Bowmore Aston Martin Whisky: Arc 52 & Other Collectible Bottles

The Bowmore distillery is home to some of the world’s rarest and most expensive single malt whiskeys. 

Interestingly, two of the distillery’s most coveted bottles — ARC-52 and Black Bowmore DB5 — are made in collaboration with the luxury car brand, Aston Martin Lagonda. 

Let’s explore the history of the Bowmore distillery, the ARC-52 whisky, other limited-edition bottles in the Bowmore Aston Martin collection, and why you should invest in them

We’ll also check out how to invest in whiskey casks through Vinovest.

A Brief History of the Bowmore Distillery

The Bowmore distillery is located in Islay, Scotland. It was founded in 1779 and is Islay’s first licensed distillery and Scotland’s second.  

It houses one of the world’s oldest whiskey maturation warehouses, the No.1 Vaults. This site has been maturing and crafting iconic single malt Scotch whisky for over 240 years. 

Interestingly, the Bowmore distillery was also used as an air base during the Second World War. 

This Islay distillery is currently owned by Beam Suntory Inc. — a Japanese whisky and bourbon pioneer. 

Now, why did a celebrated Islay distillery partner with a luxury automaker?

The Beam Suntory Inc-owned Bowmore partnered with Aston Martin to add more splendor to Bowmore’s single malts. Through this partnership, the iconic brand from the Beam Suntory stable created unique vessels inspired by the famed Aston Martin car range.

Let’s take a look at one of the distillery’s most celebrated bottles — the Bowmore Aston Martin ARC-52.

The Bowmore Aston Martin ARC-52 Whisky (Taste, Bottle Design, Price)

The Bowmore ARC 52 was distilled in 1968 and is one of the Bowmore distillery’s oldest whiskies. 

1. Whiskey Characteristics and Tasting Notes

The Bowmore Arc 52 was crafted by Ron Welsh (Bowmore’s Master Blender) and his team. This remarkable whisky was matured for 52 years. 

It’s a fusion of two equal portions of whiskies. Half of the whisky was aged in American oak ex-bourbon hogshead, while the other in European oak Oloroso sherry cask.

This single malt whisky is bottled at 42.8% ABV and exudes the aromas of mandarin and orchard fruits with a touch of smoke and sea salt. It boasts flavors of green apple, and clementine with nutty hazelnut notes. 

The drink finishes off on a sweet butterscotch note. 

2. Bottle Design

The Bowmore distillery offers its fans a remarkable experience by presenting the 52-year-old single malt in a luxurious bottle — courtesy of the legendary Aston Martin Lagonda.

This sculptural vessel was designed by Marek Reichman (Aston Martin’s Chief Creative Officer) and his team.

The Aston Martin decanter is inspired by the idea of moving forward, and looks like it’s in perpetual motion. The unconventional bottle rests on two points in a triangle-like shape.

Since crystal is considered reactive for aged whiskey, Aston Martin used hand blown glass for this iconic single malt drink. 

The bottle’s top is made with high-grade aluminum material, and you can easily open it using a magnetic key.

3. Price and Launch Details

The Beam Suntory launched ARC-52 in September 2022 at a whopping price of $75,000. It’s available throughout the globe — from the United Kingdom to Germany and the United States.

But the Bowmore ARC 52 isn’t the only celebrated bottle from the Bowmore Aston Martin collection. 

So, let’s check out the other exquisite bottles inspired by exemplary Aston Martin cars like the Aston Martin DB Mk III and Aston Martin 1959 DBR4.

9 Other Exquisite Bowmore Aston Martin Whisky Bottles

Some of the other finest Bowmore Aston Martin single malts are:

1. 1964 Bowmore Aston Martin 'Black Bowmore DB5' Single Malt Scotch 
2. Bowmore Aston Martin Masters Selection 21-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
3. Bowmore Masters Selection Aston Martin 22-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
4. 2021 Bowmore Aston Martin 'Deep and Complex' 18-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
5. 2022 Bowmore Aston Martin 'Deep and Complex' 18-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
6. Bowmore Aston Martin 'Dark and Intense' 10-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
7. Bowmore Aston Martin 'Golden and Elegant' 15-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
8. 1986 Bowmore 15-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
9. 2010 Bowmore Aston Martin 'Black Bowmore DB5' Single Malt Scotch Whisky

1. 1964 Bowmore Aston Martin 'Black Bowmore DB5' Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($215,000)

The Black Bowmore DB5 whisky is a collaboration between the Aston Martin DB5 iconic car and the Black Bowmore 1964 drink. The legendary Aston Martin DB5 has starred in multiple James Bond movies, like No Time To Die. 

It’s presented in a decanter that’s made with an Aston Martin DB5 piston.

The dark obsidian drink exudes notes of creme caramel and ripe exotic fruits with notes of tobacco. It has flavor combinations of passion fruit, tobacco smoke, and acacia honey. 

