Quintessence was launched by Dalmore in 2017 as part of the distillery's growing line of cask-finish experiments. The name refers to the five wine casks used in its construction: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel and Cabernet Franc, all sourced from Californian wineries.
The whisky was first matured in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels, then transferred for a finishing period into the five varietal casks before being married together by master distiller Richard Paterson. Bottled at 44.4% ABV — a number Paterson chose for its symmetry — the release ran to a few thousand bottles and was priced around £1,500 at launch.
The wine casks pull Dalmore's house orange-and-chocolate profile in a redder direction. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc supply structure, the Merlot rounds it out, and the Zinfandel and Petite Sirah lend a darker, jammier fruit. Compared with the more sherry-driven Dalmores it is softer and more aromatic, though still recognisably from the same stable.
Quintessence belongs to a particular Paterson tradition of multi-cask marriages — King Alexander III, the Constellation casks and others all share the same impulse — and it makes a useful counterpoint to the Cigar Malt Reserve. Whether the price reflects the liquid or the presentation is, as ever with luxury Dalmore, an open question.
