The Dalmore’s Cask Curation Series has unveiled its second installment, featuring a trio of single malts finished in single harvest tawny port casks sourced from Graham’s Port in Portugal.
What Is The Cask Curation Series?
The Dalmore introduced the first edition of the Cask Curation Series in 2023, where it was sherry casks and the collaboration with sherry bodega Gonzáles Byass that were in focus. Each of the Editions celebrates partnerships between The Dalmore and some of the world’s finest winemakers through the art of cask selection and their impact of character on the spirit. Each Edition consists of a set of three age-statement single malt whiskies that have been finished in casks from the chosen partners. The sets are also elegantly presented in a bespoke leather display case, in a color to suit the collaboration, which has been hand-crafted in Florence.
The Sherry Edition was the initial set to be released, The Port Edition – its successor and the most recent release – will be followed by a third Edition in 2025 before the last Edition will be unveiled in 2026. Only time will tell what exciting collaborations and casks we will see for the last two sets in this series.
Introducing The Port Edition
The Dalmore has been implementing port casks in its maturation program for decades and now has an established partnership with Graham’s Port and its owners, the Symington family. So it may not come as a surprise to those who are enthusiasts of the whisky from The Dalmore, that it is exceptional port casks that the second edition of the Cask Curation Series celebrates.
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The Port Edition is available worldwide from October 1st, 2024 and only 150 sets are made. The leather-finished travel case in which the whiskies are presented has an elegant green hue which is a nod to Portugal and the winemakers. Each of the three expressions is housed in the iconic Dalmore bottle, bearing the silver 12-point royal stag, and are all respectively decorated with a matching collar. The three whiskies are all non-chill filtered and presented with their natural color.
The Dalmore Cask Curation Port Edition 27 Year Old 1997 Cask Finish
The first expression in this set is a 27 Year Old whisky that has been matured in a single harvest tawny port cask from 1997 after initial maturation in American white oak ex-bourbon casks and bottled at 49.3%.
The Dalmore Cask Curation 30 Year Old 1994 Cask Finish
Next up is a 30 Year Old whisky that has been matured in a single harvest tawny port cask from 1994 after initial maturation in American white oak ex-bourbon casks and it is bottled at 43.9%.
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The Dalmore Cask Curation Port Edition 43 Year Old 1952 Cask Finish
The oldest whisky in the set is a 43 Year Old which has been matured in a single harvest tawny port cask from 1952 after initial maturation in American white oak ex-bourbon casks and it has been bottled at 41.8%.
What Is So Exceptional About These Port Casks?
Port wine has a variety of categories that, just like in whisky, can be tricky to wrap your head around. It is ex-single harvest tawny port casks that have been used for the whiskies in The Port Edition meaning that the port which was held in the casks had been made from grapes from one specific year of harvest, rather than being blended together by various years as age-statement tawny ports tend to be.
Tawny port is a category of port that is matured in casks called port pipes of approximately 550 liters in size, but the size can vary. Due to the maturation in these casks, they undergo oxidative aging and the lengthened exposure to the wood is what gives it the signature tawny color.
Vintage port, a category of port that only rests in wood for a limited time before being primarily bottle-aged, is only made from specific harvest years that are deemed exceptional. The vintage years are selected years of remarkable growing seasons resulting in top-quality port wine.
1997, 1994, and 1952 – the years coinciding with the casks used for the maturation of the Port Edition – are all vintage years. However, as previously mentioned, the single harvest tawny port is a different category from vintage port and undergoes oxidative aging in the cask, rather than bottle aging.
Through their partnership, The Dalmore has exclusive access to rare port casks from Graham’s Port and it is fascinating to see how they have impacted the whiskies. Each expression in the set has taken on the cask influence in its own way which makes for a really interesting flavor journey with each sip.
The 27 Year Old is fruit-forward but surrounded by elegant spices and soft florals whereas the 30 Year Old brings more spice and age, reminiscent of Christmas and old libraries. The 43 Year Old is the jewel of it all and brings exceptional complexity with an antique character that makes some older whisky so incredibly charming. The Port Edition is a delightful celebration of both whisky and port, inviting enthusiasts to savor a luxurious blend of tradition and craftsmanship that truly embodies the spirit of collaboration.
To continue reading about The Dalmore Cask Curation Port Edition, you can find tasting notes and a review here.
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