Diageo is raising a glass to the women behind some of their most famous labels with the introduction of their Craftswomen project – and two new whiskeys. Bulleit Blenders’ Select, crafted by Bulleit Blender Eboni Major, and Jane Walker, created by Johnnie Walker Master Blender Emma Walker, will both hit shelves this spring.
“We could not be prouder to debut this fantastic line up of limited-edition whiskies that will introduce more people to the incredibly skilled women behind these iconic brands. This is yet another step in our ongoing commitment to becoming an industry leader in equality and inclusivity through impact driving programming and product innovation,” shared Sophie Kelly, Senior Vice President of Whiskies, Diageo North America.
Bulleit Blenders’ Select No. 001 will be a blend of three of the distillery’s ten high-rye bourbon recipes bottled at 100 proof. For this batch, the distillery tells us to look for “notes of vanilla bean, honey, dried fruit and toasted oak, as well as a smooth finish with a lingering of sweet cream and fruit wine decadence.” The first blend, crafted by Major as a limited-time offering, will be followed by others to give the blending team at Bulleit the opportunity to flex their creativity.
“Bulleit is a frontier whiskey, meaning we are always looking for new ways to challenge convention,” said Major in a press release. “Being given the creative freedom to take the traditionally higher rye experience that Bulleit is synonymous with and craft something brand new is an incredible honor and is also what makes my job so fun! Fruit-forward, rich and delightfully complex, Bulleit Bourbon Blenders’ Select No. 001 is a true expression of who I am as a blender. I am thrilled to be taking risks and pushing boundaries at Bulleit and in the world of whiskey alongside other women who are also making waves in the industry.”
Diageo has also announced the release of Jane Walker scotch, a 10-year blend featuring whisky from Cardhu in Speyside. Jane Walker is crafted by Emma Walker, who has the run of an inventory of over 10,000,000 casks of maturing whisky in distilleries across Scotland. She selected Cardhu as a nod to Elizabeth Cumming, who ran the almost 200-year-old distillery back in the 19th century and subsequently sold it to the Walker family in 1893. We’re told the 83.8 proof whisky will features “notes of ripe orchard fruit and white peaches, which develop into hints of baked apple and sweet cream, with a lingering dark chocolate finish.”
“Jane Walker by Johnnie Walker is a celebration of the pioneering women who stretched boundaries throughout the history of Johnnie Walker, and the whisky is an excellent example of the depth of flavor and innovative blends we can create from our incredible reserves,” said Walker in a press release.
Bulleit Blenders’ Select and Jane Walker will be hitting shelves in the coming months for suggested retail prices of around $50 and $38 respectively.
