John Walker & Sons Presents ‘LAST CASK’ The Final Batch of John Walker
Leading the industry with the world’s most popular Scotch whisky, Johnnie Walker has dominated the ranks for 199 years, boasting around 216 million bottles of consumer contact worldwide each year (18 million cases), with a well-timed 200th anniversary coming in 2020. At the epicenter of the new & old, the final batch of John Walker under the name ‘LAST CASK’, not only marks a recap of the brand's achievements over the past 200 years, but leaves a new mystery as to what the next 200 years will hold for the brand’s preservation.
The John Walker final batch or ‘LAST CASK’, sits in The John Walker & Sons high-end portfolio and was unveiled at the world’s first whisky boutique in Guangzhou recently. This limited edition is presented by Dr. Jim Beveridge, Master Blender for Johnnie Walker. The master selected rare liquids from nine ancient distilleries that existed in the era of the founder John Walker (1805 - 1857), including three since-closed distilleries - Glen Albyn, Cambus and Port Dundas. What makes ‘LAST CASK’ special is triple maturation technique in which they are aged. Six single malt whiskies, and three-grain whiskies were first individually matured, before the grains and malts were brought together in two separate vattings, and then finally conjoined together in a century-old bespoke cask. With the only known century-old cask in Diageo Group, the number of bottles is extremely limited with only 330 bottles available.
Click on the picture to watch a dialog between Master Philip Lawson Johnston & Mrs. Vivi Shen
To commemorate two centuries in the lifetime of Johnnie Walker, Triwin invites one of the finest hand engravers of glass Master Philip Lawson Johnston, Specialist Hand Engraver of Glass By Appointment to Her Majesty The Queen and Mrs. Vivi Shen, General manager of Triwin and Whisky Boutique in Guangzhou, to lead a dialogue at Whisky Boutique Guangzhou. This dialogue included topics for Chinese whisky collectors and connoisseurs, covering the essentials of the final batch of the John Walker.
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“It is a great pleasure to have Master Philip Lawson Johnston participate in the ‘LAST CASK’ presentation on the eve of the Johnnie Walker 200th anniversary. We eagerly await a new Johnnie Walker revelation during the upcoming 200 years, with ‘LAST CASK’ marking the last batch ever in the John Walker Series.
It is truly a privilege to witness two extraordinary craftsmen - Philip Lawson Johnston, one of the finest hand engravers of glass and Dr. Jim Beveridge, one of world’s most respected whisky blenders - come together in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create beautiful, bespoke pieces of The John Walker Limited Edition. It is a great honor for the opportunity to reserve 24 sets of LAST CASK for whisky collectors in China, which fittingly encapsulates our vision in saluting the art, craftsmanship, heritage and creativity of Scotch." - Said by Mrs. Vivi Shen, General manager of Triwin and Whisky Boutique in Guangzhou.
Royal certification masters come together for presenting LAST CASK
LAST CASK, as the final batch of The John Walker series, is a combination of interpretations by royal certification masters based on the four-royal certifications of rare and noble respects, to create a collection of passed down statues.
With nearly 200 years of brand history, Johnnie Walker has played an important role in the artistic achievement of whisky blending and in promoting the globalization of whisky. This is inseparable from the six generations of Master Blenders’ contribution and the precious assets of more than 9 million casks storage.
Diamond Jubilee by John Walker & Sons
John Walker & Sons was granted a Royal Warrant by King George V to supply whisky to the royal household and still hold a Royal Warrant today. John Walker & Sons, Scotch Whisky Distillers By Appointment to Her Majesty The Queen, celebrates the occasion with the bottling of Diamond Jubilee By John Walker & Sons; a specially crafted blend of rare malt and grain Scotch Whiskies distilled in and maturing since 1952, the year she acceded to the throne. The creation of Diamond Jubilee by John Walker & Sons has been a once-in-a-lifetime privilege for Master Blender Jim Beveridge.
Photo: Dr. Jim Beveridge, Master Blender for Johnnie Walker, who was presented with his OBE medal (The Order of the British Empire) by Her Majesty during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle, in recognition of his remarkable career spanning almost four decades with whisky.
Premium liquids certified by the royal family require a precious crystal bottle for blessing. the French royal crystal brand, Baccarat bespoke the whisky bottle; and one of the world's most influential crystal engraving masters, the only Queen of England, the crystal seal Philip Lawson Johnston personally crafted by Hand Engraver of Glass to Her Majesty the Queen, highlighting the rarity of this elegant and sophisticated blended Scotch whisky.
Master Philip Lawson Johnston
Specialist Hand Engraver of Glass By Appointment of Her Majesty The Queen
Two limited-edition bottles Infusing Scottish roots and Classical Chinese Origin
British national treasure crystal engraver Philip Lawson Johnston involved the 60th anniversary of the Queen's exclusive "Diamond Jubilee" limited edition's crystal bottle engraving after an invitation in 2012.
The ‘LAST CASK’ is comprised of two carefully crafted limited-edition bottles - the Scottish commemorative edition and the Chinese commemorative edition. They are to feature exquisite images of Scottish and Chinese national treasures and landscapes engraved into their silhouettes. With two precious Baccarat crystal bottles, a bottle ring plated with 24K pure gold, concealed inside of a hand-made lacquered wooden box, production process requires more than 60 hours of crafting.
Inspired by its Scottish roots and classical Scottish tradition, the twelve-horned elk on the Scottish commemorative theme bottle is a symbol of the royal family. Behind the elk are the Scottish Highlands, the “Ghost Distilleries”, the Scottish flora, and Johnnie Walker's commemorative signature. This pays tribute to the founder of the brand, Mr. John Walker, who initiated a century of whisky brewing. In the specially created Chinese commemorative edition, the national treasures that have been passed down for thousands of years, such as the Panda, the Crane, the tallest GongGa mountain in Sichuan province-representing the courage and the ever-changing Koi fish, orchid, and bamboo. The two national treasures are available in China market.
Click on the picture to watch an exclusive interview with Master Philip Lawson Johnston
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