Latest news with #PedroXiménez
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
You Don't Need The Dalmore's New 52-Year-Old Scotch. Drink This New 17-Year Instead
Scottish whisky maker The Dalmore's new 52-year-old single malt has competition, and it's coming from inside the distillery. For the 2025 Luminary Series, The Dalmore is releasing two calvados-finished single malts, and one is affordable and delicious. First, a word on the unaffordable collector's liquid: Dalmore Luminary 2025 Edition 'The Rare' is a 52-year-old single malt whisky finished in a number of incredible casks: 80s calvados, 40s port, 40-year-old Pedro Ximénez sherry, and tawny port and Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine casks. That's what's inside the decanter. As for the outside, the Dalmore Luminary 'The Rare' is presented in what could loosely be called a showpiece—an architectural work of bronze waves and rods that resembles an art deco serving tray extruded through a Dalí painting. If this sounds more like an art installation than a whisky, your instincts aren't failing you. Luminary is a release in partnership with V&A Dundee—Scotland's design museum—and artist Ben Dobbin, who designed the asymmetric sculpture. This art bottle is meant to bring home big bucks. The Dalmore is among Scotland's most prestigious names, particularly within the world of heavily sherried malts. Its bottles in these extreme age ranges have gone for hundreds of thousands of dollars. It's not necessarily the case that the 2025 Luminary will hit that range when it's auctioned off, but even conservative prices for bottles like this tend to register $50,000 or makes the whisky more likely to bring in huge cash (aside from the charitable context) is that this whisky is one of a kind—well, two of a kind. The Dalmore only created two of these decanters. One is currently in Hong Kong, where an auction will be held by Sotheby's Hong Kong, closing May 16. That auction will determine the worth of the first bottle, but the second will continue to remain nominally 'priceless' because it exists only to be stashed away like Indiana Jones' Ark of the Covenant, interred in Dalmore's archives, being examined by 'top men' and probably never seeing the light of day until another charitable occasion calls for it to be offered why should the average person care? Well, normally we shouldn't if we're trying to avoid FOMO, but with the Luminary series, The Dalmore has created a secondary tier. Dalmore Luminary No. 3 is a 17-year-old single malt 'inspired' by the 2025 Edition of Luminary. While the 52-year-old takes the spotlight in Hong Kong, the 17-year whisky is actually debuting this week in Venice at the Venice Biennale. Luminary No. 3 is a more affordable price point—the liquid is younger, and there are 20,000 bottles of it for the world market—but the price is an approachable $400. The whisky follows a similar aging trajectory, resting in a total of seven cask types, including Calvados, red wine, and sherry. As muddy as you might expect a seven-casked whisky to be on the palate, this whisky really surprises. On the nose, big juicy berry notes jump out. On the palate, honey cake, sticky toffee, and currant linger. It's somehow a text book example of The Dalmore's rich sherry-finished style (mouth coating, lush, syrupy) while being very much unlike any Dalmore I've tried in recent years (restrained on the chocolate and coffee notes and particularly fruit forward). Flavors less common to The Dalmore range—orange candy, black cherry, pie filling— are really pronounced, like broad splashes of bold primary colors over a caramel is, I'm sorry to tell you, illuminated with unexpected flavors, and there's an art-gallery-like joy in just sitting with it for a few moments. I'm very much of the opinion that some whiskeys can be 'over thought,' and distillers the world over will reluctantly admit that not every liquid they sell is meant for poetic tasting notes. But I wish I'd gotten to enjoy more time (and ounces) with this release before it was gone. It's a pleasing and engaging drinking experience that I can't recommend enough for lovers of 'serious whisky.' And if that's what Luminary No. 3 did to my brain, I can only imagine what the 52-year–old liquid would do.
Irish Times
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Wine with ice cream? It's all the rage and works way better than you think
The short answer is: yes, of course you can. You should always feel free to drink wine any way you please. Now pairing wine with ice cream seems to be a growing trend on social media. It's a Gen Z thing apparently. TikTok and Instagram are going crazy with people mixing ice cream with wine in the same glass. Does a red wine milkshake sound appealing? Or a 'float' of white ice cream in a glass of Chablis? Apparently, it started with Folderol, an establishment in Paris that sells scoops of ice cream in vintage metal coupes alongside natural wine. With an eclectic range of oolong tea, carrot cake, fig hibiscus or spicy melon, the choice of ice cream seems endless. Now ice cream parlour and wine bars are popping up in London and New York. I am very fond of both ice cream and wine, but rarely enjoy the two together. Ice cream is sweet and wine is usually dry, so surely the two won't mix? I do like wine sorbets, but they don't contain cream. READ MORE Most wine drinkers will automatically pair a dessert of any kind with a sweet wine of some sort; Sauternes with fruit tarts, Port with chocolate desserts. There is a traditional wine and ice cream mix of very sweet Pedro Ximénez sherry with vanilla ice cream – a delicious hedonistic mix of cream, raisins, figs and dates. I bought a half a dozen tubs of ice cream and conducted my own experiments. The best matches did involve sweet wines, although there were a few nice surprises with red wines. If you want to try mixing red wine with ice cream, I would suggest a merlot or pinot noir, both of which have lighter tannins. My red wine went best with a raspberry ice cream. My four favourite matches were as follows: Sauternes with Supervalu Signature Passion Fruit Ice Cream. I suspect that any fruit ice cream would go well with Sauternes, Moscato d'Asti, or an off-dry Riesling. PX Sherry with vanilla ice cream was excellent; Chocolate Fudge Brownie was nice but not as good as the vanilla. Tawny Port went really well with the Chocolate Fudge Brownie and Ben & Jerry's Brookies too. Raspberry ice cream with a light, ripe pinot noir. Lastly, my siblings swear by vanilla ice cream with a small dose of whiskey and freshly ground pepper.
