Paterson and Bottura bottle 49yo Dalmore L’Anima

by Melita Kiely

Master distiller Richard Paterson has partnered with Michelin-starred chef Massimo Bottura to create a single 49-year-old bottle of Dalmore whisky, which will be auctioned for charity.

The Dalmore L’Anima Aged 49 Years marks Bottura’s first venture in the spirits world, with the word ‘l’anima’ meaning ‘soul’ in Italian. Bottled at 41.5% abv, the single malt Scotch has been made from whiskies matured in small batch Bourbon barrels, González Byass casks that once held 40-year-old Pedro Ximénez Sherry, and Graham’s Vintage Port pipes. A ‘one-of-a-kind’ bottling, the whisky is said to showcase the chocolate orange profile The Dalmore is associated with, combined with flavours indicative of Bottura’s cuisine and Italian produce. On the nose, the whisky is said to have aromas of raisins, bitter chocolate and old English marmalade, leading to flavours of Java coffee, Demerara sugar, pecan pie and crème brûlée on the palate. The finish is said to have notes of treacle and figs. Paterson said: “Bottura’s approach to deconstructing and reinventing daring food pairings is very similar to the way I approach whisky making. “The coming together of our passions allowed me to create a whisky that is bold, different, full of warmth and completely unforgettable – it is a true reflection of the love, blood and balsamic that unites us.” Sotheby’s will auction The Dalmore L’Anima Aged 49 Years with no reserve in London, in a lot that includes dinner for two at Massimo Bottura’s Osteria Francescana, Modena. Display bottles will be available to view at Sotheby’s in New York and Hong Kong from 25 April ahead of the London auction. All proceeds from the sale will be donated to Food for Soul, Bottura’s non-profit organisation. Jamie Ritchie, worldwide head of Sotheby’s Wine, said: “We are excited to partner with The Dalmore and Massimo Bottura to offer this unique bottle, that only one person in the world will possess, treasure and enjoy. “With the ‘no reserve’ format, we anticipate lively bidding from the moment the auction opens on April 25 and look forward to helping raise important funds for Food for Soul, with the announcement of the final price on May 9.”