Drinking and driving do not mix, it Bowmore Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky and the Aston Martin brand do. The two parties have co-created Black Bowmore DB5 1964, a beverage that quite literally brings together a whisky and a legendary car in bottle. Every container has the single malt and a genuine Aston Martin DB5 piston.
The handcrafted bottles hold a spirit named after a significant year in Bowmore’s 240-year history. According to the company, “The arrival of a new boiler saw the distillery enter the modern age of distilling as coal fires made way for steam in heating the stills. It was the first distillation from this new boiler that produced the spirit which was to become the iconic Black Bowmore; a sublimely rich and decadent single malt, reflected in awe-inspiring deep darkness.”
The glass bottles each take one week to craft.Photo courtesy of Aston Martin Lagonda
Black Brownmore was first distilled on November 5, 1964 and has become one of the most sought-after single malt whiskies ever created. This pairing with Aston Martin represents just its sixth bottling. Since 1993, around 6,000 bottles of Black Brownmore have been made available. Just 25 bottles of the 27 produced during this bottling will be sold.
“1964 represents a significant date in the modern history of the distillery,” said David Turner, Distillery Manager at Bowmore. “Not only a key moment in how we distilled our spirit, but perhaps even more significant as this very spirit went onto create Black Bowmore. These defining moments are fundamental to the history of Bowmore. This collaboration with Aston Martin has allowed us to once again showcase this iconic single malt in the most incredible way.”
The 60s were equally as important for Aston Martin. It was one year before the new boiler was installed that the DB5 debuted. It has been continuously rated as one of Britain’s best classic cars, and gained notoriety as the model James Bond drove in several films starring Sean Connery.
Over the years, demand for the DB5 has remained high. So high, in fact, that Aston Martin is producing a run of DB5 Continuation Cars that are exact duplicates of the original, with a few Bond enhancements.
The Black Bowmore DB5 bottle is handcrafted by Glasstrom in a bespoke glass studio in Northeast Scotland. Each bottle takes one week to complete.
The bottle is filled with the whisky, which has the aroma of layers of ripe exotic fruits and creme caramel at first, followed by soft tobacco smoke, aromatic orange peel, and rich black cherry. The whisky features intense flavors of mango, passion fruit, and acacia honey interwoven with a combination of coffee and tobacco smoke. The spice and flavors of the fruit stay on the palate.
The whisky was aged in a Williams & Humber Walnut Brown Oloroso Sherry Butt cask. The 1964 vintage is 31 years old and is 48.6 percent ABV.
In addition to the glass bottle,. Black Brownmore DB5 1964 comes in a handmade presentation box featuring a deep blue color and wave embossing, crafted from string-grain calfskin and featuring a custom solid brass latch and hinges plated with nickel.
This whisky marks the first in what is set to be a series of collaborative products between the two companies. In a partnership set to last years, the products will range from design-led product indicatives to “exceptional experiences”.
Black Bowmore DB5 1964 will be available from late Autumn 2020 with a price of £50,000.
