Diageo Travel Retail reveals Johnnie Walker Black Ruby
Johnnie Walker Black Ruby has launched in global travel retail following a successful pilot launch in 2024.
“The sweetest expression of Johnnie Walker Black Label yet”, this fruit-forward whisky bursts with notes of bold berries to explore the rich depth of sweetness inspired by the iconic Johnnie Walker Black Label.
This permanent addition to the Johnnie Walker portfolio of Blended Scotch Whiskies made a bold entrance in 2024 with eye-catching pilot activations in Mexico City (Mexico), Sydney (Australia), and San Juan (Puerto Rico) and was announced by Diageo Global Travel at TFWA Cannes 2024.
Activations in key airports - including London Heathrow, Gatwick, Madrid, Paris, Bangalore, and Mumbai – teased the new whisky through engaging sampling experiences over recent months. UK travelers enjoyed tastings in both neat and simple serves, while February’s cocktail campaign introduced the ‘Ruby Ramble’ serve, aligning with peak travel periods and Valentine’s Day celebrations.
Johnnie Walker Black Ruby catches attention in Oman
Johnnie Walker Black Ruby is now set to roll out in airports across the Americas, MENA, and APAC in the coming months, with large-scale activations planned in key hubs such as Montreal, New York, Panama, Dubai, Bangkok, Sydney, and Auckland.
This is the first innovation inspired by Johnnie Walker Black Label from Johnnie Walker Master Blender Dr. Emma Walker and her dedicated team of expert whisky makers since she assumed the role of Master Blender in early 2022.
Carefully selected whiskies from Highland distilleries such as Clynelish create a rich creamy taste, expressions from Lowland distilleries such as Glenkinchie and Cameronbridge bring delicate vanilla notes and sweet fruitiness with light notes of persimmon respectively. Speyside whiskies such as Cardhu charge this Scotch with notes of red apples and berries before specially hand-selected whiskies from distilleries such as Caol Ila, from the famed whisky-making island of Islay, deliver a delicate sweet smokey finish.
Johnnie Walker Black Ruby is described as "something a little different" for curious, sophisticated and open-minded traveling consumers
Dr. Emma Walker commented, “With vibrant notes of rich raspberry jam, blackberry pie, and deep honeyed sweetness, Johnnie Walker Black Ruby tantalizes the palate with bold accents of figs, plums, and maraschino cherries. There is a subtle hint of spice and delicate smoke that adds to the complexity, creating a unique and vibrant energy in every sip.
“At the heart of Johnnie Walker Black Ruby is an expression from the boldly progressive distillery of Roseisle. Its sweet red berry notes and light, delicate green grass character are driven by our newest and one of our most innovative Single Malt distilleries. The team and I experimented with different distillation techniques at Roseisle, eventually focusing on a uniquely fruity distillate. This experimental whisky-making involved running fermentation for longer than usual to create amplified fruity notes. We also experimented with a longer distillation period for more copper contact in the whisky-making process, which allowed the team to remove some heavier notes in the expression.”
Andrew Cowan, Managing Director of Diageo Global Travel, said, “Johnnie Walker is a brand trusted and respected the world over. It is Travel Retail’s No.1 whisky brand (ISWR). We have always sought to excite and engage travelers and consumers of Scotch old and new. We believe Johnnie Walker Black Ruby is something a little different for our curious, sophisticated and open-minded travelling consumer.
“This is a Scotch for those seeking something for a different aperitif, something with which to craft a unique cocktail or just set the tone as the opening drink for a night ahead. We are thrilled to be able to bring this to our Travel Retail portfolio, it is truly something sweet and stylish in Scotch.”
