Aston Martin and whisky distillery Bowmore formalised their partnership in 2019, and have since released various limited-edition whiskies — including last November’s Bowmore Masters’ Selection 21 Year Old. For the upcoming Bowmore ARC-52, the whiskey has been aged for the longest period of time among all the bottles launched under this partnership, and is truly a collaborative effort between the two companies.

Aston Martin was in charge of the striking design of the Bowmore ARC-52’s hand-made glass decanter. Inspired by the fluid silhouettes of its automobiles, the futuristic whisky vessel merges natural and man-made contours, and was developed using both handmade clay modelling and 3D printing. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to describe the final product as a sculpture. Inside the box, there is a small device that looks like a simplified version of Aston Martin’s key fob, while the cap of the bottle is also decorated with the automaker’s logo.

The whisky itself uses some of the oldest drams from Bowmore, as the single malt was matured for 52 years before being bottled at 42.3% ABV, with half of the content aged in sherry butt cask and the other half in American oak ex-Bourbon hogshead cask. The distillery describes the nose of the ARC-52 as including notes of vanilla, custard cream, and various fruits and herbs, with a complex palate featuring flavours of green grapes, peach melba, clementine, nuts and light peat, ending with a herbal and medicinal finish.

Only 100 bottles will be available starting from late summer in various markets and global travel retailers at £65,000.