Scotland, Northern Highlands. Distillery operational. Owner: Whyte & Mackay

It was with quite a bang that Dalmore joined the ranks of collectible whiskies, when the group's master blender Richard Paterson presented the Constellation range in 2014. This interstellar symphony of 43 bottlings (1964 - 1992) was the culmination of several decades spent in the depths of warehouses sculpting a distillate with a complex and versatile character in the ex-sherry casks that have become the trademark of the Dalmore Single Malt. Selected from the Gonzeles Byass bodega, these Oloroso, Mathusalem (The Dalmore 32 Year Old 1974 Cask #504, 52%) and Amoroso (The Dalmore 1981 Amoroso Sherry Finesse) barrels offer such aromatic density and range that the profile of The Dalmore has become indistinguishable from the sherries produced at the bodega which, along with Richard Paterson, has co-designed the Dalmore style.

This version is part of a triptych of vintages matured in port casks and distilled in 1996, 1998 and 2001. Dalmore has always maintained close connections with producers capable of supplying its sherry and port casks, such as Gonzales Byass for sherry casks and, in this case, port producer WJ Graham. This 18 year old was finished in very old and rare Tawny Port Pipes.