With a PhD in chemistry, more than a decade’s experience inside Diageo’s distilleries, and a key to 10 million casks of maturing Scotch, Dr Emma Walker treats the Johnnie Walker Vault as both laboratory and atelier
By the time whisky arrives in the glass, most enthusiasts notice only the finishing touches: the label, the age statement, or the crystal decanter shimmering in the light. For Dr Emma Walker, master blender at Johnnie Walker, the journey begins much earlier, in the chemistry of fermentation, distillation, and maturation. (And yes, the shared surname is a coincidence; Dr Walker is not related to the Johnnie Walker founding family.)
Trained as a research chemist with a PhD from the University of Sheffield, Dr Emma Walker joined Diageo in 2018, gaining experience across the entire production chain—from project scientist to hands-on operational roles. She returned to the blending team with a precise understanding of how flavour develops.
Today, she leads the Whisky Specialist Team in Menstrie, Scotland, overseeing access to more than 10 million casks from across the country. Her technical background underpins every decision, from cask selection to blending strategy.
Beneath the Johnnie Walker Experience in Edinburgh sits the Johnnie Walker Vault, an invite-only space she calls her creative atelier. Here, she curates a library of about 500 rare whiskies used for private blends, including the Olivier Rousteing-designed Couture Blend, of which Singapore received only 39 decanters. It is also where guests—some commissioning blends from £50,000—meet her one on one to translate memories, music, and milestones into a personalised creation.
Does your chemist background still shape your day-to-day decisions as a master blender?
The scientific mindset teaches you to be curious and methodical—to test, observe, and understand how small changes can make a big difference. That discipline is invaluable when you’re working with something as complex as whisky. When I’m
balancing texture, aroma and finish, I often think of it like a reaction: every element interacts in its own way, and part of the craft is predicting how they’ll come together.
What actually happens in a Vault session?
The Johnnie Walker Vault is a special place for me: an invite-only space hidden deep beneath the Johnnie Walker Experience in Edinburgh. In the Vault, I’ve curated 500 of Scotland’s rarest and most interesting whiskies, and from these I build stories for my guests.
Creating something like The Couture Blend isn’t a quick process. We’ll spend months sharing stories and experiences, nosing and tasting countless whiskies to find the right combination. You know a blend is complete when aroma, texture and finish come together in perfect balance; when it feels right.
How do you design a fair tasting path through 10 million casks and a rotating 500 whiskies?
Designing a tasting path is about storytelling. With 10 million casks available, it’s easy to get lost in the scale, so I approach it like curating an exhibition. Each whisky has a role, a character, a note that contributes to the journey. From the 500 whiskies I’ve chosen for the Vault, I identify the key flavours or textures I want to explore, then create a progression that lets each whisky shine while building towards a final narrative without overwhelming the palate.
Through the collaboration with Olivier Rousteing, what did translating fashion language into whisky teach you about communicating flavour to non-whisky creatives?
Working with Olivier was a wonderful reminder that flavour is a language, and like any language, it can be translated in different ways. Fashion has its own vocabulary, so I looked for parallels that made sense in whisky—talking about the architecture or heart of a whisky, or layering in a way that echoes how fabrics drape and contrast. It taught me that communicating flavour is as much about storytelling and emotion as it is about tasting notes.
For our Singapore readers who love Blue Label but are Vault-curious, how should they train their palate to appreciate texture and layering at the Private Blend level?
For anyone who is familiar with Johnnie Walker Blue Label but is curious about whiskies such as The Couture Blend, the key is to slow down, and to pay attention. Start by exploring texture. Notice how the whisky moves across your palate, the weight, the creaminess or silkiness. Then focus on layering: how different flavours emerge in sequence, from the first sip to the finish. A simple way to practise at home is to taste two whiskies side by side and compare, taking notes on aroma, texture and flavour as they evolve. It’s a small exercise, but it trains your senses to appreciate depth and storytelling.
This story first appeared in the January 2025 issue. Purchase it as a print or digital copy, or consider subscribing to us here
