Diageo’s Johnnie Walker Blue Label – the most premium label of the blended Scotch brand – has just dipped its toes into French Cognac cask finished Scotch for its new Travel Retail drop.

One of the more intriguing new variants of the Blue Label, the "Xordinaire" (not Xtraordinaire, mind the "XO" at the beginning) is finished in casks that had previously kept French XO Cognac. The blend is also created with rarer parcels of Johnnie Walker casks representing only 1 in 10,000 casks from the brand's reserves of aging Scotch. This is said to carry all the depth and richness of the Blue Label, with an added smoothness and sweetness imparted by the Cognac casks.

Tasting Notes From Master Blender

"This is a luxurious and vibrant Scotch bursting with notes of dried fruit, toasted toffee and sun-ripened black cherry. Bright orchard fruits shine through velvety smoothness, with flashes of peach and soft spice surging upward. A sumptuously smooth Scotch with a soft spice after-taste, Johnnie Walker Blue Label Xordinaire truly is an exuberance to be shared."

– Emma Walker, Johnnie Walker Master Blender

This new variant would become a permanent part of Johnnie Walker's portfolio of small batch blended Scotch whisky, and is also the brand's biggest global launch in the Travel Retail segment to date. The expression comes in at an ABV of 40% and is available across key airports across the globe at a RRP of £335 (US$399) for a 1L bottle.

This expression was unveiled at Singapore's Changi Airport Terminal 1 where passengers can enjoy a 'one-of-a-kind' immersive experience of the Blue Label XOrdinaire showcase. 

The showcase is inspired by a Parisian hotel, where travellers step into the elevator to engage with the Blue Label Xordinaire showcase before joining a stunning sample bar with a digital guest book for an immersive tasting with a bespoke chocolate pairing created in collaboration with renowned French chocolatier, Arnaud Larher. Purchasers of the Johnnie Walker Blue Label Xordinaire will also be led to a luxury gifting and personalisation station, and receive a personalised luggage tag. 

As if that wasn't enough, the campaign also includes an elaborate 3D interactive set up at in Changi's futuristic Jewel Mall where viewers are encouraged to take photos with the background of the iconic Rain Vortex installation.

This showcase at Changi is the centerpiece of a series of launches in airports around the world in the coming months, including Paris, London, Dubai, Taiwan and Hainan.

Summing up the experience, Andrew Cowan the Managing Director of Diageo Global Travel shared that this new global travel exclusive expression caters to aficionados seeking exclusivity as well as for those searching for something with a sweeter and smoother flavour profile.

Johnnie Walker recommends enjoying the Xordinaire after dinner, served neat while paired with chocolate.

Kanpai!

88 Bamboo Editorial Team