The Dalmore Unveils Final Chapter in Luminary Series with a 52-Year-Old Masterpiece

Scotch whisky brand The Dalmore has released the highly anticipated third and final edition of its prestigious Luminary Series, culminating in a breathtaking 52-year-old expression. Unveiled at an exclusive event in Venice on 7 May 2025, this release is the result of a unique partnership between the worlds of fine whisky and architectural design.

A Fusion of Architecture and Whisky

This final edition, The Dalmore Luminary No.3 – 2025 Edition, is a collaboration with Ben Dobbin, an English architect at the acclaimed Foster + Partners. Dobbin is renowned for his work on global architectural icons such as London’s Gherkin, Apple Park in California, and the revitalised Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco.

As with the previous two Luminary releases, this collection is produced in collaboration with V&A Dundee, Scotland’s design museum, and aims to spotlight the creative intersections of whisky making and architectural mastery.

Read More: A History of The Dalmore Whisky Distillery

The Rare: A 52-Year-Old Icon Encased in Art

At the heart of the launch is The Dalmore Luminary No.3 – The Rare, a 52-year-old whisky encased in an extraordinary bronze sculpture crafted by Dobbin himself. The whisky was matured in American white oak ex-Bourbon barrels before being finished in a blend of five rare casks:

• Vintage 1980 Calvados
• 1940 Colheita Port
• Tawny Port
• 40-year-old Pedro Ximénez Sherry
• Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Bottled at 40.3% ABV, non-chill filtered, and natural in colour, the whisky is described as having a “vibrant orchard character” on the nose, with Madagascan vanilla and cinnamon. The palate offers rich butterscotch, red apples, tarte tatin, dark cacao, red liquorice, wood spices, cardamom, Seville orange, and green tea.

Only two sets of this whisky and sculpture exist. One is currently on auction through Sotheby’s Hong Kong (until 16 May), with proceeds supporting V&A Dundee. The other will be permanently displayed at The Dalmore Distillery. Estimated auction value: HK$800,000–HK$1.6 million (US$100,000–$200,000).

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A 17-Year-Old Limited Edition

Alongside the Rare release, The Dalmore is also offering a broader release: The Dalmore Luminary No.3 – 2025 Edition, a 17-year-old whisky bottled at 49.2% ABV. Limited to 20,000 bottles globally, this edition showcases the same commitment to detail and craftsmanship.

Matured in American white oak, it was finished in a complex combination of seven casks including:

• 1989 and 1999 vintage Calvados
• Matusalem Sherry
• Apostoles Sherry
• Bordeaux red wine
• Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Tasting notes include baked red apples, honey, sugared almonds, and soft wood spice on the nose, with caramel, apple crumble, dark chocolate, and blood orange on the palate.

The 17-year-old edition will be available from mid-May 2025, priced at £299 / US$399, through select retailers, travel retail, and The Dalmore’s official website.

Architectural Inspiration: The Creative Vision of Ben Dobbin

Ben Dobbin’s creative journey took him deep into the Scottish Highlands, where repeated visits to The Dalmore distillery shaped his vision. Working closely with whisky legends Richard Paterson OBE and Gregg Glass, Dobbin designed a sculpture that embodies the harmony between nature, architecture, and whisky making.

The sculpture draws from the surrounding topography, bridges, and lochs, with the whisky seemingly suspended in time. The design uses tensegrity—a principle where structural integrity is maintained through tension and balance—to deliver an arresting visual and symbolic experience.

Dobbin found a pivotal moment of inspiration during a visit to Inverness, where he noted how invisible bridge columns created an elegant suspension. This bridge, he said, represented the connection between whisky making and architectural design—two disciplines bound by refinement, balance, and precision.

Creative Synergy and the Making of a Legacy

This Luminary release is not just a celebration of design—it is an ode to collaboration and creative flow. Dobbin’s architectural aesthetics directly influenced the whisky’s creation, with The Dalmore team revisiting rare Calvados casks laid down years earlier, long before industry rules expanded to allow such casks in Scotch whisky maturation.

Master whisky maker Gregg Glass reflected:

“Meeting Ben was a true meeting of minds. There are actually many similarities between whisky making and architecture, both being a very iterative process but also striving to create something that stands the test of time.”

The Complete Luminary Series

The Dalmore Luminary Series began in 2020 as a partnership with V&A Dundee, highlighting the synergy between design and whisky. Each edition has featured collaborations with visionary architects:

• Luminary No.1 with Kengo Kuma and Maurizio Mucciola
• Luminary No.2 with Melodie Leung of Zaha Hadid Associates
• Luminary No.3 with Ben Dobbin

The series has also raised over £200,000 (US$264,000) for the museum’s global and local design initiatives.

Previous Luminary Rare editions fetched significant sums at auction, including:

• Luminary No.1 (48-Year-Old) – sold for £118,750 / US$137,900
• Luminary No.2 (49-Year-Old) – sold for £93,750 / US$117,400

More Than a Partnership

Steven Pearson, global CMO of Whyte & Mackay, described the Luminary Series as more than just a brand initiative:

“It’s much more than just a brand partnership. It’s an iconic piece of history; of whisky and design history. That’s pretty special and it’s there for everyone to see. So it’s not transient, it’s forever.”

As The Dalmore Luminary No.3 closes this iconic trilogy, it leaves behind not just exceptional whisky but a legacy of design, innovation, and cultural resonance, bridging the worlds of craft and creativity for generations to come.

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