Half Bowmore and half Aston Martin – ARC-52

In Bowmore® whisky, made with infinite care over decades, there is a deep-rooted appreciation for how each moment affects the character of a whisky and how much the past shapes the present. It is from this conviction that all whiskies are made. Quite deliberately, drop by drop is shaped, depth and special flavors added to create the multi-layered single malt whiskey. It is this credo that inspired Bowmore for the latest creation: a perfect marriage of tradition and innovation. Essentially, it’s about working with the British luxury brand Aston Martin to strive for constant evolution and ingenious ingenuity to continually animate, inspire and excite. Bowmore ARC-52 is the story of a groundbreaking Aston- Martin design for an exceptional whisky decanter, the likes of which have never been seen before. Captured in it one of the oldest Bowmore whiskies. Never before has a Bowmore partnership been expressed through such a high level of innovation and creative collaboration. A bold as well as compelling expression of the Bowmore brand worlds. Bowmore ARC-52 is an object of genius in its physical form.

Bowmore is perfect balance

Half Bowmore and half Aston Martin, it moves in two directions at once to explore the ideals of balance, matching perfect balance with absolute intensity. This principle of balance defines every aspect of the ARC-52. To achieve perfect balance and form, the same approach was used to design the carafe as was used to design an Aston Martin – from state-of-the-art 3D printing to handmade clay models. The combination of Aston Martin’s state-of-the-art engineering and Bowmore’s uncompromising attention to detail and craftsmanship has made ARC-52 a reality. The combination of Aston Martin’s state-of-the-art engineering and Bowmore’s uncompromising attention to detail and craftsmanship has made ARC-52 a reality. Bringing these two worlds together was full of challenges and a lot of time was invested in making this vision a reality. The design sets new standards – if only with the meticulously custom-designed magnetic key that opens the distinctive aluminum cap almost as if by magic, while maintaining the sleek, clean lines of the individually hand-blown glass carafe.

Marek Reichman, Chief Creative Officer of Aston Martin, explains:

“ARC-52 represents the culmination of our partnership so far, it shows the scale of what we can create together. Our goal was to create something that hasn’t been done before and that reflects both our uncompromising design principles and the greatness of whiskey. I believe that what we have created is a true objet d’art. Just as with the design of an Aston Martin, balance is the most important factor and we have managed to combine tradition and innovation in perfect balance. There is so much for me to discover in this whisky, there is so much hidden knowledge in it, and even the color looks like it was created by time.”

Ron Welsh, Bowmore Master Whisky Blender, says:

“A Bowmore whisky as exquisite and complex as this 52 YO is a testament to the skill and commitment of our distillery team to make the most of that time the whisky spends in the cask to create a fantastic spirit. The complexity of ARC-52 single malt whisky is undeniable and the achievement of such a perfect balance is not only manifested in its physical form, but is wonderfully expressed in every drop of this great whisky. The collaboration with Aston Martin is and remains extremely fascinating and enriching for me. It inspires us, shows us different, highly precise ways of working, and has enabled us to create what I believe is the best over-50 Bowmore whisky I have ever tasted.”

ARC-52 matured for a remarkable 52 years in a marriage of two types of barrels. It was aged in a precisely balanced ratio of 50% each in an American oak hogshead and a European oak butt. This single malt whisky promises exceptional complexity and at the same time is perfectly balanced, combining both types of casks in equal parts. Timelessly captures the classic Bowmore character as it crescendos to announce the finish with herbal notes combined with exotic fruit, praline and caramel.