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Revealing Bowmore ARC-54
On 2nd April, we revealed our ultimate creation, Bowmore ARC-54, at Raffles, a renowned hotel in London. It was a launch event like no other, as we welcomed VIPs, influencers, and whisky writers from across the world to experience the pinnacle of our craft over the course of a one-of-a-kind evening, filled with sensorial delights.
Bowmore ARC-54 is an exemplary single-malt whisky, distilled in November 1968 and aged in our historic No1 Vaults on our island home of Islay. It marks a pinnacle in our journey through the arc of time with Aston Martin, framed by a striking decanter with a silhouette inspired by the flowing lines of the Aston Martin Valkyrie.
This iconic decanter, and the spirit within, took pride of place at this exclusive event, standing on a plinth in the centre of it all.
Come with us as we relive this timeless evening.
A multi-sensorial journey
Arriving at Raffles at 7pm, guests were greeted at the top of an elegant set of stairs that leads to the historic Whitehall Ballroom, where they were assigned a token: either stone, wood, or – with a hint of mystery – a red cube.
As they moved through into the bar and foyer area, each guest was greeted with a small Bowmore cocktail to enjoy as delectable canapés were served. Guests were then invited to walk down the stairs into the ballroom itself, where Master of Ceremonies David Miles opened proceedings, explaining the meaning of the tokens. Guests with stone tokens were to start in the smoke lounge, while guests with red cubes and wood tokens were to start in the fruit and wood lounges respectively.
A feast for the senses
Each lounge was a physical expression of the layers of flavour contained within Bowmore tasting profiles, from smoke to fruit, wood and, lastly, tropical. Guests could enjoy a Bowmore cocktail in each lounge – such as the Eternal Flow, made up of Bowmore 30-Year-Old, finished with chilled birch and mango noir tea – complemented by food pairings, such as wild sea bass with grapefruit, Edinburgh butter co, samphire, and oscietra caviar; or plant-based alternatives.
Jazz music flowed, providing an upbeat backdrop as guests made their way through this unique journey of creative interior design. Every element of the delightful space had been carefully harmonised to fulfil the senses across sight, sound, scent and taste – a delicate equilibrium, executed with verve.
A moment of pause
Today’s world can be a frantic place – the stakes are higher than ever, and the pace only grows faster. Keeping ahead of the curve may come naturally, but it’s always important to slow down from time to time, to take stock and become entwined with the moment.
At Raffles, our guests were able to do just that. At 9pm, they were invited to enter the last sensorial space, our tropical lounge – designed to express notes contained within Bowmore ARC-54 – in which they were given a glass containing the precious spirit.
The ultimate pairing
At this moment, the rush of the outside world was brought to a standstill through an enchanting performance by spoken word artist Sophia Thakur. Met by the mellifluous melodies of harpist Lisa Canny, Thakur’s reading seemed to slow time as her words created a space for our assembled guests to truly unwind.
Her vivid imagery and insight combined beautifully with her spellbinding delivery to create a shared experience of imagination beyond the relentless pace of the everyday. Our VIP guests were captivated by a luxurious moment of intense calm, all while nestled within the expertly curated space of our Raffles venue.
Soon after, Bowmore’s chief blender Calum Fraser rose to speak, encouraging all guests to first swirl the whisky, nose it and – at last – taste. It had taken more than 54 years to reach this moment, and now guests were able to explore the infinite layers of flavour within Bowmore ARC-54, a Scotch that has developed its distinctive layers of complexity through more than half a century of maturation.
Every detail, crafted with intent
Just like the Bowmore ARC-54 and its decanter, which together draw in both the wisdom and craft of Bowmore distillers and the vision and precision of Aston Martin engineers, this event was a flawless expression of expertise and creativity from masters of design and distilling alike.
Newly revealed to the world with the flourish it deserves, Bowmore ARC-54 invites us to discover the possibilities of combining truly excellent whisky-making craft with visionary design. This was an unforgettable evening in every sense – and a new dawn for Bowmore.
Please drink responsibly and never drink and drive.
