Walker Red Rye an homage to U.S. whiskies

That Johnnie Walker is a colorful gent. There are the familiar labels for its Black, Red, Blue, Gold and so on. Now, the blended Scotch whisky giant has unveiled Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch Red Rye Finish.

The new product is finished in used rye casks for about six months after first aging in first fill American white oak casks. The distiller says it took more than 50 experiments exploring 203 malt and grain whisky samples to come up with what it just put on sale. It was created using a blend of just four whiskies, including Cardhu single malt and a vanilla grain whisky from Port Dundas.

Master blender Jim Beveridge says the new whisky was "inspired by my own fascination with the bold flavors of American whiskies which first developed while I was working with bourbons and ryes in Louisville, KY, in the 1990s. When making blended Scotch whisky, we like to think ‘from the bar back,’ ensuring bartenders and people at home have the perfect liquids at hand to serve neat, on the rocks, or as the foundation of a flawless Scotch-based cocktail.”

He calls Red Rye Finish "smooth, sweet and deliberately light –- to my mind, the complex character of Scotch given an exciting twist inspired by the best traditional American whiskey flavors.”

Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch Red Rye Finish is coming to market this month at a suggested retail price of $25.

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