Unless you’re in the spirits trade, the launch of a new luxury whisky collection is unlikely to grab too many column inches. Another day, another decanter, right?
But The Dalmore Luminary Series is in a different league. It’s not just broken the mould; it’s made a new one. Several, actually.
The design-led whisky collection from The Dalmore Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky, created in collaboration with V&A Dundee was launched in 2021. The series brings together The Dalmore’s master whisky makers and some of the world’s most acclaimed architects and designers to create limited-edition whiskies that celebrate craft, creativity and legacy.
It has previously featured collaborations with starchitect Kengo Kuma, as well as Melodie Leung of Zaha Hadid Architects. Since partnering with V&A Dundee, The Dalmore has donated more than £200,000 to support the museum’s design and education programmes.
This year, the third chapter in the series welcomes a collaboration with Ben Dobbin, senior partner at Foster + Partners. There are two new releases: The Rare and The Collectible. The Rare is a 52-year-old single malt – the oldest whisky released in the series so far – housed in a bespoke bronze sculpture designed by Dobbin. The sculpture, an architectural marvel in itself, was auctioned earlier this spring at Sotheby’s, with proceeds supporting V&A Dundee.
Inspired by tensegrity – a form of structural balance where tension and compression work in harmony – Dobbin’s sculpture appears almost suspended in air. Its asymmetric form combines waves, rods, and curves in dynamic equilibrium, mirroring the layered complexity of the whisky it protects.
The Rare is aged in a sophisticated cask assemblage including 1980 Vintage Calvados, 1940 Colheita Port, 40-year-old Pedro Ximénez, Tawny Port and red wine from Mont Redon.
For a rather more realistic proposition, The Dalmore has also released The Collectible – a 17-year-old single malt inspired by its elder sibling. Housed in a fold-out presentation case echoing Dobbin’s sculpture, just 20,000 bottles are coming to market priced at £299.
This expression is finished in seven rare casks, including vintage Calvados, Matusalem and Apostoles sherries, and red wine casks from Bordeaux and Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
The Luminary Series is more than a whisky release – it’s a creative collaboration between two disciplines that thrive on patience, precision, and craft. Dobbin, whose architectural résumé includes Apple Park in California, worked closely with The Dalmore’s whisky makers Gregg Glass and Richard Paterson OBE throughout the process.
Conversations spanned structure and flavour, tension and balance – each drawing parallels between their respective crafts.
“As an architect, this process was much more precise – yet more creative – than I expected,” Dobbin notes. “Gregg thinks about flavour the way I think about design. I wanted the sculpture to reflect our shared sense of place, materiality and flow.”
For Glass, the collaboration was a “true meeting of minds.” He adds: “Architecture and whisky making are both iterative processes, with a focus on detail, flow, and legacy. This release showcases our commitment to excellence.”
Richard Paterson OBE adds: “Ben brought a new dimension to the Luminary Series. His vision adds strength and style to the collection – it’s a brilliant example of what happens when two crafts collide.”
The Dalmore Luminary No.3 'The Collectible' 2025 edition Aged 17 Years, £299, thedalmore.com
