Whyte & Mackay-owned The Dalmore has launched a new 40yo single malt. The new expression was unveiled yesterday (25 July) by Master Distiller Richard Paterson at a tasting event at London’s prestigious Claridge’s hotel.
Only 750 bottles of the whisky will be released this year in specialist retailers and selected travel retailers, including DFS Group. The Dalmore 40yo comes during a year of celebrations to mark Master Distiller Richard Paterson’s 50th year in the whisky industry.
The Dalmore 40yo has been matured in American white oak ex-bourbon casks, before being transferred into 30-year-old Gonzalez Byass Matsualem oloroso sherry butts and finished in first fill bourbon barrels. The liquid features aromas of Columbian coffee and marmalade. On the palate, gingerbread and honey is followed by an aftertaste of Sanguinello blood oranges over ripe Bramley apples and liquorice sticks.
The expression is presented in hand-blown decanters designed by artisans at French crystal house Baccarat. The Dalmore’s 12-point Royal Stag emblem features on the front.
Master Distiller Richard Paterson commented:
“In the year that I reflect on my time in the whisky industry, and indeed at The Dalmore, it has been a great privilege to release two of our greatest ever aged expressions – first the champagne finished 50 years old and now this exceptional 40. With each new release, I strive for depth and complexity, pushing the boundaries of whisky making and building on the knowledge and skills passed down from my predecessors. It takes time, effort and vision to create an expression as complex as The Dalmore 40 year old, moving the rare stocks of whisky between casks to build layer upon layer of character. When you bring it all together, it creates something very special indeed.”
Paterson is celebrating his 50th year in the whisky industry with a worldwide tasting tour. He started his whisky career as a general production assistant at A. Gilles & Company Whisky Blender & Brokers in Glasgow, before moving to Whyte & Mackay. At the age of 26, Paterson was promoted to the position of Master Blender.
Paterson’s grandfather, who founded a specialist blending, bottling and brokerage company in 1933, first taught him about whisky making. Paterson’s father took over the firm in the 50s, teaching him how to nose whisky when he was just eight-years-old.