Fans of luxury cars and scotch whisky can rejoice; Aston Martin and Islay’s Bowmore distillery have you covered. The iconic car company and the classic Islay whisky distillery have collaborated to release a new $85,000 bottle of whisky, the 6th edition of Black Bowmore, fully titled Black Bowmore DB5 1964.

This collaboration celebrates Aston Martin’s iconic DB5 car, made famous by James Bond with its first appearance in 1964’s Goldfinger. The same year the whisky was first laid down in the Bowmore warehouse for maturation.

Prized for the rich flavours that come from the highest quality sherry cases, Black Bowmore was first released as a limited edition 29-year old whisky in 1993 for a then costly price of $140. The whisky’s name came from its dark colour and has now become a must-have possession for the serious whisky collector. This first edition is currently fetching close to $25,000 a bottle.

There have been four more editions released since then. The 2nd (1994) and 3rd (1995) releases of Black Bowmore are almost as prized as the first and tend to sell between $10,000-19,000 on whisky action sites. These were also priced similarly to the first edition when they were released. However, with the release of the fourth edition in 2007, things began to change. At the time, whiskies were in high demand, and the first whisky auction sites were established, and this fourth-edition 42-year-old bottle cost $4,100.

For this highly exclusive ‘DB5’ edition, only 25 bottles are available, and there are a couple of indications on the bottle that might excite collectors. Though this liquid was initially distilled in 1964, it’s 31 years old, rather than 50 years old like the fifth edition, meaning that the age is similar to the iconic first three releases. Furthermore, the whisky comes from a cask of Williams & Humbert Walnut Brown, which held sweet oloroso sherry in a previous life. This is the same type of cask that is rumoured to have provided the liquid for that first Black Bowmore release.

On the nose, it is deep, resinous, and profoundly velvety. Prunes, orange marmalade and raspberries are given depth by leather, liquorice, and lightly roasted coffee. The tannins and oak are present but step aside to allow everything else to come through beautifully.

To taste, the oak is more robust but not overpowering. It’s also very fruity, with peaches, mangoes and pineapples coming to the forefront. Surrounding the fruitiness is a mix of spices and herbs, including nutmeg, cinnamon, coriander, and mint. The texture is oily, resinous, and soft. Though Bowmore is a peated whisky, typical peaty notes barely register here. The finish is very oaky, with bitterness similar to dark chocolate or black coffee. It is most certainly a world-class whisky, but nothing less would do given the price.