Back in 2022, Bowmore and Aston Martin came together for the ARC-52, a 52-year-old single malt Scotch that seemed to break the internet, not just because it was the oldest whisky ever from the storied distillery but because the high-profile collaboration was delivered in a beautiful decanter that was more of a work of art than anything else.
Today, they’ve unveiled an older sequel: the ARC-54
Two Brands with Some Serious History
When two brands come together that have histories like both Bowmore and Aston Martin, you pay attention. As the first distillery on the island of Islay, Bowmore is a revered name in Scotland, dating all the way back to 1779. Aston Martin, on the other hand, is young by comparison but has become one of the most prestigious car manufacturers in the world, and that’s putting it lightly. Now, these two British staples have collaborated on yet another spectacular offering — as long as you are lucky enough to get your hands on a bottle.
Coming Together in a Big Way
Even before the ARC-52, the two storied brands have teamed up for other significant releases, such as the $65k Black Bowmore DB5 1964 whisky or a running series of Master’s Selection expressions upwards of two decades in age. It seems like every time we see some sort of collaboration between these two, it’s a pretty big deal.
However, the new ARC-54 doesn’t just house some of Caledonia’s finest liquor but sports a beautiful bottle as well. Tapping into the automobile concept, the designers aimed to have the hand-blown glass decanter appear like it’s in motion when it’s standing still, much like the English marque’s head-turning sports cars, with kinetic curvatures and contours, just like — as Bowmore puts it — the “smooth, deliberate lines of the [Aston Martin] Valkyrie’s diffuser.” It’s safe to say Bowmore and Aston Martin haven’t just created a futuristic-looking bottle, but a work of art.
It’s What’s Inside That Counts
Coming from a batch distilled in November 1968, the ARC-54 started out in either 2nd-fill European oak Sherry casks or 3rd-fill American oak hogshead barrels. But to make an exquisite end product, Bowmore then combined the two in for 15 months in a blend of 61.8% European oak and 38.2% American oak, inspired by the Golden Ratio.
While most of us won’t ever taste the whisky inside this ARC vessel, Bowmore has still provided us with the profile. Reportedly, the nose of “sweet vanilla, soft butterscotch, and buttery shortbread” give way to aromas of tropical mango, peach, orange zest, toasted oak, candied walnuts, and eucalyptus mint.
However, tasting the liquid will reveal a palette of “rich, fruity sweetness” with green apple, bergamot orange, lime juice, salted caramel, ginger, cinnamon, and, of course, Islay peat smoke. It’s bottled at 44.3% ABV.
I should also point out that the 54-year whisky is not technically the oldest liquid we’ve seen from the distillery. In 2023, they auctioned off a one-of-a-kind bottle of 55-year-old single malt for the annual Distillers One of One Charity Auction. It sold for over half a million USD!
Spec Sheet
Type: Single malt Scotch whisky
Region: Islay
Age Statement: 54 years
Nose: Sweet vanilla, butterscotch, shortbread, mango, peach, orange zest, toasted oak, candied walnuts, eucalyptus mint
Tasting Notes: Green apple, bergamot orange, lime juice, salted caramel, ginger, cinnamon, and Islay peat smoke
ABV: 44.3%
Pricing & Availability
With the ARC-54, Bowmore and Aston Martin have yielded slightly more than the 52-year version. Rather than just 100 bottles, this new expression will be limited to 130 numbered bottles — giving us just a slightly better chance of nabbing one. Priced at £71,000 (~$91,000), the whisky is sure to go quickly when it becomes available via select retailers in the coming weeks.
Recap
Bowmore x Aston Martin ARC-54 Single Malt Whisky
Bowmore and Aston Martin follow up their 52-year single malt with the 54-year-old ARC-54, housed in a beautiful hypercar-inspired decanter.