2. Bowmore Aston Martin Masters Selection 21 Years Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($766)

The Bowmore masters crafted this iconic single malt whisky using the golden ratio. Simply put, the golden ratio is a mathematical formula that helps create prolific and balanced compositions in art, architecture, alcohol, and more.

The whisky fills the nose with sweet and nutty aromas of Manuka honey, praline, and tanned leather. It has flavors of bitter dark chocolate and Morello cherries with notes of Islay peats. 

3. Bowmore Masters Selection Aston Martin 22 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($750)

This single malt Scotch whisky from the Bowmore Aston Martin series was matured in a European oak sherry cask. 

It delivers a malty spice flavor with golden syrup, thyme, and dry oak notes. The drink exudes the sweet aromas of exotic fruits and subtle notes of eucalyptus. 

4. 2021 Bowmore Aston Martin 'Deep and Complex' 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($642)

This Bowmore whisky is inspired by the Aston Martin DB Mk III — a powerful car from the James Bond Aston Martin range.

This iconic single malt whisky exudes intense dark chocolate, treacle toffee, and date oil aromas. Meanwhile, the palate reveals a perfect balance of bittersweet orange and flavor combinations of roasted coffee beans with peat smoke notes.

5. 2022 Bowmore Aston Martin 'Deep and Complex' 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($543)

This single malt whisky is paired with the Aston Martin 1959 DBR4 car. 

It has the flavors of bitter-sweet orange peel and roasted coffee beans with peat smoke notes. It opens with a nose of rich dark chocolate and smoky treacle toffee aromas. 

6. Bowmore Aston Martin 'Dark and Intense' 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($290)

This single malt Scotch whisky was inspired by the 1922 GP TT2 Aston Martin car, which was created to participate in the 1922 French Grand Prix. 

The Bowmore masters aged this drink in a Spanish sherry cask and oak hogshead. It opens with sun-dried fruits and peat smoke aromas, and its palate offers a perfect balance of Sultanas, dark fruit oils, and sea salt flavors. 

7. Bowmore Aston Martin 'Golden and Elegant' 15 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($273)

This single malt whisky from the Bowmore Aston Martin series successfully resembles the elegance of the iconic Aston Martin AM V8 car. Interestingly, the Aston Martin AM V8 is another famous James Bond car. 

This single malt whiskey boasts the flavors of Morello cherries and honeycomb. It has the aromas of Sicilian golden desserts with notes of exotic fruits and Amalfi lemon.

8. 1986 Bowmore 15 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($128)

This Bowmore single malt whiskey boasts complex cedar wood and rich treacle toffee flavor combinations. It has an inviting nose of rich chocolate, coffee beans, and raisin aromas.

9. 2010 Bowmore Aston Martin 'Black Bowmore DB5' Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($63)

This bottle brings together a magnificent single malt whisky and the powerful Aston Martin DB5 car. The drink was matured in a sherry cask.

The drink exudes notes of salted caramel and milk chocolate. Meanwhile, the palate displays a perfect balance of sweet orange peel and maple syrup flavor combinations.

Is Bowmore Whiskey a Good Investment?

Most Bowmore whiskeys show a stable price appreciation and perform well at auctions. This makes them a sound investment choice. 

Here are some examples:

• The Black Bowmore 1964 (which is paired with a famous Aston Martin car, the Aston Martin DB5) was originally priced at around $65,000. But the bottle fetched around $260,000 at auctions.
• The price of the Bowmore Aston Martin Masters Selection 21-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky increased by 35% — from $561 in December 2021 to $760 in January 2023.
• A high ABV, first-fill sherry Bowmore cask can make an excellent investment — as long as it can be aged beyond 40 years. Its returns are expected to be around 20% or more per annum.  

Also, Bowmore Aston Martin whiskeys are usually limited editions. For instance:

• There are only 100 bottles of Bowmore Arc 52
• Only 27 bottles of the Black Bowmore DB5 were produced

 So how do you invest in these whiskeys?

Invest in the World’s Rarest Whiskey Casks Through Vinovest

Vinovest (a full-stack, AI-driven whiskey investment platform) is a simple and secure way to buy and invest in the most expensive and rarest whiskey casks. The platform’s experts will help you create an enviable collection of top Scotch, American, and Irish whiskey casks.

Here are some other benefits of investing through Vinovest:

• Your casks are authenticated, stored, and insured by experts. 
• You can sample your whiskey annually.
• You can avoid intermediaries and extra commissions while investing through the platform.

All you have to do is sit back and watch your top-notch collection grow!

Add a Treasured Bowmore Aston Martin Whiskey to Your Collection!

The legendary Bowmore Aston Martin bottles come packed with stories of not one but two iconic brands from the United Kingdom! 

However, getting your hands on some of these exceptional whiskeys can be difficult.

Just Visit Vinovest, and our experts will help you buy and invest in whiskey casks from the Bowmore Aston Martin range. You can also invest in rare whiskey casks from Los Angeles, France, and all over the world!