There are few who have made as indelible a mark in the Scotch whisky industry like Jim Beveridge has. He’s only the sixth person in the long history of Johnnie Walker to hold the title of Master Blender, and is part of a distinguished lineage of craftspeople that traces back to John Walker himself two centuries ago. To mark 40 years of service at the brand, the stalwart —who was recently awarded an OBE for his services to Scotch — has been celebrated in the most befitting way possible: A limited edition blend which not only honours his ruby anniversary, but also his exceptional craft and contributions over the past four decades.
Unveiled on 20 March 2020, the Johnnie Walker Master’s Ruby Reserve will be a rare insight into Beveridge’s earliest whisky-making memories, the same ones which have helped built his distinguished career today. For this task, he and a team of whisky makers personally selected eight exceptionally rare whiskies from the Johnnie Walker reserves that evoked these memories, all of which are at least 40 years old.
With whiskies from ghost distilleries such as Cambus, Carsebridge, Pittyvaich, and Port Ellen, it’s little surprise that an extremely limited run of only 398 bottles will be available for sale. The rare blend is full-bodied on the palate, and perfectly balanced with highly-aged expressions from Talisker, Glendullan, Royal Lochnagar, and Cragganmore.
He went on to explain: “The ‘ghost’ whiskies from Cambus, Carsebridge and Pittyvaich bring layers of rich fruit flavour. We’ve combined this with the flavours of dark chocolate, plums and cherries found in the wonderfully aged expressions of Royal Lochnagar, Glendullan and Cragganmore and the soft aromatic sea salt notes of Talisker and Port Ellen – creating a beautifully balanced whisky.”
The label will also be celebrating its 200th anniversary in 2020 with more new releases and the opening of a flagship Johnnie Walker home in Edinburgh, where fans and connoisseurs can gather over some of Johnnie Walker’s rarest and most iconic blends.
The Johnnie Walker Master’s Ruby Reserve has an ABV of 43 percent and will be available in March at a retail price of £15,000 in the UK (incl. duties and taxes).
