A partnership between luxury car brand Aston Martin and Scottish distiller Bowmore has brought to life a very unique decanter, containing one of the oldest ever Bowmore whiskies.
A statement from the distiller and car brand explains that in its physical form, this new offering is ingenious … half Bowmore, half Aston Martin, traveling in two directions at the same time.
The concept of the Bowmore ARC-52 is what’s described as balance, taking the same approach to achieving balance and optimal form when designing an Aston Martin, and this vessel calls on exacting principles, from the latest 3D printing to handcrafted clay modeling in realizing its form.
From the highly engineered, bespoke magnetic key which releases the aluminum top, while maintaining the sleek, clean lines to the individually hand-blown glass, the design seems otherworldly.
“ARC–52 sits at the apex of our partnership, truly showing the depth of what we can create collaboratively,” said Marek Reichman, chief creative officer for Aston Martin. “We set out to produce something which hasn’t been seen before, capturing our uncompromised design principles and also the magnificence of the whisky. I believe that what we have created is truly a piece of sculpture.”
He said they took balance as the most important factor, “as we do in designing Aston Martin cars,” and they’ve harnessed heritage and innovation in perfect balance. “For me, there is just so much to discover with this whisky as it embodies so much hidden knowledge and even the color looks like it’s been created by time.”
Ron Welsh, Bowmore’s master blender, said, “A Bowmore as exquisite and complex as this 52 year old is testament to the skills of our distillery team and their commitment to optimizing the time spent in cask to create such an incredible spirit. With ARC-52, the complexity of this single malt is unquestionable and to achieve such perfect balance not only defines its physical form but unites beautifully in every drop of this stunning whisky.”
This single malt matured for 52 years in a marriage of two cask styles, blended in two exact parts … 50% from an American Oak Hogshead and 50% from a European Oak Butt. It clocks in at 42.3% ABV.
Trending Stories
The distiller’s notes show this spirit captures the classic Bowmore character as it signals the crescendo with herbal and medicinal notes combined with exotic fruits, praline and butterscotch to finish.
Creamy and fruity aromas of vanilla and custard cream are balanced with peach, pear, kumquat, mandarin, a hint of guava with herbal notes of fresh mint and eucalyptus. On the palate, there’s flavors of green grapes and peach melba, clementine, lime zest alongside nutty notes of almond and hazelnuts, while tobacco leaves give way to a subtle peat ash and buttery character.
The first in a new series, only 100 decanters of ARC-52 will be available in key global markets including UK, Germany, Netherlands, USA, Canada, China, Singapore, and Global Travel Retail at a suggested retail price of $75,000 USD, starting in late summer 2022.
Latest News