Diageo will release a new series of Johnnie Walker whiskies exclusively into travel retail in July, three months before rolling the range out to domestic markets.
The Johnnie Walker Black Label Origin Series includes four blended whiskies, each honouring a different whisky region of Scotland.
The Moodie Davitt Report was the exclusive business media invited to Scotland this week for a two-day event, at which the series was unveiled.
To coincide with the release, Diageo is planning high-profile activations at Singapore Changi, DXB (Dubai International), Hong Kong International and Paris Charles de Gaulle airports.
A spokesperson for Diageo said: “To support this exclusive launch, Diageo Global Travel will be activating a full 360-degree global campaign, which includes exciting experiential opportunities, standout retailer partnerships and digital media activations, delivering a truly engaging experience for travellers.”
Diageo Global Travel Marketing Director Anna MacDonald added: “We are delighted [to] bring the four corners of Scotland to the four corners of the world with the launch The Johnnie Walker Black Label Origin Series in global travel. This limited-edition series is the perfect starting point for adventurous spirits that are keen to go on a journey of flavour exploration, and we’re delighted to play a role in helping to demystify Scotch and its many flavour profiles. We look forward to bringing this incredible collection to life with some exciting in-store experiences in global travel retail.
“Whisky fans and global travellers will be taken on a journey, experiencing the sights, smells and of course, the tastes of the four corners of Scotland with our immersive retail experiences that champion not only the limited-edition series, but also key historic distilleries from each of the four whisky-producing regions in Scotland.”
The Origin Series has been created ahead of the 200th anniversary in 2020 of what is, according to the IWSR, the world’s best-selling premium Scotch whisky. The series comprises four 12-year-old blended 42% ABV whiskies: Islay, Highlands, Lowlands and Speyside, with each blend consisting solely of whiskies from that region.
All four blends will be exclusively released to global travel retail in 1-litre bottles at the beginning of July and retail at US$46. The Speyside and Lowlands blends will then be released into certain domestic markets in October before Islay and Highland are introduced to domestic markets in early 2020.
At the launch, Johnnie Walker Global Brand Ambassador Tom Jones said: “It [the series] is celebrating the 200-year history of Johnnie Walker by selecting the finest malt whiskies from across all the areas of Scotland, or as we refer to them the four corners: Highlands, Lowlands, Islay and Speyside, all of which are reflected in this selection of four whiskies.”
Johnnie Walker Master Blender Jim Beveridge added: “Knowledge is the new currency. These four expressions are giving consumers insight into Johnnie Walker Black Label to begin to understand what is behind it. Traditionally blends are what they are and the rest of it is a secret, whereas each of these has their own story and [they] are collectively a part of the Johnnie Walker Black Label story and [that] opens up the conversation.”
Johnnie Walker Black Label is made up of four core flavours: smoke, rich fruits, creamy vanilla and fresh fruits. George Harper, who also masterminded the blend for the hugely popular Johnnie Walker White Walker whisky, was tasked with focusing on one of these flavours for each of the four blends in the Origin series. “Black Label is about the balance of those flavours, so the idea of this series was to see how far we can look at those four flavours. It was a fun brief to be given to explore flavours and play around with flavour,” he said.
Johnnie Walker Black Label Islay Origin has been created to embody the smoky side of Johnnie Walker Black Label. Harper commented: “Being able to use different smoky whiskies together brings a balance of maritime smoke, bonfire smoke and that sweetness in the background, with a lovely lingering smoky finish.”
The Johnnie Walker Black Label Highlands Origin uses European oak and sherry casks to take in the rich fruits in Johnnie Walker Black Label. “In Black Label, we talk about rich fruits, raisin, dried fruits and a touch of marmalade. That was the inspiration for this one. We used a little bit of ex-European oak and sherry casks within this blended malt to highlight and emphasise some of those rich fruit notes. There’s a sweetness but also a spiciness on the finish,” Harper said.
The Johnnie Walker Black Label Lowlands Origin is a traditional blended Scotch whisky that embraces creamy vanilla flavours, according to Harper. “In terms of flavour, we are talking about creamy vanilla and smooth flavours like toffee and caramel; there is a slight hint of fresh fruit. It is held together by a very smooth, sweet base; we have done that by pairing the malts and grains and thinking about wood types, so for this one we are talking about American oaks and ex-bourbon casks,” he commented.
The final variant in the series is the Johnnie Walker Black Label Speyside Origin; this blend is inspired by the fresh fruits of Johnnie Walker Black Label. Harper said: “When I nose Black Label, the fresh fruits of pear drop or freshly-cut apple are the first thing that jump out at me so I wanted to recreate that. When thinking about what Speyside offers to black label, it is fresh fruits, orchard fruits, freshly-cut apples, pears and the vibrant fresh fruit flavours.”
For an on-location report from Scotland on Diageo’s Scotch whisky portfolio and Johnnie Walker Black Label Origin Series, keep an eye out for the upcoming The Moodie Davitt Report eZine.
