THE DEBUT PROJECT FROM SCOTCH WHISKY GIANT JOHNNIE WALKER’S NEWLY ANNOUNCED VAULT PLATFORM, THIS FOUR-SEASON, LIMITED EDITION COLLECTION OF FINE WHISKIES MARRIES THE WORLDS OF HAUTE COUTURE AND HIGH SPIRITS WITH ARTFUL ELEGANCE
BY WILL HARRIS
The concept of blending is nothing new to the world of spirits, but the idea of blending whisky with fashion? Now that’s a bit more unconventional. We’re not talking about branded clothing (or an accidental spill, either). In this instance, Johnnie Walker’s Master Blender Dr. Emma Walker has teamed up with Olivier Rousteing, creative director of Balmain, to create Couture Expression. The concept draws inspiration from the world of high fashion, offering four whiskies, one for each season of the year, each with its own unique taste and flavor.
“Pushing boundaries through blending artistry has always been at the heart of my work, and opening the doors of the Johnnie Walker Vault to welcome such a progressive, creative talent of Olivier’s magnitude has been something that will stay with me forever,” Dr. Walker told Forbes. “Olivier brought an emotional language to the blending creation, and we worked together to explore what whisky can express – technically, sensorially, and artistically. We deliberately chose to use the same whiskies across several of the seasons, playing with proportions, textures, and seasonal notes to create four distinct expressions of whiskies.”
You already know the seasons, of course, and with the understanding that all four of these blends start with a “heart” that features ghost whiskies from Brora and Port Dundas, here’s what else you can expect from each one, as per the official press release:
Spring: “A celebration of renewal and transformation, Spring’s Reinvention Blend brings brightness drawn from a selection of rare whiskies including a 1985 Cragganmore, a rarely seen 1977 Caledonian, and minerality from a treasured 1978 Port Ellen.”
Summer: “An ode to sunshine, Summer’s Discovery Blend oozes tropical fruit notes that come from a selection of rare whiskies including an experimental Cardhu Wine Cask Finish and a 1990 Clynelish wrapped in the richness of 1988 Benrinnes.”
Fall: “A feeling of self-reflection and the relentless pursuit of excellence, Fall’s Mastery Blend has an experimental Teaninich malt, which is layered with smoke from the 1978 Port Ellen.”
Winter: “Reflecting ‘coming home’ and the warmth of sharing time and moments with family and friends, this Winter Roots Blend is the richest of the four, dialing up Islay malts from Port Ellen and Brora with a mulled wine sweetness from the 1988 Benrinnes.”
The packaging, of course, reflects Rousteing’s sleek sensibilities. “I had the idea of creating different dresses for each season, which I was seeing as a kind of casing around the bottle,” he told Wonderland Magazine. “No one’s ever done a couture whisky collection before inspired by seasons. When you drink or smell whisky, it’s about emotions, and four seasons is about four different emotions. Winter, you get a bit more cooking, summer is about energy, spring is about optimism, and in fall you start to dress to feel cozy, so it’s kind of different emotions through the seasons.”
Johnnie Walker