The Johnnie Walker Master’s Cut is a highly limited edition that distills 40 years of understanding, knowledge and experience
Lovers of Johnnie Walker should be familiar with the name, Dr Jim Beveridge OBE. The former master blender spent at least four decades with the brand, before retiring in December 2021 to devote his life to sheep farming in the Scottish Highlands—a life well-deserved for one of the most respected individuals in the industry. Beveridge, belied by his steadfast modesty, was responsible for some of the world’s most popular whisky blends, including the beloved Johnnie Walker Blue Label.
His lifetime of dedication to the craft was integral to upholding the brand’s legacy, which is now marked by the Johnnie Walker Master’s Cut, the cherry on top of Beveridge’s illustrious career. As his swan song, the Master’s Cut is a highly limited edition that distills 40 years of understanding, knowledge and experience, celebrating the very essence of blending and Scotch.
“The whisky looks to the future, while also recognising the achievements of the past,” says Beveridge. “It’s an exercise in simplicity, doing more with less to create something which has a uniquely complex character. Ultimately, we take great whiskies and combine them in ways which create amazing new expressions of blended Scotch”
Made at a crucial turning point, when the baton was being passed on to Emma Walker, the current master blender, the Master’s Cut comprises whiskies from two Scottish distilleries: a light single grain whisky with notes of vanilla from Cameronbridge, one of the oldest distilleries used in Johnnie Walker’s family of blends; and a full-flavoured fruity single malt from Roseisle, Diageo’s young distillery with a knack for turning simple into profound. It’s a fine marriage that’s simple yet perfectly balanced with a rich, smooth, candy-like quality that makes you think of sweet butterscotch, crisp fruit, elderflower and cherry blossom.
Only 1,000 bottles (700ml, 40 per cent ABV) are available for purchase globally, with 12 allocated to The Whisky Distillery in Singapore. Yours for a retail selling price of £1,000.
