Johnnie Walker adds luxury blend

Diageo is launching an ultra-premium, nautically themed Johnnie Walker expression for the Asian market in response to “an insatiable demand” for luxury spirits.

The new John Walker & Sons Odyssey

John Walker & Sons Odyssey is a triple malt, blended and married in European oak casks, then housed in a rotating crystal-grade glass decanter.

Taking its inspiration from the original notes of Sir Alexander Walker, the blend is housed in a swinging decanter to commemorate the 80^th anniversary of Sir Alexander’s creation of a whisky vessel capable of staying upright at sea.

The product is initially launching in Asia Pacific before being rolled out globally, a move explained by James Thompson, chief marketing officer for Diageo Asia Pacific, who pointed to “an insatiable demand for super deluxe spirits globally and particularly in Asia Pacific.

“Globally, net sales for Scotch whisky are up 12 percent with most of that growth coming from super deluxe,” he confirmed, adding: “In Asia Pacific, Scotch whisky delivered more than 80% net sales growth, with almost half coming from super deluxe whiskies.

Describing John Walker & Sons Odyssey as “the next step in our luxury journey,” Thompson observed: “we believe the integration of heritage and progress, provenance and innovation will make it of the utmost interest to luxury connoisseurs in this region.”

Jim Beveridge, master blender at Johnnie Walker, described how he “searched a number of distilleries in Scotland for the perfect three whiskies to blend for John Walker & Sons Odyssey.

“They needed to have the right provenance and pedigree to create the aromas, tastes, flavours and sensations that Sir Alexander was looking for when he created the original blend almost 80 years ago.”

Launching on 1 September at Singapore Changi and Shanghai Pudong airports, John Walker & Sons Odyssey has an RRP of US$950.