A Bottle of Bowmore ARC

Nov 30, 2023

When it comes to massive whisky auction sales, The Macallan is usually the first distillery that comes to mind. But Bowmore's bizzaro-looking limited-edition bottle, ARC-52: The Mokume Edition, sold last week for nearly $300,000—and for a change, all proceeds will go to charity.

Bowmore ARC-52 was released last summer, a 52-year-old single malt scotch whisky that came in a futuristic decanter designed in collaboration with luxury automaker Aston Martin. It was priced at $75,000 at the time, although the 100 decanters that were released surely went for much more than that on the secondary market. The Mokume Edition that sold last week was inspired by a Japanese metalworking style called Mokume-Gane. The top of the decanter is made from carbon fiber and styled to look like natural grain or rock. According to the brand, this was meant to evoke the black rocks in the bay of Loch Indaal where Bowmore is located and the inside of the casks in which it was matured. "As makers of bespoke and beautiful objects, proportion, shape and form, along with careful selection of colors and materials, are incredibly important to us at Aston Martin," said Marek Reichman, executive VP and chief creative officer for Aston Martin, in a statement. "And sometimes, nature can be the best of all designers."

The Mokume Edition sold at Sotheby's last week for £225,000 (including VAT), or about $276,000. The winner won't just receive a bottle of really rare whisky, however—he or she also gets to visit the distillery and a ride in the luxury Aston Martin DBX Bowmore Edition. "Bowmore's ARC-52 Mokume Edition is as much a masterpiece of design as it is an exclusive whisky," said Jonny Fowle, head of whisky and spirits for Sotheby's, North America and EMEA, in a statement. "These two legacy British brands have produced something that is visually spectacular to house a totally unique liquid time capsule. Today's most dedicated collectors aim not only to collect legendary bottles, but particularly those which are unique. The price achieved for the Mokume is testament to this."

The proceeds from the auction will go to The Bowmore Legacy, an organization dedicated to supporting the people of the town of Bowmore on Islay by supporting affordable housing and employment training. So while this whisky might not have sold for as much as that $1.5 million bottle of 60-year-old Macallan, at least the money is going to a good cause.