Highland whisky maker Dalmore will release what is claimed as the world’s first single malt finished in five Californian red wine casks this month – no-age-statement Dalmore Quintessence.
Due to launch exclusively in Selfridges in London this Thursday (28 July), the limited edition release will be rolled out to select whisky retailers from 12 August, priced at about £1,000.
Dalmore master distiller Richard Paterson travelled to California to hand-select the red wine casks for maturation.
He said: ‘Dalmore Quintessence has been a long-term project which I am delighted to share with the world. It is a combination of two of my great passions, the Dalmore distillery and exceptional red wine.’
Quintessence was first aged in American white oak ex-Bourbon barrels before being divided between five red wine casks: Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The casks were left to age for a further five years in Warehouse No 2 at Dalmore distillery, owned by Whyte and Mackay Group, before being married together to create Quintessence, bottled at 45% abv.
The occurrence of secondary maturation – or cask finishing – is still a relatively new concept for the Scotch whisky industry, as discussed at the Lock, Stock & Six Smoking Barrels seminar hosted by Scotchwhisky.com editor Becky Paskin at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans last week.
