The year 2020 will live in infamy. But for all the terrible news, there were some silver linings in those dark dark clouds. One such glimmer came from the emergence of the collaboration between Bowmore and Aston Martin.
First came the Black Bowmore DB5 whisky in 2020, and a limited run of just 18 DBX Bowmore Edition Aston Martin cars – complete with copper inlays from a Bowmore still!
After the success of the inaugural “Designed by Aston Martin” releases in 2021, this 18 Year Old “Deep & Complex” joins a new recurrent series of global travel retail (GTR) releases alongside a 10yo “Dark & Intense” and 15yo “Golden & Elegant” bottling.
The series has now seen 3 batches/releases, with the 10yo, 15yo, and 18yo having each been “paired” with a different legacy vehicle in each run. For the first series, the 18yo (as “Edition #3” – as all 3 releases form the collection) was paired with the DB MK III, the second series (Edition #6) was paired with the DBR4, and the current series (Edition #9) is paired with the DB9.
Under the moniker of “Deep & Complex”, the Bowmore Designed by Aston Martin GTR 18 Year Old is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky, bottled at 43% ABV. The spirit has been housed in a combination of Oloroso and PX Sherry casks. The standard 70 cl bottle is only available from select travel retail outlets at RRP £93.28.
Bowmore confirmed over on Twitter/X that “We take the 18yo Domestic and marry it for a year in 2nd fill PX European Oak Butts”
Nose
Initial citrus and pineapple tangy notes cut through straight away. They are joined by a festive affair with Christmas cake fruits and spices – cherries in particular. The Islay smoke seems more charcoal-like than peaty.
Taste
An initial pronounced smoke and oak spice arrived along with that sweet citrus sensation. It brings low and slow cooked meats to mind – ones with a sticky sweet and peppery marinade. It’s almost like a hoisin sauce or strawberries in balsamic glaze with that sweet and savoury one-two combo like. Dark chocolate notes appear too.
Finish
Charcoal smoke lingers with Christmas cake and oak spices. Theres a lasting nutty note that I hadn’t picked out before which works with the dark chocolate note like Terry’s Just Brazils chocolate and brazil nuts.
Verdict
This is what I’d expect from an 18yo single malt from Islay. The original spirit’s smoke-filled credentials harnessed over time in the cask with the berry notes and festive slices standing out from the Sherry influence.
If I was being totally honest I’d say that I was expecting the body to be a little heavier to carry those richer flavours but that is hyper-critical.
I believe that the GTR whiskies were available prior to the Aston Martin collaboration but despite that, passages like the following adorn the packaging and website:
Designed by Aston Martin is a creative collaboration celebrating the coming together of the worlds of single malt and luxury automotive through inspiring stories and incredible whiskies.
A shared commitment to uniting heritage and innovation to craft the precious into the exceptional sits at the heart of the relationship between Bowmore and Aston Martin. A richly genuine connection calling on the past yet creating relevance today and aspiration in the future, deepening and gaining momentum over time, now celebrated in this striking new collection.
Bowmore x Aston Martin
Speaking of collectibility – they know what they’re doing! Appealing to the stereotypical travelling business bod with a penchant for the finer things: single malts and high end cars. Though the batch recipe and flavour profile remains the same for each set of releases, the use of the classic car imagery and stylised presentation boxes make for eye-catching temptations when walking through the duty free section! And for the regular commuter, well don’t worry as the 18yo Edition #3 DB MK III was followed by the 18yo Edition #6 DBR 4 and then (at the time of writing and an appropriate number match) the 18yo Edition #9 features the DB9.
The 18yo tasted here is Edition #6 and sees the partnership with its vehicle explained as: “The Bowmore Designed by Aston Martin GTR 18 Year Old, is said to come together in the name of optimal performance as per the DBR4, which captured Aston Martin’s game-changing ambition to enter the highly competitive arena of Formula One.”
One thing I did spot in the duty free section was that the 10yo (Dark & Intense) and 15yo (Golden & Elegant) are 1L bottles whilst the 18yo (Deep & Complex) is down at the regular 70cl size.
I’ve always said that the best way to enjoy whisky is to have several… purely for research purposes… No, really! How can you get a decent feel for one over another without doing a side-by-side comparison? Well, how does this GTR compare to Bowmore’s core 18yo?
Double Dramming: How the 18yo GTR stacks up against the 18yo core release.
Nose
The GTR release is certainly more intense. It is Smokier. Richer. Fruitier. Oakier. Every note seems to be dialled up a touch.
Taste
The GTR seems a little heavier and thicker. More unctuous. Extra notes of toffee, cherry, orange and charcoal-like smoke.
Finish
Whilst the GTR’s make-up is same as 18 but aged for 1 year in 2nd fill PX casks, the dry oak spice of the GTR extra maturation point seems to bring out the smoke and coastal brine way more. The GTR has a thicker body but still not fully mouth coating.
Verdict
The regular will have its fans, but the GTR brings a bit of more to the table by my reckoning. If that would last throughout a whole bottle, I’m not sure. In this instance though, it gets my vote.
M
Sample disclosure: This sample was received as part of a Bowmore Tweet Tasting event run by The Whisky Wire using #BowmoreWhisky. All notes are intended as an honest, fair, and independent review of the whisky, and not as a promotion. Please drink responsibly. Please drink wisely.
whisky unplugged 
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