V&A Dundee joins forces with The Dalmore whisky to create new collectible bottles

The architects behind Dundee’s iconic waterfront design museum have helped create new collectible whiskies under a long-term partnership between the attraction and a Highland malt.

Around 15,000 limited edition bottles of The Dalmore are expected to be sold by luxury whisky retailers around the world, as well as at V&A Dundee, which opened to the public five years ago.

Kengo Kuma and Maurizio Mucciola, the lead architects on the project, have worked with The Dalmore’s master distiller, Richard Paterson, and master whisky maker, Gregg Glass, on the new editions.

The design of the museum has inspired the case for the new V&A “collectible” edition of a 15-year-old bottle of The Dalmore, which will cost £250.

Just three bottes of a 48-year-old Dalmore whisky have been produced under the partnership with V&A Dundee.

The whisky company has also announced the release of three “once-in-a-lifetime” bottles of 48-year-old Dalmore, each of which is housed in a bespoke wood and steel sculpture designed by Japanese architect Kuma.

One of the new “rare” editions will be held at the home of The Dalmore in Alness, north of Inverness, with the other due to go on display at V&A Dundee.

The third is expected to be auctioned at Sotheby’s before the end of the year. Part of the proceeds will be donated by The Dalmore to V&A Dundee under a four-year partnership announced in November 2020.

Last year the museum was donated £100,000 by The Dalmore after a sale of six rare bottles generated more than £830,000 when they went under the hammer and were snapped up by a private collector.

Around 15,000 bottles of a new collectible edition of The Dalmore whisky will be going on sale around the world under its partnership with V&A Dundee.

Kengo Kuma said: “My relationship with The Dalmore, and with Scotland, is one born from a love of natural materials and the unfolding of stories over a lifetime.

“In my work with The Dalmore, I see a same respect for the environment, and the same careful attention to the way great design must continue to evolve over time.”

Richard Paterson, one of the best-known figures in the whisky industry in Scotland, said: “It is a pleasure and a privilege to collaborate with Kengo Kuma and to draw inspiration from his rich experience in bringing this new release to life.

“The rare bottling is a wonderful celebration of cultural heritage. I am exceedingly proud of this exceptionally scarce single malt, which tells a beautiful story of the coming together of disparate parts into a greater whole.”

Around 15,000 bottles of a new collectible edition of The Dalmore whisky will be going on sale around the world under its partnership with V&A Dundee.

Mucciola said: “Working with and learning from Gregg Glass, sharing our passion for materials and respect for the natural world, shines a light on the importance of craft.

"This release is inspired by the work we have undertaken with our mentors, and the work we have yet to do – the embodiment of potential realised over a time.”

Glass said: “The Dalmore is constantly innovating, working to unlock the hidden potential in every component of its whisky-making process in order to achieve excellence.

"The opportunity to create something entirely new has resulted in a masterful liquid that balances tradition with innovation.”

V&A Dundee architect Maurizio Mucciola has worked on the new partnership between the museum and The Dalmore whisky.

The Dalmore is hugely popular among collectors due to its unique “Royal Stag” emblem, which was created by the Mackenzie family, owners of the distiller for nearly a century, in honour of a clan chieftain who is said to have saved King Alexander III of Scotland from being gored by a stag in 1263.