Written By
Brian Sacawa
Brian Sacawa is the Founder of He Spoke Style and one of the original men’s style influencers.
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Presenting The Dalmore’s Cask Curation Series – The Sherry Edition
Ask anyone who fancies themselves a whisky aficionado what they love most about the luscious liquid and they’re likely to tell you two things. First and foremost, it’s the fact that whisky brings people together. Whether friends, family, or a community of connoisseurs, a dram of great whisky has the power to unite and strengthen bonds. The second thing you’re likely to hear is that whisky is a journey that has no end. And that quest for something new and unique is what makes it so enjoyable—and a lifelong pursuit.
The Dalmore recently delivered on both of those things with the release of their Cask Curation Series – The Sherry Edition. I was fortunate to have been on hand for the launch event in New York City a couple weeks ago and I’m here to report that not only was it a spectacular evening but, as you’d expect, the whiskies were truly exceptional.
About The Sherry Edition
The first entry in The Dalmore’s Cask Curation Series, the 2023 release of The Sherry Edition features a collaboration with renowned fifth-generation Spanish winemakers González Byass. Each set in the collection is made up of three exceptional age-statement whiskies finished in some of the finest (and rarest) González Byass casks, which were make available exclusively to the whisky makers of The Dalmore.
Let’s take a look at each of the three bottles in the collection.
26YO Vintage Sherry Finish
The “youngest” of the trio is a bright, lively, and balanced 26 Year Old matured in American white oak ex-Bourbon casks and finished in a rare Gonzalez Byass 2002 vintage sherry cask. It is presented at cask strength—48.2% ABV—natrual color, and non-chill filtered. “This cask is a true reflection of the natural beauty, balance and charm that The Dalmore offers,” said Master Whisky Maker Gregg Glass. “[It’s] a one-off expression that radiates with a myriad of exotic flavor experiences with sensory evolutions unique to and within our house style. It is an expression of our cask curation at its finest.”
- The Aroma: Orange blossom honey, apricot, Madagascan vanilla, and cacao
- On The Palate: Golden raisins, mandarin citrus, iced cherry cake, and sugared almonds
- Finishing Notes: Fresh baked brioche, light roasted coffee, crystalised ginger, and warm vanilla
28YO Matusalem Finish
The second bottle in The Dalmore’s Sherry Edition trio is a sweet and robust 28 Year Old. It is matured in American white oak ex-Bourbon casks and finished in Cask #73—a very rare 30 Year Old Matusalem Sherry Cask—and presented at cask strength, 55.3% ABV. Richard Paterson OBE, Master Blender, characterizes this one as “A melody of flavors brought together in pure harmony through the classic influence of our renowned 30 Years Old Matusalem Oloroso Sherry butts— the result is a treasure chest of pure liquid gold.”
The higher alcohol content of the 28YO is tempered by the richness of the Matusalem finish. When sampling, it was one of my favorites, but definitely benefits from a bit of “chewing” on the palate and/or a drop or two of water.
- The Aroma: Rich dark fruits, Manuka honey, liquorice, sweet tobacco, and star fruit
- On The Palate: Antique Sherry-soaked raisins, Old English marmalade, marzipan, and licorice
- Finishing Notes: Waves of dark cherries, molasses, dark chocolate, and cassia bark
43YO Apostoles Finish
Rounding out The Dalmore’s Cask Curation Series – The Sherry Edition is an absolutely remarkable 43 Year Old matured in American white oak-Bourbon casks and finished in Cask #1—a very rare 30 Year Old Apostoles Sherry Cask. Presented at cask strength of 46.8% ABV, it is, in the words of Richard Paterson and Gregg Glass, “a timeless classic . . . creating an unsurpassed journey of pure charm and sophistication.”
The older you get, the harder it becomes to taste a whisky that’s older than you and although that wasn’t the case for me here, I came pretty darn close!
- The Aroma: Warm honey, roasted chestnuts, sun-kissed raisins, and Seville orange
- On The Palate: Sweet Madagascan vanilla, dark forest fruits, crushed almonds, and dark chocolate
- Finishing Notes: Fresh baked brioche, grilled pineapple, and blood orange with a long sweet cinnamon finish
Pricing & Availability
The Dalmore’s inaugural Cask Curation Series – The Sherry Edition is strictly limited to 150 sets. The three bottles come housed in a bespoke leather-finished travel case hand-crafted in Florence, Italy. The collection is priced at $37,500.
If you happen to miss out on the 2023 edition, don’t worry as The Dalmore plans to continue this exceptional series of collaborations at least through 2027.
The Launch Event
Before getting into the specifics of the event itself, I want to mention a conversation I had with Craig Bridger, The Dalmore’s Head of Advocacy, prior to the start. I was remarking to him about how I considered The Dalmore to be somewhat under the radar to the masses here in the States, basing my comparison on the proverbial Scotch elephant in the room that starts with ‘M’ and ends with “allan.”
That other brand, I said, was kind of like the Rolex of whisky—everyone knows it, it’s pretty good, you’re not going to get any complaints. The Dalmore, on the other hand—and continuing my watch analogy—I likened to A. Lange & Söhne, a brand well-known amongst the true believers and yet more or less invisible to those who haven’t gone down the rabbit hole of really well-crafted timepieces.
I mention that simply to state that with a brand like The Dalmore, you’re getting a uniquely rewarding experience after having discovered it. And The Sherry Edition launch event was an outward expression of everything the brand stands for.
Taking place in a dimly lit private room in The Ned NoMad, the setting was elegant and intimate, adorned with splashes of red and orange, paying tribute to The Dalmore’s trademark color as well as The Sherry Edition release. Guests were treated to a trio of cocktails, created especially for the evening using the whiskies as their foundation as well as a chance to sample González Byass sherry.
Following cocktails, we enjoyed a seated multi-course meal designed to complement each of the whiskies in the Sherry Collection. At the conclusion of each course, The Dalmore’s Head of Advocacy, Craig Bridger unveiled each new whisky and provided guests with a guided tasting of each. At the conclusion of the evening, we made our way out to the terrace where we enjoyed spirited conversation and cigars provided by Davidoff of Geneva.