The Dalmore Single Malt Whisky proudly announce their collaboration with Ben Dobbin of renowned architecture practice Foster + Partners for the third chapter of The Dalmore Luminary Series, which shines a light on the worlds of whisky making artistry and architectural design.

Curated in partnership with V&A Dundee, Scotland’s Design Museum, The Dalmore Luminary Series No.3 offers two exquisite new Single Malt Whiskies, both a co-creation between Ben Dobbin, whose projects include the iconic Apple Park (USA) and the revitalisation of the Transamerica Pyramid (USA), and The Dalmore’s renowned Whisky Makers, Gregg Glass and Richard Paterson OBE.

The Dalmore Luminary 2025 Edition - The Rare - is an extremely rare Single Malt Whisky Aged 52 Years, and the oldest whisky to be released in The Luminary Series. This beautifully rich whisky will be held in a specially designed decanter, housed within a bespoke sculpture designed by Dobbin, and is to be offered at auction by Sotheby’s, in support of partner V&A Dundee.

The Dalmore Luminary No.3 – 2025 Edition – The Collectible is a rare Single Malt Whisky Aged 17 Years, with a bespoke presentation case inspired by ‘The Rare’. Strictly limited, only 20,000 bottles will be available globally at select luxury and specialist retailers.

This edition of The Dalmore Luminary Series is rooted in creative flow and precision. These are qualities shared by Ben Dobbin and The Dalmore’s Master Whisky Makers, Gregg Glass and Richard Paterson OBE, in both ethos and process, as Luminaries in their respective fields. This is evident in both the whiskies and accompanying designs created for these very special releases.

Reflections on the power of landscapes and nature to inspire creativity were a key part of the exchange between the team, with Dobbin captivated by the ebb and flow of the topography and finely engineered magnificence of the bridges and lochs that surround The Dalmore’s Highland distillery.

Dobbin’s extraordinary sculpture, which houses The Dalmore Luminary 2025 Edition - The Rare, sees the whisky appear almost suspended in time and is a fine example of tensegrity, a contemporary style of architecture in which objects appear to be built by nature in precisely balanced tension. Using this architectural approach, Dobbin has designed an art sculpture that is dynamic, bold, and perfectly balanced.  The asymmetric sculpture, made of bronze, features dramatic waves and rods, smooth curves, and straight lines, and is balanced with precision in dynamic equilibrium.

The Dalmore whisky makers were equally exacting when creating the whiskies and also took inspiration from Dobbin’s personal tastes and preferences into the creative process. The Dalmore Luminary 2025 Edition - The Rare is Aged 52 Years, with a multi-cask finish in exceptionally rare casks, whilst The Dalmore Luminary No.3 – 2025 Edition is Aged 17 Years and also features a complex multi-cask finish that alludes to the flavour profile of ‘The Rare’.

Inspired by conversations with Dobbin, The Dalmore whisky makers revisited a special set of Calvados casks, which the team had the foresight to laydown even before the French brandy was approved as a cask finish by the Scotch Whisky authorities in 2019.

From here, both whiskies took on separate and complex maturation journeys, whilst staying true to the signature house style of citrus, chocolate, and warming spice that The Dalmore is known and loved for. The resulting whiskies showcase The Dalmore's pioneering approach to multi-cask maturation and whisky making artistry.

The Dalmore Luminary 2025 Edition – The Rare is aged 52 Years, and will be offered at leading auction house Sotheby’s along with the accompanying sculpture. The auction will be held via Sotheby’s Hong Kong and will close on May 16, with 100% of proceeds again donated to V&A Dundee, Scotland’s Design Museum. The lot is one of only two sets, with the second set to be held at The Dalmore distillery, in the Scottish Highlands.

This exceptionally rare Single Malt is a sumptuous and layered whisky of finesse. It captures the essence of The Dalmore’s whisky making artistry and reflects the design philosophy behind Ben Dobbin’s sculpture. Just as Dobbin’s work balances precision and creative flow, The Dalmore’s whisky makers elevate the spirit’s journey by moving parcels of whisky between some of the world’s rarest casks. These include Vintage 1980 Calvados, 1940 Colheita Port, rare Tawny Port, 40 year old Pedro Ximénez Sherry, and Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine casks. By harnessing the tension between these diverse cask characters, that are either contrasting or complementary, The Dalmore has brought to life a whisky of extraordinary depth, complexity, and enduring elegance. A rare masterpiece, creating a truly extraordinary moment of reward.

The Dalmore Luminary No.3 - 2025 Edition – The Collectible is aged 17 Years, and is inspired by ‘The Rare’, elegantly housed in a bespoke, fold-out presentation case, which draws inspiration from the sculpture. A strictly limited release, just 20,000 bottles will be made available globally from mid-May.

From initial maturation in American White Oak ex-Bourbon barrels, this whisky has been finished in a bold combination of seven casks, including both vintage and aged Calvados, rare Matusalem Sherry, rare Apostoles Sherry, select red wine casks from Bordeaux and Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and fully matured American White Oak.

