The world’s most popular whisky maker has released a limited edition whisky to celebrate the Queens 60th Jubilee. Johnnie Walker unveiled its Diamond Jubilee whisky in Sydney to a group of the media recently. Only 60 bottles of the exclusive drink were made, 17 of which have already been scooped up by collectors all over the world. The makers plan to sell the remaining bottles throughout the course of the year, with proceeds going to one of the Queens charities.
A global brand representative accompanied the only touring bottle to Oz, where he detailed the making of the whisky. Both the drink and the bottle it is held in have been carefully and meticulously crafted.
According to TheShout.com.au this is what he had to say:
Johnnie Walker has already sold more than 20 bottles of its extremely rare Diamond Jubilee whisky, which was exclusively unveiled to Sydney’s liquor trade media last night.
Diageo Australia last night played host to the world’s only touring bottle of Diamond Jubilee, which was produced by John Walker & Sons to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s 60 years of reign.
Only 60 bottles of Diamond Jubilee have been made available for sale with an incredible £100,000 ($156,000) price tag. Profits will be directed to the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust, a Royal charity that celebrates the preservation and conservation of craftsmanship.
John Walker & Sons global brand ambassador Jonathan Driver personally escorted the Diamond Jubilee bottle to Sydney, where he detailed the steps behind the selection process in which master blender, Jim Beveridge explored deep within the distiller’s stocks to find exquisite whiskies suitable for the blend.
The liquid was crafted using a unique blend of grain and malt whiskies that have been distilled and matured since 1952 (the year the Queen acceded to the throne). It was placed in two small marrying casks of English Oak from the Queen’s Sandringham Estate before being bottled in bespoke diamond-shaped hand blown Baccarat crystal decanters on February 6 this year – exactly 60 years since the Queen took to the throne.
The specially-made decanters of Diamond Jubilee stand on a base of six radial legs, each reflecting one decade of the Queen’s reign. Each bottle is decorated with Britannia silver adornments, the John Walker & Sons Royal Warrant and a collar that features a half-carat diamond.
Driver last night revealed he had already sold 17 bottles of the Diamond Jubilee to buyers spread across every continent.
“The intention is to sell the 60 during the course of this year,” he said.
For connoisseur’s it may be easy to tell the difference between various whiskies. But for those less versed in whisky trivia, it may be confusing to try and choose between different types of whisky. What is the best whisky, Scotch, Bourbon, Tennessee, Irish, there is so much variety that it can be overwhelming.
Whisky basically is any alcohol distilled from fermented grain mash. All whiskies are distilled at a minimum of 40% alcohol by volume. The difference between the various whiskeys relies mostly on the type of grain used for the mash.
Scotch
Whisky is made from fermented grain mash however scotch is made from malted Barley. Most Scotch makers use a base of barley, water and yeast to produce Scotch. The spirit must be aged in oak casks for no less than three years. Finally, like Champagne comes only from the particular region in France with the same name, you cannot call your drink Scotch unless it was made 100% in Scotland.
Bourbon
Bourbon whisky must be made from a grain mixture which is at least 51% corn. The fermentation process for this mixture is often started by mixing in some mash from an older already fermenting batch, a process known as sour mash. Bourbon can only be labelled as Bourbon if it was made in the United States.
The spirit must be distilled to no more than 80% alcohol (160 proof), aged in new charred oak barrels. Finally Bourbon has no minimum aging period, but to call your product Straight Bourbon it must be aged for no less than two years and contain no additives.
Tennessee Whiskey
This whisky is straight bourbon made in the state of Tennessee. The people who produce this spirit, such as Jack Daniels, don’t want their whisky called a Bourbon, claiming that they are the only type of whisky which puts the spirit through a charcoal filtering process. As a result the drink is given a different name but is made the same way as Bourbon.
Irish Whisky
Irish whisky is Whisky aged in the Republic of Ireland or in Northern Ireland. It is made from yeast-fermented grain mash. Irish whisky is aged for a minimum in 3 years in wooden casks.
So now that you know the difference give them a try and see which one you like best.
Posted by Peter Cutforth
