What better way to celebrate over four decades in a beloved career than to crack open a bottle of scotch? Beginning his career as an analytical chemist at Johnnie Walker in the 1980s, Jim Beveridge — good name for someone in the beverage industry — worked his way up to the role of Master Blender, a position he’s held for over two decades. The third and final release in the Johnnie Walkers Masters series, the Johnnie Walker Masters of Flavour represents one of the final releases before Beveridge retires at the end of the year.
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Seeing off his lengthy tenure at Johnnie Walker in style, Beveridge united three masters of the whisky world to create the Masters of Flavour, with Malt Master, Donna Anderson; Cask Master, James Carson; and Distillation Master, Douglas Murray involved in the release. Aged 48 years and priced at an eye-watering $35,500 AUD, the Johnnie Walker Masters of Flavour comprises seven ultra-rare whiskeys, several of which are drawn from the ‘ghost’ distilleries of Glyn Albyn, Brora, Port Dundas, and Glenury Royal. The three remaining expressions are courtesy of iconic distilleries Cameronbridge, Dalwhinnie, and Blair Athol.
“It’s a unique collaboration of craftsmanship making exceptional Scotch; these are relationships that we have nurtured through 30 years of working in whisky,” said Beveridge of the release. “It’s an honour to pay tribute to those experts.”
The resultant tipple? “Masters of Flavour has a soft and gentle smoke, reminiscent of seaweed and salty air, which gives way to rich dried fruits,” Johnnie Walker adumbrated in a somewhat poetic press release. “Notes of molasses linger before smoke gently weaves back through the senses. These aromas give way to rich fruit flavours bursting with currants before a gentle spice starts to build on the palate. Cinnamon-infused apples combine with star anise, crushed peppercorn and warming oak embers, enveloped in waves of baked caramel and rich butterscotch before culminating in a gentle and warming smoke in the finish.”
Housed in a bottle befitting its five-figure price tag, the Johnnie Walker Masters of Flavour is presented in a striking rectangular emerald green Baccarat crystal decanter stoppered with a sparkling crystal, with the bottle itself sitting within a bespoke oak cabinet.
Words by T. Angel
