of the exquisite cases is fashioned from lapis blue Saffiano leather, the same material popularised by Prada in their stylish yet enduring travel goods.
“This has been a wonderful journey of discovery, exploring how different aged and rare single malts can be subtly enhanced by red wine”
Richard Paterson, Master Whisky Maker, The Dalmore
In truth, this Dalmore’s Cask Curation Series launch has little to do with market sentiment, but nevertheless its timely arrival is welcomed. A rare release, it’s priced in keeping with its scarcity combined with a flavour profile that is both unique and distinguished.
Limited to just 150 sets worldwide, The Dalmore Cask Curation Series — The Red Wine Cask Edition is available globally at a suggested retail price of £36,100.
