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The Dalmore Luminary No. 3 – A Collectible Worthy of the Biennale unites masterful whisky making with visionary architecture in a limited-edition release that elevates single malt to sculptural art.
There are whiskies, and then there are architectural statements in liquid form. The Dalmore Luminary No. 3 – 2025 Edition – The Collectible is the latter: a complex, meticulously orchestrated expression of flavor and design born from an extraordinary collaboration between Scotland’s legendary distillers and the minds behind some of the world’s most iconic structures.
Released globally this summer following its unveiling at the Venice Biennale of Architecture, The Collectible is the third release in The Dalmore’s acclaimed Luminary Series. At the heart of this edition is architect and digital artist Ben Dobbin, a senior partner at Foster + Partners. Known for his work on Apple Park and the revitalization of the Transamerica Pyramid, Dobbin brings his sculptural minimalism and love of synaesthetic experience into dialogue with whisky craft. The result is a 17-year-old Highland Single Malt housed in a bespoke fold-out case—equal parts sculpture, display, and shrine.
The Dalmore - Gregg Glass, Master Whisky Maker, Ben Dobbinb of F+P, and Richard Paterson OBE Master Distiller with The Dalmore Luminary No.3 - The Collectible packaging
Co-created with The Dalmore’s master whisky makers Gregg Glass and Richard Paterson OBE, the whisky itself is a study in balance and crescendo. It opens with a vibrant orchard bouquet and Madagascan vanilla, deepens into a palate of tarte tatin, cacao, Seville orange, and red liquorice, and finishes with the textured elegance of cassia bark, brioche, and dried apricot. Finished in an ensemble of seven cask types—including vintage Calvados, Apostoles and Matusalem Sherries, and red wine barriques from Bordeaux and Châteauneuf-du-Pape—it’s a whisky that dances between tradition and experimentation with confident precision.
The Luminary Series has always positioned itself at the intersection of design and distillation, but with this edition, that ambition feels particularly fulfilled. Dobbin’s fold-out case design, with its tension of curves and straight lines, mirrors the architectural rhythms of his built work. The case becomes not just a container, but a visual and tactile metaphor for the whisky within: structure, fluidity, patience, and surprise.
Only 20,000 bottles of The Collectible have been released globally, priced at $399/£299/€340, making it an accessible entry point into one of whisky’s most design-forward series. For those seeking the ultra-rare, The Rare—a 52-year-old masterpiece presented in a bronze sculpture also by Dobbin—was released alongside The Collectible, with only two sets in existence. One was auctioned by Sotheby’s Hong Kong to support The Dalmore’s cultural partner, V&A Dundee.
What elevates this release beyond collectibility is the integrity of its concept: a whisky that is not simply designed, but conceived—as an object, an experience, a story. In Dobbin’s words, “The Dalmore’s whisky makers think about flavor the way I think about design.” And in that alchemy, we’re reminded why the Luminary Series matters. It’s not just about what we drink. It’s about what we honor.
With The Collectible, The Dalmore once again proves that true luxury lies not in ornament, but in intention.