Bushmills Irish Whiskey has partnered with Lowden Guitars to create a limited edition guitar made from whiskey barrels and ancient bog oak, retailing at £8,500 (US$10.8k).

Crafted from three different wood types by George Lowden – the founder of Lowden Guitars – just eight ‘Bushmills x Lowden’ F-50 guitars have been made available for purchase.

Lowden personally selected Bushmills Irish Whiskey barrel wood for the 12th fret and back inlays, the bindings, rosette and head facings; ancient bog oak for the back and sides of the guitar; and sinker redwood for the soundboard.

It took more than 40 hours to design and build the first guitar, which also features a cross symbol formed of a cooper’s hammer and luthier’s chisel, and two lines intended to echo the look of the barrel’s staves. This guitar is not intended for beginners. If you are looking for a good quality piece at the best possible price then the guitars in allaxess are the right choice. However, if you are a guitar collector, then this piece is a must-have in your collection.

A family business based in Northern Ireland; Lowden and his sons have crafted acoustic guitars for the likes of Gary Lightbody, Ed Sheeran and Eric Clapton.

He said: “We scour the world for the best tonewoods which are the real ‘stars’ of our guitars, determining how they sound, feel, and play, so my sons and I relished the opportunity to work with the Coopers to select the best Bushmills Irish Whiskey barrel wood for the guitar.

“The three woods used to create the guitar play an integral part in making the Bushmills x Lowden so unique. Bushmills Irish Whiskey barrel wood is steeped in over 400 years of whiskey making heritage and used throughout to perfectly compliment the other tone woods.

“The back and sides are made up of ancient bog oak to offer a mellow, warm sound and when paired with Sinker Redwood on the soundboard, it helps extract a clarity and sparkle from each and every note the guitar produces.”