Bowmore 52 Years Old 1968 – ARC-52 42.3%
One of only 100 decanters worldwide
The Bowmore 52 Years Old 1968 ARC-52 is a breathtaking meeting of two icons: one of Scotland’s oldest and most historic distilleries and legendary British luxury marque Aston Martin.
Created as the ultimate expression of the partnership between Bowmore and Aston Martin, ARC-52 brings together more than half a century of whisky maturation with cutting-edge automotive design. Limited to just 100 individually crafted decanters worldwide, it represents one of the rarest and most visually spectacular Bowmore releases ever created.
52 years. Two exceptional casks. One remarkable Bowmore.
Distilled in 1968 and matured for an extraordinary 52 years, ARC-52 was created through an exact marriage of two exceptional cask styles: 50% European Oak Sherry Butt and 50% American Oak ex-Bourbon Hogshead.
The result demonstrates Bowmore’s remarkable ability to preserve balance and vitality through more than half a century of maturation.
Bottled at 42.3% ABV, the nose opens with creamy vanilla and custard cream alongside peach, pear, kumquat, mandarin and guava, lifted by fresh mint and eucalyptus.
The palate develops into green grapes, peach melba, clementine and lime zest, complemented by almond, hazelnut and tobacco leaf before Bowmore’s unmistakable character emerges through delicate peat ash.
A wonderfully complex finish brings herbal and medicinal notes together with exotic fruits, praline and butterscotch.
Designed by Aston Martin
As extraordinary as the whisky itself is the vessel created to hold it.
Rather than designing a conventional whisky decanter, Aston Martin created a futuristic sculptural object based around the concept of balance – a principle fundamental to both exceptional whisky and exceptional automotive design.
The extraordinary form appears almost weightless, balancing on just two points. Its development combined modern 3D printing technology with traditional hand-crafted clay modelling, while each glass vessel was individually hand-blown.
Even opening ARC-52 becomes part of the experience. A meticulously engineered bespoke magnetic key releases the aluminium top while preserving the decanter’s beautifully uninterrupted lines.
The design represents an arc of time: Bowmore looks backwards to a precious whisky distilled in 1968, while Aston Martin looks towards the future through engineering, innovation and progressive design.
It is not simply packaging for an exceptional whisky. ARC-52 is a piece of contemporary design in its own right.
More than 240 years of Bowmore
Founded in 1779, Bowmore is one of Scotland’s oldest licensed distilleries and has been producing whisky on the shores of Loch Indaal on Islay for more than two centuries.
Its location is inseparable from its identity. Bowmore has built its reputation on beautifully balanced Islay Single Malts, bringing together fruit, maritime character, carefully controlled peat smoke and exceptional cask maturation.
ARC-52 takes that philosophy to its absolute extreme.
A whisky distilled in 1968 and allowed to evolve for 52 years. Two exceptional cask styles brought together in perfect balance. A revolutionary decanter conceived by Aston Martin. And just 100 examples created for the entire world.
The Bowmore 52 Years Old 1968 ARC-52 is far more than an ultra-rare Islay Single Malt. It is a remarkable intersection of whisky, automotive design, engineering and time – created for the most serious collectors of Bowmore and Aston Martin alike.
