Words by Kenneth Lee
The Golden Ratio – also known as the divine proportion – has long been associated with beauty, nature and balance. And thanks to Bowmore and Aston Martin’s limited-edition release, it might soon be inexorably linked to great scotch.
The two luxury houses are blending centuries of distillery know-how and impeccable design sensibilities with the creation of their first ever single-malt whisky collaboration. The Bowmore Masters’ Selection isn’t just unique from the forces behind it, but also because it’ll be the first in the distillery’s 242-year history to employ the Golden Ratio.
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At least knowingly, since the Golden Ratio is a mathematical equation that’s found frequently in nature (think petals arranged in a pleasing spiral) and often regarded as the basis of good design. While some regard it as a myth that’s been blown out of proportion (pun fully intended), others swear by it. Aston Martin certainly does. They’ve turned the art of proportionality into a science at their Gaydon headquarters in Warwickshire, England.
The result of their collaboration is a whisky comprising a (golden) 61.8 per cent 21-year-old Bowmore whisky aged in first fill Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry casks. The remaining portion is split evenly according to the Golden Ratio, which includes a portion of Bowmore matured for over 35 years. As for the taste, the press release mentions sherry, coffee, honey and pepper, perfectly proportioned to “achieve depth and balance”.
Says Aston Martin Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman, one half of the collaboration, “Proportionality defines every precise detail of designing an Aston Martin. We are constantly striving to achieve the Golden Ratio; the optimal of proportions. And it is this force which guides the creation of absolute beauty.”
Ron Welsh, Master Whisky Blender at Bowmore and the other half of the partnership says, “For the first time with this whisky, we have adopted the Golden Ratio to inspire each of the elements bringing their own unique flavours and selecting the optimal casks to forge the desired character, taking inspiration from Marek and his team. What seems totally contrasting is, in fact, perfectly balanced and proportionate.”
This is their fifth collaboration. Other previous partnerships include the Black Bowmore DB5 1964, which paired the first distillation from Bowmore’s first modern-age boiler with a genuine Aston Martin DB5 piston.
The Bowmore Masters’ Selection is available from this month onwards.
This article originally appeared in thepeakmagazine.com
