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1 September, 2025
The Making of The Dalmore Portfolio Series 2025 - Introducing Artist Gabriella Marcella
A behind-the-scenes look at the making of The Portfolio Series 2025, in collaboration with V&A Dundee and designer, Gabriella Marcella.
The Portfolio Series 2025 marks the second release of The Dalmore Portfolio Series, an annual three-part collection of Highland Single Malt Scotch whiskies finessed in hand-selected Bordeaux casks from some of the region’s most revered Chateaux vineyards.
The Portfolio Series is a limited edition collection of red wine cask finished whiskies expertly curated by The Dalmore’s Master Whisky Makers, and each year, thoughtfully interpreted by a chosen creative 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.
This year, for The Portfolio Series 2025, we have partnered with graphic artist Gabriella Marcella, Founder and Director of RISOTTO, Scotland’s leading risograph print and design studio.
Gabriella Marcella
A graduate of world-renowned The Glasgow School of Art, Gabriella developed an early fascination with bold graphics and exploring fluorescent inks. While studying design in New York, she discovered the method of risograph printing, a stencil-based print process originally used to produce political flyers and school booklets.
For risograph printing, each colour is layered separately using a drum filled with soy-based inks, resulting in wonderfully vibrant, tactile prints distinguished by their characteristically ‘perfectly imperfect’ alignments and handcrafted appearance.
In 2012, Gabriella established her design brand RISOTTO; where almost all products are made by hand, in house. Promoting the power of small-scale production, as a sustainable alternative to mass-produced paper goods. Gabriella has since collaborated with Apple, Dr. Martens and Swatch among others. In 2019, she exhibited Rules of Play at V&A Dundee, an art installation exploring the themes of play, patterning and repetition (Photograph: Richard Gaston)
Design meets the art of whisky
As the inspiration for her abstract packaging design for The Portfolio Series 2025, Gabriella drew on the intricate pattern of the Mackenzie tartan, long associated with The Dalmore through the Mackenzie brothers, The Dalmore’s historic owners.
The result was a striking re-interpretation of the tartan, capturing the tactility of risograph - in a way that was both contemporary and re-imagined. “My designs were rooted in a deep appreciation for The Dalmore’s heritage, the whisky-making craft, and the unique attributes of The Dalmore whisky itself,” says Gabriella.
And just as whisky making follows a carefully honed recipe, my designs began with strict parameters - thread count and tartan grids etc. - before I introduced elements of play and abstraction.
Steven Pearson, Chief Marketing Officer of The Dalmore reflects on the partnership "The ongoing relationship between The Dalmore and V&A Dundee, Scotland’s design museum, is something truly special. It is rooted in purpose, authenticity and creativity, which I believe shines through in each of the projects we have collaborated on.
The Dalmore is able to support V&A Dundee in their ongoing great work, and champion up and coming talent through special projects, like The Portfolio Series. Gabriella’s interpretation of The Dalmore in her designs for the 2025 edition are captivating. Her inspiration and resulting reinterpretation of the Mackenzie tartan, with bold, striking colours is standout, and I am sure will be unmissable for travellers around the world."
For a deeper dive into how Gabriella created her abstract designs for The Portfolio Series 2025, see the next instalment in this series: The Making of The Dalmore Portfolio Series 2025 - The Tartan Code.
The Portfolio Series
Our Master Whisky Makers put aside three limited parcels of exquisite Bordeaux red wine cask-finished whiskies to be released annually with every collection, each a true masterpiece of Single Malt whisky.
In complement, the artists’ work reveals how the same trio of whiskies can be viewed through a new creative perspective every time - in a celebration of artistic interpretation.
The series comprises: No.1, a Bordeaux Wine Cask Finish with notes of rich vanilla, citrus and ripe fruit; No.2, a Châteauneuf-du-Pape Wine Cask Finish, with notes of crushed almonds, sweet sultanas and fresh ginger; and No.3, the pinnacle of the collection, Select Bordeaux Cabernet Sauvignon Cask Finish, with notes of blackcurrant, baked apples and warm, dark cocoa.
All are bottled natural in colour and non-chill filtered.
The Dalmore and V&A Dundee
The Dalmore and V&A Dundee have worked in collaboration since 2020, 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.
For the inaugural release in the series, the award-winning The Portfolio Series 2024, The Dalmore partnered with Edinburgh-based Fraser Gray, a large-scale street artist. Fraser’s work was inspired by the architecture of The Dalmore distillery buildings and the sensory experience of enjoying these red wine cask-finished whiskies.
The Portfolio Series 2025 is available in limited quantity to purchase from 1st September 2025 at Changi Airport, Singapore, ahead of the worldwide release on 1st October 2025.
Be the first to hear about rare and limited edition releases from The Dalmore by joining The Dalmore Guild today.
