The Gleaneagles Hotel, located about an hour outside of Edinburgh, Scotland, is perhaps the closest you’ll ever get to stepping foot inside Wayne Manor (you know, the house in which Bruce Wayne a.k.a. Batman grew up). The sprawling estate, known for its palatial golf courses frequented by people from all over the world, recently hosted a celebratory announcement for historical whisky brand, Johnnie Walker, specifically, The Johnnie Walker Vault, the most ambitious expression of blended artistry to date. Never before in my life have I felt so desperately in need of a tweed jacket and flatcap.
At the core of this new platform stands Johnnie Walker Master Blender, Dr Emma Walker (very fitting last name, although, as I quickly discovered, no relation to the brand), whose captivating storytelling accompanied each rare blend of whisky which she presented in front of the hand-picked media guests. Each blend bears the DNA of over 100 years of Scottish craftsmanship, with Walker herself working from a hidden creative ‘atelier’ deep beneath the Johnnie Walker Princes Street in the brand’s home in Edinburgh. This Fort Knox-like vault holds a selection of 500 whiskies from rare, aged and ghost casks, all of which are personally curated by Dr. Walker to showcase the very best of the 10 million casks of Scotch available to her as the brand’s Master Blender.
Having had the privilege of witnessing and experiencing Dr. Walker’s blending techniques first hand, I can say that this is the closest I’ve ever felt to being in an actual school of witchcraft and wizardry. Each bottle contained a sweeping moment in history and, accompanied by her hand-drawn tome of a notebook in which she jots down all her mathematical like techniques, Walker blended these once in a lifetime flavours in front of us – never before have I felt so utterly VIP.
For the first time ever, this experience is now open to invite-only guests, who will have Walker as their own personal Master Blender, providing a made-to-measure blend tailored for each individual palate. With packages starting from £50,000 (AED 237k), this historical experience includes an agenda deeply woven in Scottish heritage. From gastronomic excellence to a stay at the Gleneagles Hotel, the program is tailored to those curiously obsessed with the history of Scottish Whisky.
“Johnnie Walker Vault is our treasure trove,” says Dr. Emma Walker. “It’s where I can curate and share our rarest and most exceptional Scotch whiskies, and from these create unique blends which sing to my guest and showcase the blending artistry at the heart of Johnnie Walker. It is a very special place to me, but it’s also much more than just a physical space–it’s a platform through which I can take deeply personal stories and translate them into beautiful, one-of-a-kind blends. It’s a real privilege to be a part of capturing and bottling these wonderful stories”
“The Johnnie Walker Vault reflects our commitment to the evolving desires of the luxury consumer, and to transform luxury spirits through elevated personalisation, unique experiences and exceptional products,” says Julie Bramham, Managing Director of Diageo Luxury Group. “Building on more than 200 years of pioneering craftsmanship, Johnnie Walker has redefined quality whisky blending for the modern connoisseur. Iconic blends such as Johnnie Walker Blue Label and Johnnie Walker Black Label have consistently showcased the brand’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of Scotch whisky, and Johnnie Walker Vault will now continue this legacy. This is an exciting day for luxury Scotch whisky as we officially launch Johnnie Walker Vault to a global audience.”
For the lover of good stories (which I assume is all of us), rarely does one have the privilege of stepping foot inside an interactive history lesson exploding with flavours designed to ignite each of the five senses.
Staying at Gleneagles Hotel in itself would have been enough to bring a smile to anyone’s face, but the added joy of partaking in an artistic journey of Johnnie Walker history was an indescribable treat. Rarely does one get invited to an art exhibit you can literally taste – if only every museum was like this.
