Bowmore and Aston Martin unveil their 31-year-old whisky
Premium brands Islay’s Bowmore distillery and Aston Martin have revealed their first collective creation – Black Bowmore DB5 1964.
Serving the ultra-premium whisky connoisseurs, the luxury car company and sought-after Islay distillery worked together to release an exclusive 25 bottles of the £50,000 whisky.
This particular bottle is housed in a handcrafted vessel designed to look like an Aston Martin DB5’s piston.
"The two companies, although producing different products, share many common values," Aston Martin Asia Pacific Head of Marketing and Communications Andreas Rosén tells The CEO Magazine.
"Both have a strong British heritage and are renowned for their creativity and craftsmanship.
"The two brands unite to share their appreciation for the most beautiful creations and produce exceptional moments that thrill the senses and feed the soul."
The Black Bowmore DB5 1964 is a celebration of Aston Martin’s DB5 car, made famous by James Bond when it first appeared in 1964’s Goldfinger – the same year that saw Bowmore enter the "modern age of distilling".
The first distillation from Bowmore’s newly arrived boiler in 1964 produced the spirit that would become the Black Bowmore; a rich and decadent single malt.
The Black Bowmore DB5 1964 is only the sixth bottling of this single malt whisky. Since 1993, only around 6,000 bottles of Black Bowmore have been made available.
"The two brands unite to share their appreciation for the most beautiful creations and produce exceptional moments that thrill the senses and feed the soul." – Andreas Rosén
Bowmore Distillery Manager David Turner highlights that "1964 represents an essential date in the modern history of the distillery. Not only a key moment in how we distilled our spirit, but perhaps even more significant, as this very spirit went on to create Black Bowmore.
"These defining moments are fundamental to the history of Bowmore," he says. "This collaboration with Aston Martin has allowed us to once again showcase this iconic single malt in the most incredible way."
Inspired by the distillery’s coastal home, Black Bowmore DB5 1964 comes in a handmade presentation box. Created from the finest string-grain calfskin, featuring a custom solid brass latch and hinges, plated with nickel, reminiscent of the DB5.
"This exciting new association with Bowmore gives us the perfect opportunity to celebrate a vital part of our star-studded history by combining the unrivalled appeal of the iconic DB5 with the cultured flavours of this world-renowned single malt," said Aston Martin Lagonda Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman in a statement.
Rosén further shares that there has been much interest in the premium drop, particularly from the Asia–Pacific region.
"We have received a high level of interest in Black Bowmore DB5 globally, including from some customers and collectors in Asia–Pacific," he notes.
Over the years, the global whisky market has shown high potential and ongoing momentum of growth.
Research suggests that since whisky comes under the category of affordable luxury items, many distilleries are aiming to produce premium and super-premium offerings.
Additionally, the Asia–Pacific whisky sector – worth US$1.84 billion in 2018 – is estimated to be growing at a CAGR of 5.25% to reach US$2.4 billion by 2023, according to the research.
"The collectability and desirability of this release is exceptional," Rosén adds. "We know there are several serious collectors of rare single malt across the territory, so we anticipate a strong level of demand."
The partners are set to unveil a series of collaborative projects and products over the coming months and years, ranging from luxury experiences to design-led product initiatives.
Black Bowmore DB5 1964 will be available from late autumn 2020.
Black Bowmore DB5 1964 tasting notes
On the eye
The whisky appears deep obsidian black.
Breathe in
Layers of ripe exotic fruits and creme caramel. Later, soft tobacco smoke, aromatic orange peel and rich black cherry come to the fore.
Taste
Intense flavours of mango, passionfruit and acacia honey mixed with a combination of coffee and tobacco smoke.
Savour
A long and decadent finish with tropical fruits and spice.