There are whisky purchases, and then there are whisky investments. The Dalmore Cask Curation Series 2024 sits firmly in the latter camp — a trio of 70cl bottles presented as a single collection, carrying a price tag of £35,000 that will rightly raise eyebrows and, for a certain kind of collector, quicken the pulse. This is Highland single malt positioned at the very apex of the luxury spirits market, and it demands to be assessed on those terms.
At 45% ABV across the set, the Cask Curation Series avoids the trap of bottling at cask strength purely for theatre. Forty-five percent is a considered choice — enough to carry weight and complexity without overwhelming the palate, and it suggests a house style that prioritises balance over brute force. For a no-age-statement collection at this price point, the ABV signals confidence in what's inside the glass rather than reliance on a number on the label.
The NAS designation will divide opinion, as it always does. I've long argued that age statements are one metric among many, and at this tier of whisky-making, the blender's craft in selecting and marrying casks matters far more than any single integer. A three-bottle curated series is, by its nature, a showcase of cask selection philosophy — the idea being that each bottle in the set represents a distinct chapter, a different expression of what careful wood management can achieve. That's a proposition I find genuinely compelling when executed well.
What we're really buying here is exclusivity and curation. The Dalmore name carries serious weight among collectors, and the Cask Curation format — three distinct expressions packaged as a single journey — is the kind of presentation that rewards patient, comparative tasting over consecutive evenings. This isn't a whisky you open on a Tuesday night. It's an event, a conversation, an education in a single box.
Tasting Notes
I won't fabricate specifics where the liquid hasn't yet spoken fully to me in a formal tasting environment. What I will say is this: Highland single malt at 45% ABV, curated across three distinct cask profiles, sets expectations for richness, dried fruit influence, and a certain polished sophistication that the region does better than almost anywhere else in Scotland. I look forward to publishing detailed nose, palate, and finish notes once a full tasting has been conducted under proper conditions.
The Verdict
At £35,000, the Dalmore Cask Curation Series 2024 is not a casual recommendation. But within the ultra-premium Highland single malt space, it represents something more thoughtful than a single showpiece bottle with a velvet box. The three-bottle format invites exploration rather than display-case reverence, and the 45% ABV tells me this was made for drinking, not just admiring. I'm giving it an 8.2 out of 10 — a strong score that reflects both the ambition of the concept and the pedigree behind it, tempered slightly by the reality that NAS releases at this price must earn their keep on flavour alone, and I await the full tasting to confirm that promise. For collectors and serious enthusiasts with the means, this is a set worth your attention.
Best Served
A whisky at this level deserves nothing between you and the glass. Serve neat in a Glencairn at room temperature, allowing ten minutes to open after pouring. If you must add water, a single drop from a pipette — no more. Each of the three bottles should be tasted independently, ideally across separate sessions, to give each cask profile the respect it warrants. Take notes. Compare. That's the entire point of a curation series.
