To use this website you must be of legal drinking age
Please select your date of birth and location
31 August, 2025
A Retrospective Look at The Dalmore Portfolio Series 2024 – With Visual Artist, Fraser Gray
We take a look back at The Dalmore Portfolio Series 2024, the first in The Dalmore’s travel-retail-exclusive collection of rare Bordeaux wine cask-finished whiskies, in collaboration with V&A Dundee and artist, Fraser Gray.
The Portfolio Series, launched in 2024, marked the first of a three-year series of limited edition, collectible whiskies expertly finessed in the finest Bordeaux wine casks, sourced from some of France’s best Chateaux vineyards.
Every year, the whiskies are thoughtfully interpreted by a chosen artist in collaboration with V&A Dundee. Drawing inspiration from the flavours, processes and stories of The Dalmore distillery, each artist applies unique design techniques to create specially commissioned works of art for the packaging, revealing how the same trio of whiskies can be viewed through a new creative perspective.
For the inaugural release, The Portfolio Series 2024, we partnered with Fraser Gray, a visual artist known for pushing boundaries through impactful large-scale murals and street art.
Fraser Gray
Dundee-born Fraser, a graduate of Edinburgh College of Art, first began his artistic journey through the medium of graffiti - spray painting on the walls of abandoned buildings and experimenting with unconventional surfaces as his canvas.
Now based in Edinburgh, Fraser specialises in the creation of murals and painted installations with a focus on representing moments in history through a contemporary lens, using found materials, industrial painting processes and colour theory. In 2016, he and fellow artist, Martin McGuinness, were commissioned to paint a large-scale mural to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Tay Road Bridge, just metres away from V&A Dundee.
The Dalmore and V&A Dundee
Since 2020, The Dalmore and V&A Dundee have worked in collaboration, showcasing excellence in design and artistry. The multi-layered partnership marks a long-term investment in V&A Dundee and the design sector with the aim of supporting a new wave of rising Scottish talent, advancing design education and promoting the value of design to Scotland.
“Supporting and celebrating Scottish creative talent sits at the heart of V&A Dundee and so it was fantastic to see Fraser Gray commissioned as the first Portfolio Series designer through our ongoing partnership with The Dalmore,” said Sam Edmond, Head of Partnership at V&A Dundee.
Abstract art meets whisky making artistry
Seeking inspiration for the Portfolio Series 2024, Fraser immersed himself in the architecture of The Dalmore distillery buildings, observing the interior and exterior architectural design and exploring the forms from multiple prospectives - the curves of the copper stills, the angles of the buildings, the subsequent silhouettes and interplay with light.
Fraser’s use of colour for the artwork was inspired by the rich and complex flavours of The Dalmore whisky, shaped by its red wine cask maturation. Guided by colour theory, he focussed on a narrow band of hues centred on red, moving through oranges, violets and magentas.
It’s almost like the red wine itself has created a colour tint over the entire piece
This bold, saturated palette, combined with the unusual asymmetrical angles, creates a sense of energy and movement through the composition. The result is a striking abstract interpretation of both the sensory experience of these exceptional whiskies and of the unique place they were created.
Fraser also produced a live art installation for The Dalmore’s Portfolio Series activation at Heathrow Airport, which went on to win the ‘Best of the Best’ award in the Spirits category at the TREX Awards, recognising outstanding creativity and innovation in travel retail.
The Portfolio Series
For this series, our Master Whisky Makers put aside three limited parcels of exquisite Bordeaux red wine cask-finished whiskies, each a true masterpiece of Single Malt. The series comprises:
No.1, a Bordeaux Wine Cask Finish from one of the oldest and most prestigious wine estates in Bordeaux, this expression offers notes of rich vanilla, citrus and ripe fruit on the palate and poached pear drenched in creamy custard on the finish.
No.2, the Châteauneuf-du-Pape Wine Cask Finish, from vineyards on the stony soils of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, this expression reveals notes of crushed almonds, sweet sultanas and fresh ginger with a finishing of poached pear and cranberries.
No.3, the pinnacle of the collection, the Select Bordeaux Cabernet Sauvignon Cask Finish has been finessed in wine casks from one of the world’s most iconic estates. The palate brims with notes of blackcurrant, baked apples and warm, dark cocoa with bergamot, passion fruit and baked brioche on the finish.
All are natural in colour and are non-chill filtered.
The Portfolio Series 2024 is now only available to buy as a set of three exclusively through The Dalmore in the UK, while 1 and 3 are available as single items from V&A Dundee.
Steven Pearson, Chief Marketing Officer for The Dalmore reflects on how supporting the art and design industry was an easy step. "There is a unique connection between each of our artistic worlds, which we were keen to explore, and together, we have created masterpieces,” he says. “Exquisite and expertly crafted Single Malt whiskies, enhanced by standout design, rooted in true collaboration, that enrich moments that matter."
The Portfolio Series 2025 is available to purchase now in limited quantity from Changi Airport, Singapore, and worldwide from 1st October 2025.
Be the first to hear about rare and limited edition releases from The Dalmore by joining The Dalmore Guild today.
