Johnnie Walker Targets Ultra-Luxury Tier With “New Vision For Collectible Scotch”
April 29, 2025Johnnie Walker blended Scotch whisky is by far the most valuable spirits brand in the world, with global retail value of $9.4 billion last year on volume of 20.3 million 9-liter cases, according to Impact Databank. That’s nearly twice the retail value of its closest competitor, Brown-Forman’s Jack Daniel’s Tennessee whiskey. Johnnie Walker owner Diageo is now focused on continuing to burnish the brand’s luxury credentials, unveiling a series of limited-edition whiskies under its Johnnie Walker Vault platform.
“While Johnnie Walker is already celebrated worldwide, there is still a significant opportunity to break through in the luxury space by offering rare and meticulously crafted new expressions,” Johnnie Walker global brand director Jennifer English told SND.
The Johnnie Walker Vault is aimed at highlighting unique blended whiskies and luxury-focused collaborations. At the heart of the Vault, located at Johnnie Walker Princes Street in Edinburgh, Scotland, is a collection of whiskies created by master blender Emma Walker. At any given time, the Vault will showcase a selection of whiskies from a pool of 500, including bottlings from ghost distilleries and some of the company’s rarest aged stocks.
Today Diageo announced the first limited editions to come out of the Vault, a collaboration with French designer Olivier Rousteing called Couture Expression. The new offering includes four different blends each named for a season of the year and incorporating rare whiskies from the Vault. The Spring bottling, for example, includes 1985 Cragganmore, 1977 Caledonian, and 1978 Port Ellen. Presented in square Baccarat crystal decanters, all four of the new whiskies are bottled at 45.8% abv and command $20,000 a 700-ml. bottle.
With the new initiative, English says Johnnie Walker is “offering a bold new vision for collectible Scotch.” She adds that the company continues to see premiumization at the luxury level, driven by “consumers who increasingly value craftsmanship, authenticity, and unique experiences. It is more than just a trend; it’s a fundamental shift in how consumers engage with both whisky and luxury brands as a whole.
“Looking ahead,” English continues, “we anticipate that this segment will become even more discerning and experience driven. Innovation within the luxury sector through limited editions, bespoke blends, and immersive experiences will be key, and the Johnnie Walker Vault offers this to the modern luxury consumer.”
The Johnnie Walker Vault whiskies follow other recent efforts to recruit younger consumers to high-end Johnnie Walker Blue. According to English, launches such as Johnnie Walker Blue Label Elusive Umami and Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ice Chalet “have sparked considerable excitement, welcoming new younger luxury consumers to the brand.”
As it expands Johnnie Walker’s offering at the luxury end, Diageo has also been looking to attract new consumers to the brand with innovation efforts at various price points. “We extended Johnnie Walker to recruit a more diverse consumer with Johnnie Walker Blonde, which is now expanding from Latin America and the Caribbean to Europe, following its success in Brazil,” noted Diageo CEO Debra Crew recently. “Notably, 60% of those trialing Johnnie Walker Blonde were female. And importantly, 76% of volume came from outside whisky, with 30% from beer.
“More recently we launched Johnnie Walker Black Ruby, an accessible sweeter liquid compared with Johnnie Walker Black Label,” Crew added. “Tested in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Australia, it sourced 77% of volume in Mexico from outside of Scotch, with 20% from beer and wine, delivering a repeat purchase rate of just under 70%. And we are only starting its rollout.”—Daniel Marsteller
Tagged : Diageo, Johnnie Walker
