Johnnie Walker Princes Street unveils new whisky in collaboration with Harris Tweed
St Andrew’s Day celebrated with launch of partnership between iconic Scottish brands Johnnie Walker Princes Street x Harris Tweed Hebrides
Johnnie Walker Princes Street celebrated St Andrew’s Day with the launch of a highly desirable new whisky, complete with luxury packaging created in collaboration with legendary Scottish textile house, Harris Tweed Hebrides.
Marking the first Johnnie Walker Princes Street Collective, a series that brings together the world’s leading Scotch whisky with Scotland’s best creative forces to create unique and collectable whiskies, the Johnnie Walker x Harris Tweed collaboration features a beautifully designed bottle of the Johnnie Walker Limited Edition Princes Street Blend, accompanied by a bespoke Harris Tweed carry bag.
The whisky represents a world first, having been matured over the past year in hand-selected American oak casks in the Whisky Makers Cellar at Johnnie Walker Princes Street. The cellar, holding just 26 casks, is unique amongst bonded warehouse in Scotland, tucked beneath one of Edinburgh’s most famous streets.
Launching the new whisky, Barbara Smith, Managing Director of Scotland Brand Homes at Diageo, said, “Our collaboration with Harris Tweed has been an exciting way to celebrate the first experimental bottling finished here in our cellar at Johnnie Walker Princes Street. The partnership brings together two iconic Scottish brands, and the resulting collection embodies our shared heritage and passion for blending – whether that’s liquid, or thread. We’re sure it’ll provide festive gift inspiration for whisky and style lovers alike.”
George Harper, Johnnie Walker Whisky Specialist who created the Johnnie Walker Princes Street Collective bottling, added, “This particular blend was experimental in many ways, and it was exciting to use a completely different type of ‘warehouse’ for the final year of maturation. The unique finishing process has further enhanced the flavours of the liquid and we are really pleased with the end result, and I am sure consumers will love it too.”
Mark Hogarth, Creative Director, Harris Tweed Hebrides, says, “We have been hugely excited about this project with Johnnie Walker and feel a lot of synergy between our two brands. While Johnnie Walker carefully blends liquids to create flavour, so do we at Harris Tweed, expertly weaving different shades of wool to produce colour and pattern. This particular plaid brings Edinburgh and Harris together, all wrapped up in luxury, craftsmanship and time; elements that are also reflected in the exquisite liquid that George and his team have created.”
The unusual maturation conditions of the cellar, which is warmer than traditional warehouses, enhanced the impact of the wood, pulling in all the oaky flavours, leading to a rich and creamy oak nose, a palate of honeysuckle and red berry flavours and a long and fruity finish with warming wood smoke.
In designing the bespoke plaid for the collaboration, the Harris Tweed Hebrides team drew inspiration from their home in the Outer Hebrides, and the home of Johnnie Walker Princes Street in Edinburgh to create a vibrant blend of the two Scottish locations.
The bag has been created in partnership with BeYonder, a charity specialising in ethical manufacturing. As part of the project, BeYonder engaged textile students from Glasgow City College to help manufacture the bags.
Those who’d like a chance to try the whisky before they buy should book themselves on Johnnie Walker Princes Street’s Whisky Makers Cellar experience or 1820 bar for a chance to enjoy it in a highball, cocktail, or dram.
The Johnnie Walker x Harris Tweed Hebrides collection will be available to purchase from 1st December exclusively at Johnnie Walker Princes Street, Edinburgh. The Johnnie Walker Limited Edition Princes Street Blend and the Harris Tweed carry bag cost £169.
About the Johnnie Walker Princes Street visitor experience
Set over 71,500 sq ft, it takes the concept of personalisation to a scale never before seen in a global drinks visitor experience.
Visitors on the Johnnie Walker Journey of Flavour tour will have their personal flavour preferences mapped with drinks tailored to their palate.
With more than 800 flavour combinations available in the innovative dispensation systems, one person could visit Johnnie Walker Princes Street every day for more than two years and not have the same experience twice.
Over 150 diverse and talented new employees, speaking 23 languages between them, will bring to life the 200-year story.
The cellar has become a true whisky treasury with some of the most unique whisky casks in the world gently maturing and waiting to be sampled by guests.
The building – formerly a traditional department store for almost 100 years – will contain a state-of-the-art experiential retail space where shoppers can select from rare and exclusive whiskies, fill their own bottles and have them personalised.
Johnnie Walker Princes Street opened its doors with a Green Tourism Gold Award – the highest sustainability accolade for a visitor attraction. The building includes roof terrace planters to provide herbs for garnishes and infusions for drinks, a sedum roof covering and bird boxes to encourage biodiversity.
In November 2022, Johnnie Walker Princes Street achieved Visit Scotland’s ‘Five Star Attraction’ accreditation. Awarded as part of the organisation’s Quality Assurance Scheme, assessors commented that Johnnie Walker Princes Street’s tour offering demonstrated a real wow factor, with incredible storytelling and seamless technology adding a whole new dimension to the experience.
About Johnnie Walker
Johnnie Walker is the world’s number one Scotch Whisky brand (IWSR), enjoyed by people in over 180 countries around the world. Since the time of its founder, John Walker, those who blend its whiskies have pursued flavour and quality above else.
Today’s range of award-winning whiskies includes Johnnie Walker Red Label, Black Label, Double Black, Green Label, Gold Label Reserve, Aged 18 Years and Blue Label. Together they account for over 19 million cases sold annually (IWSR, 2020), making Johnnie Walker the most popular Scotch Whisky brand in the world.
About Diageo
Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands across spirits, beer and wine categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, J&B, Buchanan’s, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness.
Diageo is a global company, and our products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and the New York Stock Exchange (DEO). For more information about Diageo, our people, our brands, and performance, visit us at www.diageo.com. Visit Diageo’s global responsible drinking resource, www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice.
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