Beam Suntory brand Bowmore has announced the release of 100 decanters of a 52 year single malt called Bowmore ARC-52 that will be available in select global markets and Global Travel Retail for a price of $75,000. Of note, the decanter is designed by ultra-luxury British brand, Aston Martin.
Ron Welsh, Master Blender of Bowmore says of this release:
A Bowmore as exquisite and complex as this 52 year old is testament to the skills of our distillery team and their commitment to optimising the time spent in cask to create such an incredible spirit. With ARC-52 the complexity of this single malt is unquestionable and to achieve such perfect balance not only defines its physical form but unites beautifully in every drop of this stunning whisky. Working with Aston Martin remains hugely rewarding and fascinating for me. It continues to inspire and show us a different way of working, with absolute precision, and has allowed us to create what, in my opinion, is the best Bowmore over 50 years old that I’ve ever tasted.
As mentioned, the decanter is designed by Aston Martin and attempts to convey 'travelling in two directions at the same time, exploring the ideals of balance, capturing perfect stability combined with definitive intensity.'
In terms of the whiskey, it is a blend of two cask styles, 50% for an American Oak Hogshead and 50% from a European Oak Butt and has been matured a whopping 52 years (barreled in 1968!!!). It comes in at 42.3% alcohol (84.6 proof) and carries the following tasting notes:
Creamy and fruity aromas of vanilla and custard cream are carefully balanced with peach, pear, kumquat, mandarin, a hint of guava with herbal notes of fresh mint and eucalyptus On the palate this continues to evolve as flavours of green grapes and peach melba, clementine, lime zest merge seamlessly alongside nutty notes of almond and hazelnuts, whilst tobacco leaves give way to a subtle peat ash and buttery character.
My Take
One of the favorite articles that I've written was the math behind the angel's share and how much bourbon evaporates over time. I only went up to 50 years because I couldn't imagine something being barreled longer than that, but here we are. Based on the math, there should be around 9.5 gallons left of the original 53 gallon barrel.
Sadly, I don't have $75k sitting around to purchase this... maybe I can buy a pour... let's assume this is a 750ml bottle (volume wasn't listed in the release)... the average pour is 2 ounces, or 59.14ml. So for each bottle, we'll get 12 1/2 pours... or we can buy one at cost for the small price of $6,000. Sadly, I don't have an extra 6k sitting around either so this will have to be a hard pass for me.
What do you think? Drop a note in the comment box below.
Source: Beam Suntory
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