The Dalmore 50-year-old Single Malt Marks Half a Century of Richard Paterson’s Pioneering Whisky-making

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 3 May 2017 -The definitive luxury malt, The Dalmore is set to release an exceptionally rare, Domaine Henri Giraud champagne-finished, 50 year old single malt to mark its Master Distiller Richard Paterson's 50th year in the whisky industry.

As the creative force behind some of the most iconic and innovative releases in the world, Richard Paterson's passion, expertise and artistry has seen him pioneer the art of maturation and cask finishing which has been instrumental to the success of The Dalmore.

Building on the celebrations surrounding Richard's 50th anniversary, the limited edition, The Dalmore 50 year old has been meticulously crafted in partnership with four other legendary luxury houses, to serve as a fitting tribute to each year of his illustrious career.

With up to 50 decanters released, which will be hand-filled on order, The Dalmore 50 has been matured in American white oak, Matusalem oloroso sherry casks from the world-renowned Gonzalez Byass Bodega and port Colheita pipes from the Douro region of Portugal, before undertaking a final finesse for 50 days in rare champagne casks from Domaine Henri Giraud.

Paterson did not select the champagne cask by chance. Considered to be one of the region's hidden gems, Domaine Henri Giraud family estate is regularly lauded by experts from around the globe and is one of the only champagne houses to still mature their wines in casks. The casks selected have a unique intensity and aromatic complexity, giving Paterson the final flourish of wood needed to create this exceptional expression.

To hold this unique whisky, the artisans at prestigious French crystal house Baccarat have skilfully created crystal decanters, each of which will be held within a presentation case designed and crafted by the accomplished furniture makers at LINLEY.

Finally, each decanter will be adorned with a solid silver stag, created by silversmiths Hamilton & Inches, holder of The Royal Warrant.

Richard Paterson, Master Distiller at The Dalmore said: "This is a special year for me so I chose to finesse this whisky in a champagne cask, as this magnificent drink is synonymous with celebratory occasions.

Bringing the champagne together with Matusalem oloroso sherry and port is perhaps the greatest example to date of our ability to innovate in both maturation and cask finishing while preserving the signature flavours of The Dalmore.

This whisky is exceptional, as are the luxurious and sophisticated finishes applied by the craftsmen at Domaine Henri Giraud, Baccarat, Linley and Hamilton & Inches. They are true masters of their art and it is a pleasure to have worked with them to bring the 50 year old to life in such a magnificent way."

Journey of The Dalmore 50

• 1966: The Dalmore new make spirit began its journey in American white oak exBourbon casks
• 2003: The maturing whisky is transferred to Matusalem oloroso sherry casks
• 2012: The whisky is transferred to Port Colheita pipes
• 2016: In January of 2016, the spirit was transferred to Bourbon barrels as it reached its desired taste profile, prior to finessing
• November 2016: The whisky was finessed in Domaine Henri Giraud Champagne casks for 50 days before bottling

Celebrating Richard's 50th anniversary in the whisky industry -- the majority of which spent at Whyte & Mackay and The Dalmore Distillery in the Scottish Highlands, he first took on this illustrious career back in 1966. Learning the ropes about whisky making coincided with the gradual rise of whisky blending at that time, and the expressions he has created over the last 10 years has been produced with such superior quality and finishing that he has come to be known as one of the most revered whisky connoisseurs.

Richard's exceptional gift for discerning the structure of whisky solely based on smell had also earned him the title of 'The Nose' in his road to whisky mastery. He can often nose hundreds of samples of expressions over the course of a day. Match with an unparalleled passion, expertise and intimate knowledge of rare casks has also led to the creation of a super luxury single malt category, a category that The Dalmore continues to define until today. 50 years on and Richard is still the custodian of The Dalmore, creating and developing some of Scotland's oldest and rarest whisky stocks.

Richard has made it his mission to continually evolve the art of multi-cask maturation and finishing, which has led to definitive releases such as The Dalmore King Alexander III, the first single malt whisky in the world to achieve a six cask finish. The Dalmore Constellation Collection is another example which includes a selection of 21 single cask releases which perfectly showcase the depth and complexity of stocks, a signature of The Dalmore.

As part of the worldwide tasting tour commemorating Richard Paterson's 50th Anniversary with The Dalmore, he will be stopping by Singapore on 24th May 2017 for a visit, before continuing on for the Asia leg. For inquiries, please call The Dalmore concierge hotline at +65 9108 5545.

For more information, please visit www.thedalmore.com

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