The Dalmore Luminary Series No. 3 follows two acclaimed earlier collaborations, firstly with Kengo Kuma and Maurizio Mucciola, designers of the landmark V&A Dundee, and last year with Melodie Leung, renowned designer and Director at Zaha Hadid Associates, whose portfolio includes The Henderson Building in Hong Kong.

The Luminary Series proudly supports The Dalmore’s partner, V&A Dundee, Scotland’s Design Museum. Since forming their partnership in 2020, and the inception of The Luminary Series in 2021, The Dalmore has given over £200,000 to the museum to aid in their design and community work both locally and globally.

All elements for this third chapter of The Dalmore Luminary Series were conceived collaboratively, with Glass, Paterson, and Dobbin working together to bring both the whiskies and designs to life.

Ben Dobbin, Luminary No.3 and Senior Partner at Foster + Partners said: “As an architect, collaborating with The Dalmore has been absolutely fascinating. Technically, it has been a much more precise - yet creative process than I imagined. The Dalmore’s whisky makers think about flavour the way I think about art and design. Spending time at The Dalmore Distillery really shaped my design process and, with the sculpture, I wanted to bring to life our shared sense of place, materiality, and how our worlds bridge.”

“I have grown up with a love of whisky, thanks to my father, so was of course excited by the prospect of working with The Dalmore, though admittedly at the same time, it was a bit daunting at first to be working with some of whisky’s greatest taste makers in Richard and Gregg. However, we quickly understood that we experience and articulate in similar ways, which made for an authentic and true partnership and resulting creations, which I am immensely proud of.”

Richard Paterson OBE, Master Distiller of The Dalmore adds: “This collaboration with Ben perfectly adds to and strengthens The Luminary Series, demonstrating a totally different and new dimension of what can be achieved when creative talents from different, yet complementary fields, unite.”

“It has been a pleasure to work together on this third edition of The Luminary Series, and we are thrilled to be able to share the results for whisky and design lovers alike to enjoy, all whilst supporting our friends V&A Dundee in the great work that they do.”

Gregg Glass, Master Whisky Maker of The Dalmore adds: “Meeting Ben was a true meeting of minds. There are actually many similarities between whisky making and architecture, both being a very iterative process, but also striving to create something that stands the test of time.”

“We constantly endeavour to make masterpieces of malt, and once again I am proud to say that The Dalmore Luminary Series showcases our commitment, whilst staying true to our shared vision and our overarching theme of creative flow and precision, elements important to both of us.”

Leonie Bell, Director of V&A Dundee, said: “Working with The Dalmore and each of the Luminaries has been a joy, to see how the complex and precise process of creating the very best whisky links so closely to the meticulous approaches of some of the most innovative architects designing in the world today.”

“Ben Dobbin and Foster + Partners work on extraordinary projects around the world, and we are delighted to be working alongside them, co-curating and staging an exhibition of his architectural practice, in celebration of our partnership with The Dalmore.”

Jonny Fowle, Sotheby’s Global Head of Whisky & Spirits, said: “The Dalmore is synonymous with exceptional Single Malt Whisky and everything that entails – the people, the geography, the history, and the flavour. They have perfected their craft over many decades, most recently with unique limited offerings.

“Celebrating the worlds of whisky artistry and architectural design, The Dalmore Luminary Series is the ultimate showcase of the skills of all those who have worked together so brilliantly on this long-term project. Speaking on behalf of Sotheby’s, it has been a real pleasure to be a part of this journey, alongside V&A Dundee, from the very beginning and as we now offer exclusively the third iteration in the series.”

The Global Launch in Venice

The Dalmore Luminary Series No.3 was officially unveiled on Wednesday, May 7, 2025 in Venice, ahead of the world’s most important exhibition of architecture, the Venice Biennale. The global launch featured dynamic discussion from The Dalmore's Luminary collaborators – Ben Dobbin, Melodie Leung, and Maurizio Mucciola - moderated by Venice Architecture Biennale 2023 curator, Professor Lesley Lokko OBE.

The Venice Biennale invites conversation on the role of architecture in the world. Attendees to this event from The Dalmore received an exclusive first look at The Dalmore Luminary 2025 Edition sculpture and decanter, which featured in a unique exhibition co-curated by V&A Dundee and Foster + Partners, and is available to view digitally from May 8 via The Dalmore website. A world-first tasting of The Dalmore Luminary No.3 – 2025 Edition was also hosted.

The Dalmore Luminary 2025 Edition – The Rare - will be offered at auction by Sotheby’s Hong Kong, where the sculpture and decanter will be on display from May 9-16. The auction will close on May 16 and, as with the 2024 Edition auctioned last year, 100% of the proceeds will be donated to V&A Dundee.

The Dalmore Luminary No.3 - 2025 Edition will be available from luxury and specialist retailers around the world and also in global travel retail, from mid-May, RRP $399.99 USD / £299 / €340. Those in the UK and USA can also purchase directly: https://www.thedalmore.com/en-us/luminary-series-2025-edition.

A designer’s proof of The Dalmore Luminary 2025 Edition sculpture and decanter will join The Dalmore Luminary 2022 Edition and Luminary 2024 Edition currently on display at V&A Dundee, from May 14, 2025, ahead of the museum’s ‘Garden Futures’ exhibition, which officially opens on May 17.