Two rare bottles of The Dalmore 62 made history by becoming the most expensive Dalmore bottles ever sold in an auction.
As F.Scott Fitzgerald once famously wrote: “First you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you.”
Well, in the this case, the drink also took a world record.
The new record for The Dalmore sold at auction, set at the “Sotheby’s Distilled: Iconic Samaroli, Dalmore 62 and The World’s Oldest Cognac” in London, was at £266,200 per bottle, with each one netting a total of 26 bids. Such a milestone is indeed a highly commendable feat indicative of the increasing value and demand for The Dalmore’s iconic whiskies.
Laid down by whisky pioneers the Mackenzie family, The Dalmore is carefully curated by master distiller, Richard Paterson, who took control of cask maturation in the 1980s. He immediately recognized the exquisiteness of the collection, and he set about sourcing the finest Sherry cask to nurture the spirit to fruition.
“I’ve been fortunate to care for the wealth of rare and aged whiskies at our highland distillery since 1970, and this exceptional expression is very special to me, indeed. When I took control of these precious casks some 50 years ago, I was aware of their true value, not so much in monetary terms, but as a living part of the distillery’s heritage that marks our lifelong commitment to creating whisky like no other,” says Paterson, an international whisky expert and master distiller.
A true master of cask curation, Paterson decided something as old as this needed one final flourish, a bespoke hand-crafted cask, small in size, and seasoned with Gonzales Byass Matusalem Oloroso 30 Year Old Sherry—the perfect environment to create this rare masterpiece. His commitment to hand-selecting every cask that The Dalmore’s precious liquid is matured in has led him all over the world to the finest bodegas and wineries.
“Only 12 bottles of The Dalmore Aged 62 Years were created, each individually named, hand-signed, and numbered, but all containing whiskies dating from 1868, 1878, 1928, and 1939. Whether these bottle end up enjoyed or collected, I hope that the lucky buyers savor this special piece of history,” Paterson adds.
Launched in 2002, there have only been two opportunities to bid on The Dalmore 62, so the appearance of two bottles in the same auction presented an unprecedented opportunity for collectors.
