Johnnie Walker Is Opening Its Vault to Let You Create Your Own Whisky Blend
Have you ever wanted to create your very own bespoke blended scotch whiskey, something that is totally unique to you and your palate? You could try a DIY version of this at home by combining different bottles that you find in your liquor cabinet. But if you are willing to splurge, you can have Johnnie Walker master blender Dr. Emma Walker create a singular blend that is entirely tailored to your taste. We were able to get a first look at the new Johnnie Walker Vault experience at the brand’s headquarters in Edinburgh recently to find out all the details.
In 2021, Walker (no relation to Johnnie) was appointed master blender for Johnnie Walker, making her the first woman to hold this position at the Diageo-owned brand, which is the best selling blended scotch in the world. In this role, Walker and her team have access to more than ten million casks from the 30 distilleries that Diageo owns, some of which are from ghost distilleries that were shuttered years ago like Port Ellen and Brora (both of which were revived and have started to make whisky again). That’s the same pool that she draws from to make blends like Johnnie Walker Red, Black, and the premier expression in the lineup, Blue Label. But some of the most rare and unique whiskies from the Diageo portfolio can be found in the Johnnie Walker Vault, which is located in the basement below the brand’s Princes Street headquarters, where you’ll be able to work with Walker to create your own personal blend.
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There are up to 500 samples at any one time in the Vault ranging from three to 56 years old, a small but meticulously chosen sampling of the many whiskies that Walker has at her disposal. We visited the Vault last month to watch Walker at work, creating bespoke blends for a few visiting journalists based on questionnaires they filled out to get a sense of specific tastes in food, music, and even seasons. Walker is obviously an expert, and while she is always humble and approachable, it’s fascinating to watch her dial in a particular flavor profile based on sense memories and predilections. She often starts with a base whisky called the “heart of the blend,” a combination of aged malt and grain whiskies that helps to keep the Johnnie Walker character intact even in a one-off creation. From there, she selects whiskies of various ages to craft a specific flavor profile, adding a dash of smoky ghost whisky here and a well-aged grain whisky there, eventually revealing a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.
The new Johnnie Walker Vault experience will be available to the public later this week with prices starting at £50,000 (about $64,500) per package. This luxury experience includes accommodations at the five-star Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire, about an hour outside of Edinburgh; a tour of the Diageo Archives; Michelin-starred meals; and, most importantly, facetime with Walker to create your own custom blend in the Vault after filling out a detailed survey. “The sessions will be very flexible,” Walker told Robb Report. “We will have conversations about what works, and what doesn’t work. It’s all going to be very bespoke. The samples here will be continually rotated, and they will be a mix of ages. Some people want more aged whiskies, but some want younger whiskies that are more vibrant, more effervescent. We want to create a blend that is truly about flavor and storytelling.”
When your blend is finished, you will receive a Baccarat crystal decanter (or possibly more than one, depending on the package you’ve selected) with your whisky inside, and the recipe will be entered into the Vault archive for posterity’s sake. If you’re interested in the Johnnie Walker Vault experience and crafting your own blend with Walker, you can register starting March 12 at the brand’s website. In the meantime, you can find many different Johnnie Walker expressions, including the luxury 48-year-old release, available to purchase now from ReserveBar.
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