Question: How do you move the needle on one of the world's most famous brands? A brand that's existed long before you, and holds at its foundations one of the most iconic objects known to Man? And yet at the same time, and particularly in a world short on attention, requires constant appeal factor?

And that's perhaps the utmost challenge for Dr Emma Walker's role as the Master Blender of Johnnie Walker, of course the world's most recognisable and beloved blended Scotch.

It's been 3 years in and her impact has most certainly been felt! From creating the house's first specific flavour led interpretation of the legendary Johnnie Walker Blue Label (the Johnnie Walker Elusive Umami), to carrying on its legacy with the release of Johnnie Walker's oldest ever expression, the Johnnie Walker 52 Years Old, Dr Walker (no relation to the Walker family of Johnnie Walker), has shown a deft ability to push boundaries and bring Johnnie Walker where it's never been (a feat considering its 205 year history) whilst still keeping its core identity strong.

Dr Walker and Global Brand Ambassador Ewan Gunn walking us through the Couture Blend.

Yet, regardless of her array of creations, it's clear that what underpins each concept is its ability to bring Johnnie Walker to the front and center of an emergent new audience. Through her releases, she's enlisted the collaboration of the likes of Paris-based 3 Michelin Star Japanese chef Kei Kobayashi, actress and producer Priyanka Chopra, and now French fashion house Balmain's Creative Director, Olivier Rousteing. 

When you start working in a fashion house, you need to respect its codes. You begin by understanding the house, its legacy, and the team. Once the dialogue is established, you must not lose your personality. Day by day, you start to grow and become more yourself. It takes time and involves a lot of fights. But eventually, you know that your DNA is formed, and at this point, you develop it step by step.

Olivier Rousteing

Each new expression therefore transports the 205 year old house to new dimensions, and unto fresh eyes. It appears clear that no longer should Johnnie Walker simply stick to its Scotch street cred, but that the brand has its place amongst the finest food, lifestyle and fashion. It's versatile and plays well, even as it holds stedfast to its DNA. 

And so going back to the original question, this is how you marshal one of the world's most iconic brands forward two centuries on.

It appears therefore that Dr Walker has done the amazing work of staying true to Johnnie Walker's loyalists whilst also broadening its appeal to a wider set of patrons who see the brand as part of an all-inclusive lifestyle.

Dr Walker with Olivier Rousteing at the Johnnie Walker Vault in Edinburgh.

Now of course the proof is in the pudding, and we'll certainly put the new Couture Blend - the very collaboration with designer Olivier Rousteing - to the test shortly, but not before we dig into its details.

As part of the collaboration with Rousteing, Johnnie Walker had first created a highly limited set of four expressions (each named after one of the four seasons) which formed the Couture Expression series. The whiskies were drawn from Johnnie Walker's recent debut of its Vault experience which sees Dr Walker craft a bespoke one-of-a-kind Scotch blend for clients, endeavouring to capture their personal story and essence in the form of some of Johnnie Walker's most prized whiskies, which of course includes its Ghost distilleries, from Port Ellen and Brora, to Port Dundas and Cambus. And so having spent time with Rousteing, Dr Walker had thus crafted first the Couture Expression, and now the Couture Blend, which itself was released in celebration of Rousteing's 40th birthday.

The Johnnie Walker Vault Experience (at Princes Street, Edinburgh) is available for booking for those looking for a one of a kind, ultimate Scotch experience, and holds some 500+ samples of hand selected whiskies from across the Diageo stable - we had a little snippet of what the experience was like, which you can read all about here!

And of course the collaboration would be remiss if it didn't have Rousteing offer his own personal touch, which in this instance comes in the form of the whisky's decanter. "I wanted to create something that captures the tension between minimalism and maximalism, which sparks conversation and curiosity, and which is anchored in the present but feels futuristic and timeless at the same time," said Rousteing. The final crystal decanter was made by Baccarat. 

Now let's talk composition!

The Couture Blend is comprised of 10 whiskies, some of which are as well-aged as 40 years old, and they include 1980's and 1990's Benrinnes, Cragganmore and Cameronbridge, with then ghost distilleries, Caledonian and Port Dundas, and finally experimental whiskies from Cardhu, Teaninich and Roseisle (with the likes of an ex-wine cask from Roseile, and a Teaninich made with a unique chocolate malt process).

And so with all that said, let's give it a go!

Whisky Review: Johnnie Walker Vault x Olivier Rousteing The Couture Blend, 44.8% ABV

Tasting Notes

Colour: Deep amber.

Aroma: We definitely get that familiar Johnnie Walker Blue-style profile, but everything here feels deeper and redder in tone. Opens for me with a mix of rich dried fruits and nuts, candied apples and soft red berries wrapped in caramel and biscuit notes.

There’s a warm layer of baking spices, along with candied orange, toasted orange peels. Beneath that, a faint slate-like mineral touch and a light malt gristiness, a soft meadowy note and a gentle smoked floral character sit in the background.

Taste: Full-bodied right from the start, with smooth but clearly structured tannins. It opens on aromatic European oak, dark chocolate and herbal spices before moving into caramel, light toffee, stewed apples and honey. There’s a distinct note of caramelised dried pineapple slices that adds some sweetness and acidity. A slight leathery touch appears mid-palate and the oak’s presence becomes clearer as it carries more tannic grip, though it stays balanced and never overwhelms the fruit and spice.

Finish: Long and steady, fading out on autumn leaves and light smoked heather. The dried floral tones linger softly and gradually, keeping the finish aromatic rather than heavy.

My Thoughts

This feels like a spiced, nutty, European-oak-driven take on the Johnnie Walker house style, with a sense of maturity and quiet depth. While oak is tuned slightly up, the texture still kept gentle.

The peat is very subtle; more of a garnish, which makes sense considering that much older Islay malts the likes of Port Ellen are at play here. Different flavour “segments” are well present - you get orchard and berry fruit sweetness, savoury oak spice, very gentle smoke, dried florals, each sitting in its own layer but pulling together into a well-integrated whole.

It evolves steadily rather than dramatically, and the complexity is there if you sit with it. A very thoughtful, well-polished blend that explores another side of the Johnnie Walker flavour wheel.

Just 39 bottles of The Couture Blend are available in Singapore, sold exclusively at Marina Bay Sands and The Whisky Distillery at prices starting from SGD$3,988.

@CharsiuCharlie