Something is happening below the Johnnie Walker premises on Edinburgh’s Princes Street. A subterranean former bank vault has been unveiled as the new ‘Johnnie Walker Vault’, an Aladdin’s Cave for whisky lovers that offers unprecedented access to some of Scotland’s oldest and finest drams.
Gain entry to the space, as Spear’s did on a recent visit, and you’ll be surrounded by 500 bottles, arrayed like samples in a perfumery. The still air carries the faint scents of whiskies that represent the pinnacle of the craft, including those from distilleries that have been lost for decades. With vanishingly little stock from these sites remaining, opportunities to experience the marine intensity of Port Ellen or the floral softness of long-aged Caledonian single grain are few and far between.
[See also: The story behind Orkney’s new £39,000 single malt]
More than a tasting room
Around 95 per cent of the Vault’s contents are not available anywhere else in the world – but this is not just a tasting room. A fortunate few will be invited here to create their own blended whiskies in collaboration with master blender Emma Walker. Though not a descendant of the original Johnnie Walker, she holds a special place in the company’s history as the first female master blender since its foundation in 1820.
[See also: Best whisky advisers for collectors and connoisseurs in 2024]
Walker is also a mainstay of the new, highly exclusive ‘private blend experience’, in which she draws on a client’s tastes, personality and even sometimes their favourite song to guide the creation of their own genuinely made-to-measure whisky.
The market has been focused on single malts, but blending promises a greater range of flavours and customisation. A 40-year-old Brora could contribute tropical fruitiness and a mineral edge to your creation, while an ancient Cameronbridge might add texture and body. Like a bespoke suit, these one-off whiskies can be tailored with precision.
Content from our partners
After the creation of a sample blend, the finished article is then assembled behind the scenes and delivered in a Baccarat crystal decanter. The experience starts at £50,000 and includes a stay at Gleneagles Hotel, where guests are invited to follow shooting or spa treatments with seven courses at the two-Michelin-starred Andrew Fairlie restaurant.
[See also: How a meeting of minds inspired a new brand of vodka]
A cooling in the whisky market
Strategically, the Vault may serve an important purpose for Diageo, the international drinks behemoth that owns Johnnie Walker and other brands such as Lagavulin and Buchanan’s. Last year saw a cooling of luxury whisky sales across the board, albeit after a period of significant growth and record-breaking sales (such as a Macallan 1926 going for £2.2 million in late 2023, and an Emerald Isle bottle narrowly surpassing that in January 2024). By offering these experiences, the firm will hope to fold additional value into its formidable stocks and potentially fortify itself against a softening market for luxury single malts.
[See also: Mystery buyer of world’s largest bottle of whisky revealed]
But those with the means to avail themselves of the ‘private blend’ experience are unlikely to focus on such practical considerations for long. The real attraction is to combine privileged access to the Vault and its stock of rare liquids with a deeper sense of ownership when it comes to the final product. The end result is intended not just to be a great, rare whisky, but rather your whisky – truly deserving of that overused word: unique.
For those who can afford it, that’s an exciting proposition indeed.
This feature first appeared in Spear’s Magazine Issue 95. Click here to subscribe.
