Photo: Aston Martin
Don't drink and drive, they say… A sensible observation, of course, but one that doesn't stop car and bike makers from tying their names to those of spirits or beer makers.
Back in 2019, British luxury carmaker Aston Martin announced a collab with Scottish whisky distillery Bowmore. About a year later we got news of a limited edition of the then-new Aston Martin DBX meant to honor the partnership. Fast-forward to 2022 and something called the ARC-52 came to light.
Ever since striking the deal the two companies announced they would strive to give the world "an exclusive series of outstanding products and experiences," and that, of course, goes far beyond the cars Aston Martin makes.
With that in mind, we'll remind you the ARC-52 is in fact a whisky bottle – or, if you like the official term, a decanter. It was assembled after a design by Aston Martin's people and it is, for all intents and purposes, the weirdest-shaped whisky bottle you've ever seen.
3D printed and and clay-modeled, the ARC-52 is filled with a wonderful Bowmore substance – a 52-year-old vintage whisky that probably tastes divine.
Back when it was introduced, the decanter and its contents were estimated to cost $75,000. But that was money to be paid for the standard, production version of the thing, as now a special iteration of it will make the sum look like pennies.
What you're looking at is described as a "one-off collector’s item." It’s your usual ARC-52 in terms of shape, if there ever was such a thing, but made with inspiration from "the traditional Japanese metalworking technique of Mokume Gane."
Over in the land of the Rising Sun the technique is used to create objects in a mixed metal and wood appearance. The several layers of laminate used for such creations come together to reveal a visible pattern that looks like wood grain.
These patterns can be incredibly diverse, depending on the techniques used, and in the case of this special ARC-52 it kind of looks like some sort of rock surface, or a mountain peak if you want to get really creative.
That's visible on the carbon fiber top of the bottle, and we're told the pattern is supposed to remind one of the black rocks that can be found in Loch Indaal, the place where the Bowmore Distillery headquarters are located. For true whisky connoisseurs, the top should look like the interior of the charred cask where the whisky inside the bottle was aged.
Such a special technique of making the bottle got those behind it confident it's worth more than just $75,000. The decanter is scheduled to be auctioned off on May 26 by Sotheby's in London, and beliefs are it will fetch at least $175,000, or even as high as $275,000 if the right crowd is in the house.
Ever since striking the deal the two companies announced they would strive to give the world "an exclusive series of outstanding products and experiences," and that, of course, goes far beyond the cars Aston Martin makes.
With that in mind, we'll remind you the ARC-52 is in fact a whisky bottle – or, if you like the official term, a decanter. It was assembled after a design by Aston Martin's people and it is, for all intents and purposes, the weirdest-shaped whisky bottle you've ever seen.
3D printed and and clay-modeled, the ARC-52 is filled with a wonderful Bowmore substance – a 52-year-old vintage whisky that probably tastes divine.
Back when it was introduced, the decanter and its contents were estimated to cost $75,000. But that was money to be paid for the standard, production version of the thing, as now a special iteration of it will make the sum look like pennies.
What you're looking at is described as a "one-off collector’s item." It’s your usual ARC-52 in terms of shape, if there ever was such a thing, but made with inspiration from "the traditional Japanese metalworking technique of Mokume Gane."
Over in the land of the Rising Sun the technique is used to create objects in a mixed metal and wood appearance. The several layers of laminate used for such creations come together to reveal a visible pattern that looks like wood grain.
These patterns can be incredibly diverse, depending on the techniques used, and in the case of this special ARC-52 it kind of looks like some sort of rock surface, or a mountain peak if you want to get really creative.
That's visible on the carbon fiber top of the bottle, and we're told the pattern is supposed to remind one of the black rocks that can be found in Loch Indaal, the place where the Bowmore Distillery headquarters are located. For true whisky connoisseurs, the top should look like the interior of the charred cask where the whisky inside the bottle was aged.
Such a special technique of making the bottle got those behind it confident it's worth more than just $75,000. The decanter is scheduled to be auctioned off on May 26 by Sotheby's in London, and beliefs are it will fetch at least $175,000, or even as high as $275,000 if the right crowd is in the house.
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