Aston Martin powers new Bowmore collection
Bowmore celebrates the Designed by Aston Martin range with an in-store activation at Sanya Airport on the island of Hainan in China
Islay single malt whisky brand Bowmore has unveiled the second iteration of its Designed by Aston Martin limited-edition collection, exclusively available in travel retail from August 2022.
Bowmore 10yo, 15yo and 18yo single malts have been paired with three luxury cars which were pivotal to the evolution of Aston Martin – the 1922 GP TT2; AM V8; and 1959 DBR4.
Following the success of the inaugural release in 2021, the brand-new collection again celebrates the coming together of Bowmore’s travel-exclusive whiskies with the world-renowned design of Aston Martin to create a striking limited-edition bottle and pack design.
This fresh visual story highlights three different cars pivotal to the evolution of Aston Martin, celebrating the connection and stories between the worlds of single malt and luxury cars.
For this Series in the annually released collection, Bowmore 10yo, 15yo and 18yo single malts inspire Aston Martin’s design experts to select cars and their stories which showcase the distinctive character of each of the whiskies. The resulting designs give the whiskies a standout look while paying homage to iconic cars from the brand’s heritage.
Bowmore 10yo is paired with the Aston Martin 1922 GP TT2, which was designed solely to take part in the French Grand Prix. The car celebrates “commitment and vigor, which reflects the defining depth of the Bowmore 10yo, accelerated by the selection of sherry oak casks for maturation”, Bowmore said.
The Aston Martin AM V8 and Bowmore 15yo are said to define true sophistication. Bowmore 15yo is described as “the epitome of elegance, with a refined and opulent character from the perfect combination of first fill bourbon and hogsheads”.
Bowmore 18yo and the Aston Martin 1959 DBR4 come together in the name of optimal performance, with the DBR4 capturing Aston Martin’s ambition to enter the competitive arena of Formula One motor racing. “Alongside the complexity and perfect balance of Bowmore 18yo, a celebration of dignified rarity driven by highly performing Oloroso and PX sherry casks, the outcome promises a mesmerizing and seductive encounter,” Bowmore said.
Additionally, Bowmore will celebrate the Designed by Aston Martin range with in-store activations in 17 airports across the globe, including priority locations such as London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Sanya on the resort island of Hainan in China, and Taiwan.
A shopper experience dubbed Movement of the Senses will seek to shine a spotlight on how two different worlds have come together to form a successful partnership with one vision.
Featuring displays showcasing different materials from Aston Martin and Bowmore, headphones to amplify the sounds made by both brands, and interactive audio-visual content, the multi-sensory experience aims to encapsulate the history of both brands.
Bowmore ARC-52 is a 52yo single malt in a futuristic whisky vessel design
Third, Bowmore has announced that the ARC-52, the pinnacle of the partnership and the most ambitious collaboration to date, will also soon be available to travel retailers.
Retailing at US$75,000 (ex VAT/duty) and the first in a new ground-breaking series, Bowmore ARC-52 is described as a futuristic take on whisky vessel design and is married with the 52yo single malt – one of the rarest and oldest Bowmore whiskies.
Its innovative design merges natural and man-made contours in a provocative form, effectively balancing on two points and making it seem almost weightless – much like each Aston Martin is imagined – and realizes its form through 3D-printing and hand-crafted clay modeling.
Engineered by Aston Martin, Bowmore ARC-52 features a bespoke magnetic key which releases the striking aluminum top “almost by magic”, sleek clean lines, and individually hand-blown glass, the company said.
Matured for 52 years in a marriage of two cask styles in two exact parts – 50% for an American oak hogshead and 50% from a European oak butt – this single malt is described as complex and balanced. The liquid captures the classic Bowmore character as it signals the crescendo with herbal and medicinal notes combined with exotic fruits, praline and butterscotch to finish.
Just 100 decanters of Bowmore ARC-52 will be created and released on a staggered basis. Each bottle is numbered with a certificate of authentication.
A total of 14 bottles of Bowmore ARC-52 will be available, with seven bottles released this summer and seven bottles offered in early 2023.
Bowmore ARC-52 will be available in London, Singapore, Istanbul, Hainan, Taipei, Dubai and Paris.
Manuel González, Marketing Director of Global Travel Retail for Beam Suntory, said: “We’re delighted to unveil the second Designed by Aston Martin range exclusively to global travel retail. Following the success of the first Series, we know that our customers love this exciting collaboration which unites our exceptional travel retail whiskies with the incredible talent of Aston Martin’s design team and gives them a reason to engage and discover everything that is magical about Bowmore.
“We’re also thrilled to be able to offer the exceptionally rare Bowmore ARC-52 to global travel retail. We have combined the cutting-edge design by Aston Martin and the craftsmanship of Bowmore to create a truly unique and a one-of-a-kind offering that collectors are guaranteed to fall in love with. Our partnership with Aston Martin is a prime example of how we are investing in the premiumization of our GTR portfolio through a combination of exciting innovations and special limited editions.”
Bowmore 10yo (40%abv) retails at US$59, Bowmore 15yo (43%abv) at US$80, Bowmore 18yo (43%abv) at US$121 and Bowmore ARC-52 (42.3%abv) at US$75,000 (ex VAT/duty).
