PINNACLE of perfection

BANGKOK’S WHISKY aficionados learned more about their favourite tipple earlier this month when Johnnie Walker’s Master Blender Jim Beveridge dropped into the Thai capital for two exclusive showcases of his magnificent masterpiece. Even more was to be learned from expert Tom Jones, the Johnnie Walker ambassador and a Keeper of the Quaich, the exclusive international group recognised for their commitment to Scotch whisky.
Held at Il Fumo on Rama IV and the St Regis Bangkok respectively, Beveridge and Jones co-hosted an elaborate whisky tasting session for VIP guests, celebrities and selected media.
Johnnie Walker Blue Label is one of the pinnacle offerings from the house of Johnnie Walker. Only rare whiskies at the summit of perfection are used in the blending of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, with just one in 10,000 casks containing whisky of sufficient character to deliver its remarkably smooth signature taste. Each is hand-selected by the Master Blender himself, who is part of an unbroken lineage of Master Blenders stretching back 190 years.
Beveridge’s first job when he joined the company in 1979 was tracing the origins of malt and grain whisky character. His fascination with Scotch whisky began at this early stage, and he devoted his time to studying distillation and maturation, travelling around the distilleries and warehouses of Scotland and spending countless hours with samples at his table to understand the intricacies of whisky making.
He developed a great sensitivity to the aromas and flavours of Scotch Whisky, which has enabled him to develop an incredibly olfactory memory and understanding of the spirit and its behaviour for blending. Through a full and well-preserved archive, Beveridge has the privilege of studying the origins of John Walker & Sons Blended Scotch Whiskies. He remains faithful to the intentions of the founding Walkers – a commitment to flavour and smokiness, and a vision for their whiskies to move forward with confidence, improving relentlessly.
Beveridge draws on his own lifetime of knowledge, experimentation and experience in the science and art of Scotch Whisky blending to guide skilled craftspeople at every stage of the process – coppersmiths, distillers, coopers, warehousemen, and his team of blenders.
“Blue Label has a mellow, rounded nose, with a dry smokiness mixed with raisin sweetness. It is best savoured with the palate cleansed and cooled by iced water.” Beveridge told the guests at the mentoring session. “One sip reveals a velvety mouth-feel, then an explosion of flavour. At once you’ll discover hazelnuts, honey, rose petals, sherry and oranges. Subsequent sips reward you with more hidden secrets like kumquats, wispy aromatic smoke, sandalwood, tobacco, and dark chocolate.”
During the exclusive sessions, Beveridge also crafted a personalised Signature Blend drawn from the largest reserves of whisky in the world.
Jones, who has nurtured his unwavering passion and knowledge for fine spirits for more than 20 years, explained that Blue Label is presented in individually numbered bottles and is reminiscent of the 19th-century style of whiskies. To achieve such powerful, complex, smooth character, the Master Blender had to travel back to Scotland to seek out exceptional quality and distinctive flavours from the private reserves’ casks. For prosperity, each Signature Blend recipe is then recorded, encrypted with a bespoke seal, and vaulted in the John Walker & Sons distilleries in Scotland.
Once completed, each bespoke blend is decanted in 50 unique crystal decanters, custom produced according to the customer’s preference, before being serialised and hall-marked with your signature to make every bottle matchless and unrivalled.