It’s the only luxury brand that suits James Bond, Johnny English, and the late king of cool, Steve McQueen: Aston Martin. The marque has its badge on some of the most readily recognizable, continent-crushing grand tourers in the business. Still, Aston Martin isn’t resigned to staying in its luxury car lane; the brand teamed up with the famed whisky distiller Bowmore to create a one-off bottle of ARC-52 “Mokume Edition” scotch. Better yet, the striking bottle of 52-year-old whisky sold at auction for nearly a quarter of a million dollars. 

How much is Aston Martin Bowmore whisky?

Aston Martin has partnership whiskys with Bowmore starting at around $200 for the 10-year-old special edition. However, some of the older single malts, like the 21-year-old Masters’ Selection, can sell for over $500. Still, the priciest partnership bottle is the one-of-one ARC-52 “Mokume Edition.”

Gear Patrol reports that the “standard” ARC-52 whisky demands a stratospheric $75,000 per peculiar-looking bottle. Furthermore, Bowmore said the ARC-52 is limited to 100 units, 50 in 2022 and 50 in 2023. It looks the part, too; the bottle gives off DB line vibes in a tapered glass vessel and polished metal lid. Of course, the “Mokume Edition” makes the limited-edition ARC-52 look commonplace.   

What’s so special about the Aston Martin ARC-52 “Mokume Edition?”

The Aston Martin Bowmore ARC-52 “Mokume Edition” is a one-off, like the retro-inspired, manual Victor GT car. There is just one of the special edition scotch whisky, and its price tag matches its rarity. Ready? It sold in a Sotheby’s auction for £187,500, about $240,521. 

It seems wild, especially when you compare the ultra-rare scotch whisky to one of its namesake cars. For instance, the 2023 DB11 starts at around $220,086 for the AMG V8-powered model and $235,586 for the 630-horsepower V12 edition. That’s right, the carbon-fiber capped, one-of-one single malt scotch costs as much as a V12 DB11. 

Of course, the special edition scotch was a labor of love from the Islay-based distiller. The “Mokume Edition” moniker is a nod to its Japanese metalworking inspiration, derived from the “Mokume-Gane” style of layered metal. The carbon topper mimics the technique, sporting a unique, almost layered look.

A partnership scotch isn’t the first time Aston Martin left its lane

While the Bowmore partnership whiskys are a departure from Aston Martin’s standard operations, it isn’t the first time the British marque dabbled in unorthodox creations. The storied GT carmaker partnered with Brough Superior to create an AMB 001 Pro motorcycle. Of course, the track-only superbike resembles the company’s cars more than Bowmore’s whiskys. 

What do you think of the one-off scotch? Share your thoughts in the comments below!