"THIS will be the most expensive thing that he has ever put in his mouth," said the Master Distiller of The Dalmore, Richard Paterson. "A 1968 Dalmore Constellation, which is around £1,000… a glass." If I was slightly apprehensive, having been singled out to savour it in front of the fellow-tasters, Richard made me feel at ease by telling me to take a great gulp, moved behind me and as I swooshed the aged spirit in my mouth, set off a massive confetti cannon. I stood there festooned in a gently floating shower of paper thinking, ‘well, this doesn’t happen every day.’ I was a bit spangled by this point.
The next morning I realised that I certainly had the most expensive hangover of my life...
Rosso are celebrating another addition to their ultra/premium/luxury/ unparalleled Shelf – their collection of old, rare and ferociously expensive bottles, including rums, brandies and cognacs. Today The Dalmore Constellation 1978 had arrived, so they invited the ebullient Richard down from north of Inverness, to talk a group of us through some of The Dalmore’s highlights.
Richard loves his job. Ebullient, a showman, darting off at tangents with histories of Scotland, and comments such as "They say love makes the world go round. Rubbish. Whisky does, twice as fast", and "this dram is like a multiple orgasm" and "The pussies basically know bugger all" (I was laughing so much I don’t appear to have written down who the pussies are). He also showed us how, at a Stateside tasting, people would simply knock the glass back in one swallow: "Slap anyone who does this" said Richard. And knocked the full glass back. "I drink about a bottle and half of this a day at these events."
'This doesn't happen everyday'
The Dalmore Constellation tasting - RossoThat particular dram was the King Alexander III. It is ‘an assemblage’ from six different barrels, that previously held port, Madeira, Marsala, Cabernet Sauvignon, small batch bourbon and Matusalem sherry. Chocolate orange is the DNA of The Dalmore we were told, and in this complex swirl it was very rich, with crème brûlée, coffee and glacé fruits on top. It was probably my favourite of the day, in a close run thing with the Cigar Malt. This one had its name shelved a few years ago, because of the smoking ban, and was renamed the Gran Reserva. No one really knew what it was then, so they re-rebranded it (in Las Vegas for some reason) in 2010. Largely taken from Oloroso sherry butts, it was a sensational whisky, smooth and luxuriant. Rosso provided some excellent canapés at this point, and the punch from the garlic mushroom, and the smoky duck, were impressive substitutes for the Partagas No 2, one of the particular cigars we were recommended.
I loved the precision and attention to detail: the 15 year old has very much a tangerine edge, the 78 not only hinted at pears, but ‘fleshy Doyenne du Comice pears'.
That specific fructal description was from the ’78, which along with the others in the Constellation (from 1964 to 1992 I think), took around fifteen years to create. Distilled on the 6 November 1978, the day before Rio Ferdinand’s birthday (he’s a co-owner of Rosso), and bottled at its natural strength (47%), it is a wonderful dram: the nose is phenolic, orangey, with pings of melon, papaya and other delicate fruits. As the group swilled, ruminated, held it under the tongue, then over, then under – as instructed by Richard – we were then invited to eat a piece of 72% dark chocolate. It was an instant joy. The tropical fruits were exaggerated, the warm tones of the whisky tango-ing with the bitterness. One’s mouth warmed. The soft glistering colour in the glass seemed to glow a little bit brighter. It is, without doubt, something for the connoisseur, but one with the deepest of pockets – you can try it yourself at £550 a glass.
I find whisky tastings rather challenging. I love whisky and tend to sip it, allowing it to deepen with each mouthful, feeling it change and develop. Richard’s way is almost overwhelming – you can watch him talk about it here. And I find it essential to taste it with friends, so it helped that I made a few on this afternoon, staring out of the Rosso sun drenched windows, looking down King Street, welcomed by Rosso gaffa Sasha Cvatek and his staff. The five expressions we tried can all be recommended, and can be easily found, as every bottle is emblazoned with the Mackenzie stag.
As for the ’68, it is not really on sale, which is handy because I didn't have a spare £22,000 for the bottle. However, as wonderfully earthy, woody, dark and elemental as it was - it might have been that little bit too woody. Whiskies take so much character from the barrels they are stored in, but this one might have taken a little too much of the barrel itself. But, wow, what a pleasure. The next morning I realised that I certainly had the most expensive hangover (and pee) of my life.
Rosso Restaurant, 43 Spring Gardens, Manchester M2 2BG. 0161 832 1400
Richard Paterson is master blender at The Dalmore
