Here’s the latest from Johnnie Walker…. Once we receive, we’ll post our review of The John Walker:
In a fitting tribute to its founder, the House of Johnnie Walker has launched The John Walker Blended Scotch Whisky, handcrafted from a small number of rare whiskies from distilleries that operated during John Walker’s lifetime. The pinnacle of its revered Blue Label marque, there are just ten bottles of The John Walker available in Australia.
Johnnie Walker Blue Label Global Brand Ambassador, Jonathan Driver, will make an inaugural visit to Australia to launch this exclusive addition to the Blue Label Family. He comments, “I am delighted to unveil this modern masterpiece to Australia. Blended as a tribute to John Walker’s pioneering legacy, the arrival of this remarkable offering is an exciting moment for the Australian whisky drinker.”
Master Blender Jim Beveridge has been on an incredible journey to recreate the style of whiskies that John Walker himself once blended and that secured his name as global icon of quality. Jim Beveridge comments, “John Walker is watching over our shoulders as we blend. Inspired by the principles, techniques and style of whiskies that John Walker used to create his small batch, hand-crafted blends for his customers in the nineteenth century, we believe we have created a modern masterpiece to satisfy the ever increasing demands of today’s sophisticated whisky drinker”.
The unparalleled Johnnie Walker reserves of several million casks have been skillfully explored by the Master Blender to unearth the small number of whiskies to set aside for the careful and precise design of The John Walker, which takes the essence of Blue Label to an extraordinary level of rarity and uniqueness. The John Walker is a blend of whisky taken from only nine distilleries – these whiskies are incredibly rare, whether due to the character, scarcity, flavour and the fact they are a representation of what was available in John Walker’s time. They have been selected for their unique contribution to the blend – amongst them the sweetness and softness of Cambus and Glen Albyn combined with the more powerful Mortlach and the elegance of Dailuaine to create a unique, structured blend with a refined smoky finish.
The whiskies come together for a second and final maturation to marry the blend in a 100-year-old wood cask. Each single barrel batch (no two batches will ever be exactly the same) fills just 330 individually numbered, hand-blown Baccarat crystal decanters.
Tasting Notes
The John Walker should be sipped neat with iced water on the side to amplify the experience.
On the nose, mature fruits slowly supersede aromas of fresh citrus. On the palate, a vanilla oak sweetness is framed by a certain zest of the great classic Johnnie Walker Speyside whiskies, including Mortlach, which bring elegant structure and enormous body. The smooth and mellow finish reaches its climax in rich smokiness. So many big characters, malt and grain, smoke and richness, are all held together in harmony and controlled balance with smoothness.