On 21 October 2021, Dictador – pioneering an entirely new luxury category for prestige rums with its award-winning products – will launch Dictador 5 Decades, celebrating five decades of Richard Orlinski. The limited edition sculpture and bottle, designed in collaboration with the contemporary Pop artist and sculptor and inspired by his signature subject, WILD KONG, will be available in five exclusive colour ways [Silver / Red / Black / Gold / Blue] and will carry an RRP of €40,000, with 25 pieces hand painted and signed by the artist available from €100,000.

This collaboration marks the first time that a spirit, within the rum category, has been wholly encased within an artwork. Artists have previously engraved bottles, designed labels and boxes, and indeed created sculpture semi-covering an original bottle but Dictador are disrupting the market by creating an actual artwork as a bottle; firmly establishing the brand as The Arthouse Spirit and cementing an ongoing collaboration with the art world.

Born in 1966, Richard Orlinski has earned international acclaim for his sculptures using industrial materials, such as resin and aluminium, to craft highly pigmented and polished renderings of wildlife and cultural icons. Recognised as one of the best-selling French contemporary artists, with his work exhibited at galleries and shows all across the world, the Dictador collaboration will present a unique opportunity to own a timeless Orlinski sculpture and invest in the rum revolution and a very special liquid.

Blended by Dictador Distillery Master, Hernan Parra, Dictador 5 Decades uses rum from finely aged 1966 / 1976 / 1986 / 1996 / 2006 casks, representing five decades of the artist’s life and work. Parra has personally selected the best barrels from his family’s private stock in Colombia to create the exceptional liquid, truly art in itself, with 525 bottles available worldwide (100 in each colour way, plus 25 bottles hand-painted by Orlinski). The value of a luxury rum collection is in the value of the barrels and the five barrels (‘66-’06) used to prepare each colourway of 100 bottles will not be used in any future Dictador products, giving consumers access to one of the oldest rums in the world.

Vintage rums are extremely rare and in limited quantities worldwide, with luxury spirits a growing focus in the auction market, reaching increasingly large values and attracting global investment. In March 2021, a unique decanter of Dictador Generations En Lalique became one of the most expensive bottles of rum ever sold. Auctioned by Sotheby’s online, Dictador Generations En Lalique achieved an exceptional price of £30,000 – the highest value ever achieved for rum during a Sotheby’s auction.
Dictador 5 Decades will give consumers something special, and unique.

Dictador’s Creative Director, Ken Grier, commented:

“This groundbreaking collaboration with one of the world’s most exciting and renowned contemporary artists is another big step for Dictador. The brand is the definitive investment grade rum and is certainly one of the world’s most dynamic and admired fine and rare spirits due to its outstanding record on innovation, superb quality, authentic stories and stunning aesthetic. This latest collaboration sees us operating at the pinnacle of the most desired, collectable and coolest spirits in the world with the launch of these beautifully crafted art pieces.”

On Dictador x Orlinski 5 Decades, the artist noted:

“I am very happy to bring my creative vision to this collaboration. It is, for me, the fusion between two universes and cultures as different, as complementary. I wanted to bring a creative notion to dress this collection of spirits so that it is unique. It’s a way of taking up a challenge; to bring art where we don’t expect it.”

Dictador x Orlinski 5 Decades is available upon request via orlinski@dictador.com