The new blend is now a permanent part of the iconic Johnnie Walker line-up for the channel; the launch event welcomed media from across Asia to the ‘Xordinaire hotel experience’ at The Sanya Edition Hotel, Hainan
Johnnie Walker launched travel retail exclusive Johnnie Walker Blue Label Xordinaire at a star-studded event in Hainan last week.
The new blend is now a permanent part of the iconic Johnnie Walker line-up for the channel and has been created using only 1 in 10,000 casks from the Johnnie Walker reserves of aged Scotch. A blend of its rarest Scotch whiskies finished in hand-selected XO Cognac casks, the Scotch provides all the depth of flavor from Johnnie Walker Blue Label, but with an inherent smoothness and sweetness. These elements come together for an extraordinary finish in the Johnnie Walker Blue Label Xordinaire – the perfect gift for travelers all over the world.
The launch welcomed media from across Asia to the ‘Xordinaire hotel experience’ at The Sanya Edition Hotel, Hainan. The event transformed the venue into a Parisian style boutique hotel, creating a space of discovery of the new Johnnie Walker travel variant. Fifty guests from the Asia Pacific region, including senior editors, influencers, and members of the Diageo Global Travel management team attended.
The experience was divided into three parts: The Connection of the Two Worlds, which included innovative tech-driven experiences to immerse guests in the story of this incredible liquid; The Art of Blending, featuring sensory table experiences and a master class on Johnnie Walker Blue Label hosted by Johnnie Walker Global Brand Ambassador, Ewan Gunn; and The Sensory Journey, which culminated in a gala dinner with gourmet dishes inspired by France and Scotland to pair beautifully with the delicious Xordinaire serves. The finale featured a celebratory experience with a French Chanson band performance and the launch of a cocktail created with Johnnie Walker Blue Label Xordinaire. An unforgettable and immersive sensory journey of flavor to introduce this extraordinary whisky to the world.
More than thirty years ago, Johnnie Walker Blue Label was launched as a travel retail exclusive; it is now available everywhere as a beacon of rare luxury and craft. Xordinaire marks a new chapter in Blue Label history and follows in the same footsteps. The edition was announced as a travel retail exclusive in September with a series of immersive airport experiences around the world – including Singapore, Paris, London, Dubai and Taiwan – showcasing the new Scotch.
Inspired by a French boutique hotel, the experience features an elevator experience and a sampling bar. Travelers can check out the digital guestbook to take part in a tasting with a bespoke chocolate pairing created in partnership with renowned French chocolatier, Arnaud Larher. Passengers can then purchase a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label Xordinaire and explore the luxury gifting and personalization station.
Johnnie Walker Master Blender Emma Walker said, “Johnnie Walker Blue Label Xordinaire is an exuberance to be shared, a sumptuously smooth Scotch with a soft spice aftertaste. This is a luxurious and vibrant Scotch bursting with notes of dried fruit, toasted toffee and sun-ripened black cherry. Bright orchard fruits shine through velvety smoothness, with flashes of peach and soft spice surging upward.”
Andrew Cowan, Managing Director of Diageo Global Travel, said, "Johnnie Walker Blue Label Xordinaire marks an exciting step forward in the story of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, and it represents our most significant worldwide launch in travel retail to date. Our goal is to enhance and confirm Johnnie Walker Blue Label a symbol of luxury that appeals to a wide range of spirit enthusiasts. With this new expression of the iconic Blue Label, we've crafted an offering that caters to both aficionados who seek exclusivity and those looking for a sweeter and smoother flavor experience. It is worth remembering that Blue Label was first created as an exclusive for travel retail over thirty years ago, so this is another moment of Blue Label history in the making."
Larher, Meilleur Ouvrier de France, added, “For inspiration, I looked for a most beautiful harmony with this very aromatic and characterful whisky so that travelers can truly immerse themselves in the luxury world of Johnnie Walker Blue Label. Our chocolate, the Guérande, is topped with caramel that is not too cooked, with a slight bitterness, it has a silky texture, with a sweet and salty undertone. It is coated in a thin layer of dark chocolate, this chocolate has a nice roundness in the mouth, well balanced, with notes of dried fruits. The marriage is just perfect.”