Daily Record
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Iconic Scottish distilleries to release special edition whiskies for Fèis Ìle 2025
Two of Islay's renowned distilleries, Lagavulin and Caol Ila, are preparing to dazzle whisky lovers once again at Fèis Ìle 2025 with the unveiling of two striking limited-edition releases, each offering a fresh twist on the distilleries' classic characters. Lagavulin, which made some of the most popular whiskies of last year , is set to unveil its Fèis Ìle 2025 15 Year-Old, finished in Moscatel de Málaga casks. This rare expression adds unexpected sweetness and spice to Lagavulin's signature smokiness, creating a multi-layered whisky experience. On the nose, it opens with salted toffee and ripe berries, underpinned by the brand's hallmark maritime and medicinal notes. Lagavulin's special edition 15 Year Old is bottled at a robust 55.7 per cent ABV and priced at £240. Only 1,596 bottles of this rich, smoky single malt will be available, sold through the distillery and online via The palate is creamy and rich, with a balanced profile of sweet, salty, spicy and smoky flavours. A long, dry finish follows, laced with fragrant Lagavulin smoke and a surprising kick of Sichuan pepper. 'Innovation is at the heart of what we do at Lagavulin and, this year, we wanted to offer something truly special,' said Lagavulin Distillery Manager Jordan Paisley. 'While researching our archives, we discovered a reference to Moscatel de Málaga hogshead casks, which inspired this release. The result is a beautifully complex whisky that adds layers to our signature smoke. We're excited to share it with our fans at Fèis Ìle.' Meanwhile, Caol Ila is pushing boundaries with its special edition for Fèis Ìle, The Isay Festival, which runs from Friday, May 23, to Saturday, May 31. Caol Ile is bringing out a bold 8 Year Old release that explores new flavour territory. This special bottling has been matured in refill casks and a mix of Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso-seasoned casks, then finished in Colombian Oak, a first for the distillery. The result is a dram that surprises with its smooth, waxy texture and richly sweet character, amplified by Caol Ila's signature smoky depth. Notes of spice and peppery heat further enhance its complexity. Caol Ila's 8 Year Old festival expression comes in at 55.8 per cent ABV, retailing for £110. A total of 1,476 bottles will be released, also available both at the distillery and on Describing the dram, whisky expert Charles MacLean said: 'Even at reduced strength, the taste is intense!' Martin Gaughan, Caol Ila's newly appointed Distillery Manager, said he's especially excited to share the distillery's latest creation, and to mark a personal milestone. 'This release is all about exploration, both for us who enjoy Caol Ila and all the new visitors to Islay during Fèis Ìle,' he said. 'The finish in Colombian Oak casks has brought a fascinating twist, enhancing Caol Ila's natural richness with unexpected sweet and spicy layers. I can't wait for all of our fans to experience it first-hand at my first Fèis Ìle as Caol Ila's Distillery Manager.' Both the Lagavulin and Caol Ila Fèis Ìle 2025 editions will be available to buy on their respective open days, offered on a first come first served basis. Lagavulin Day will take place on Saturday, May 24, followed by Caol Ila Day on Monday, May 26. The celebrations don't stop at whisky releases. Each distillery is set to host a full day of tastings, music and exclusive events . Lagavulin's programme includes 'Beyond The Smoke', an immersive sensory experience hosted by Distillery Manager Jordan Paisley and Private Client Host Barry Nisbet. This guided tasting delves into the history and craftsmanship behind the distillery's iconic smoke character, and includes a rare sample of a 17 Year-Old Lagavulin. At Caol Ila, 'Flavour & History' takes centre stage. This interactive blending session allows guests to create their own custom 200ml whisky blend. Led by Rory Slater, who worked on this year's Fèis Ìle bottling, alongside Senior Malts Archivist Jo McKerchar, the event provides a hands-on journey through the flavours and stories that define Caol Ila's legacy. Later in the week, on Wednesday, May 28, Caol Ila will host a special 'Manager's Evening'. Distillery leaders from Caol Ila, Lagavulin, Port Ellen and The Maltings will come together for a Q&A session and tasting. The evening offers guests the chance to engage directly with the people behind the drams, while sampling a range of premium hand-selected malts. Tickets for Fèis Ìle 2025 are still available via for those eager to take part in the world's largest whisky and music celebration.
