A Spirit of Maturity: The Bowmore ARC-52 Designed by Aston Martin
Bowmore’s ARC-52 is not your typical whisky: it’s one of the rarest and oldest ever to be released. Bowmore has marked the occasion by rekindling its forward-thinking design partnership with Aston Martin to celebrate the past, present, and future. ARC-52 showcases the masterful skill on offer at Bowmore Distillery in a single malt matured for 52 years in sherry butt and American oak bourbon hogshead casks. The spirit pushes the limits of maturation, retaining Bowmore’s integral character through herbal top notes, with hints of exotic fruits, praline, and butterscotch on the finish.
The ARC-52 is a unique single malt and, as such, received a unique vessel, designed by Aston Martin. The striking creation, made of aluminum and hand-blown glass, appears to balance the spirit in a state of perpetual flux, with elegant, curved lines that call to mind the carmaker’s iconic automobiles. A magnetic key releases the aluminum top, revealing the aluminum neck where each decanter is numbered out of 100.
With only three decanters awarded via lottery across Canada, retailing for approximately $125,000, the ARC-52 is set to be one of the rarest single malt whiskies ever sold — a crown jewel for any collector. For those who aren’t lucky enough to have their name drawn, Bowmore offers their core trio of younger — but still exceptional (and exceptionally beautiful) — whiskies. The 12-, 15- and 18-year single malts meanwhile, are available everywhere now.