Forget everything you heard about the next whisky downturn; the party is still very much alive. At least that was the feeling in the ballroom at Raffles London at The OWO, where Bowmore and Aston Martin were in celebratory mood to launch ARC-54, a £71,000 ($92,000) single malt Scotch whisky housed in a hypercar-inspired decanter.
It may have been the same night the Scotch industry entered a new era of US tariffs, but the Islay distillery, and Suntory group as a whole, were in buoyant moods. There were bespoke cocktails and Michelin-level canapes for all 250 guests, some of whom had flown over 6,000 miles to be there. The budget will have stretched well into six figures, and that’s only counting the amount of ARC-54 needed to fill 250 sample glasses.
It all points towards an industry still confident of a bright future, at least for the ultra-aged, ultra-expensive end of the market. There are 130 decanters of ARC-54, the revenue from which will stand at over $11m once all are sold – and they will be sold.
What buyers will receive is something similar to its predecessor, ARC-52. The decanter design is largely unchanged, although it has a sleeker posterior, which is said to mimic the airflow under the Aston Martin Valkyrie hypercar. You still need a special key to take the special casing off and access the bottle neck.
Inside, the whisky is rather special. Bowmore has always aged exceptionally well. The peat influence dissolves and leaves behind delicious tropical notes and menthol zing. ARC-54 comes from two casks, a second-fill European oak sherry butt and a third fill American oak hogshead. Both have had a light influence on the whisky, allowing it to age gracefully and emerge with juciness, vibrancy and distillery character intact.
Dr Calum Fraser, chief blender at Bowmore, said: “A Bowmore as exquisite and complex as this is testament to the skills of our distillery team, but also the very embodiment of what can be achieved simply by slowing down, standing still and letting things unfold as they are destined to.”
Bowmore ARC-54: Tasting notes
Nose: Mandarin and pineapple with just a hint of smoke and sea salt. A touch of menthol freshness sits in the background, a sign of its peaty past.
Palate: Remarkably fresh. A fruity start with green apples and orange zest alongside a lightly peated style. The wood influence begins to take over with a slight zing of ginger spice followed by caramelized hazelnuts.
Finish: The faded influence of peat comes through at the end with a herbal, minty spice alongside a lasting sweetness.
Score: 8.5/10
– 10 A unicorn: Spend whatever it takes
– 8.5–9.5 Top shelf: Impress your fellow whisky geeks
– 7–8: Great: Buy two bottles – one to drink, one to keep
– 5.5–6.5: Very good: Keep it on the shelf – a good daily drinker
– 5: Not bad: There’s better out there for the same money
– Below 5 – Disappointing
