JOHNNIE WALKER ANNOUNCES FIFTH RELEASE IN JOHNNIE WALKER BLUE LABEL GHOST AND RARE SERIES WITH EXCLUSIVE NFT DROP

New Scotch celebrates the famous Glasgow distillery of Port Dundas, launching with the release of 75 limited edition Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare available on BlockBar.com

NEW YORK, September 1, 2022 – Johnnie Walker, the world’s number one Scotch Whisky¹ , is excited to offer whisky lovers the opportunity to own an extremely limited edition Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare Port Dundas Master Set. To bring the Master Set to collectors globally, Johnnie Walker partners with BlockBar.com (the world's first direct to consumer NFT marketplace for luxury wine and spirits) and Vayner3 (the Web3 consultancy under the umbrella VaynerX, founded by serial entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk).

The limited edition Johnnie Walker Ghost and Rare series is crafted using irreplaceable “ghost” whiskies and other incredibly rare expressions from the unparalleled Johnnie Walker reserves used to create the award-winning Johnnie Walker Blue Label. This latest release explores the character of exceptional and rare whiskies from one of world’s most famous Grain Whisky distilleries, the Glasgow “ghost” distillery of Port Dundas.

This renowned distillery, nestled on the banks of the Forth and Clyde Canal, shipped its distinct scotch from Glasgow to ports across the world for nearly 200 years. Built in 1811, Port Dundas became a whisky blending powerhouse known for its distinctive sweet and delicate grain character before it closed in 2010.

In commemoration of the fifth installment and first Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare release from Master Blender Emma Walker, collectors can secure 1 of 75 limited edition Ghost and Rare Port Dundas Master Sets exclusively available on BlockBar.com. The Master Sets feature a physical 1L bottle with signature by Emma Walker; the NFT bottle (digital version of the bottle); a unique digital art piece by award-winning generative AI artist and photographer, Ivona Tau; and access to an exclusive virtual storytelling experience with Emma Walker and Ivona Tau where they will share their inspiration behind their respective masterpieces. Those who burn their NFT will have priority access to the next Diageo drop on BlockBar.com. 

Ivona’s NFT art in this Master Set draws inspiration from the vital element and force of nature, water, and builds upon her “Under the Waves” project. Her process consisted of multiple stages of AI to create 75 unique NFTs that capture the juxtaposition between the constant flow of water and the water tamed within each bottle of Ghost and Rare Port Dundas. Each of the 75 NFTs will differ, making them as rare as the whisky itself.

Ivona Tau says: “It’s incredible to see global brands like Johnnie Walker investing in digital creators to bring visibility to our work. I am proud to have had the opportunity to collaborate with Johnnie Walker and share my artistic vision of this limited-edition whisky release with communities in Web3.”  

The exclusive Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare Master Sets are a celebration of Port Dundas’ legacy, the incredible craftsmanship of Johnnie Walker Master Blender Emma Walker and the Web3 cultural revolution.

The Johnnie Walker team of expert whisky makers, led by Johnnie Walker Master Blender Emma Walker, handpicked the most distinctive expressions of maturing whisky from Port Dundas for this new limited edition. Walker chose a small number of distinctive, aged whiskies from the Johnnie Walker reserves, all matured in two different wood types to add depth and layers to the blend. Ghost and Rare Port Dundas features a touch of creamy vanilla notes from whiskies aged in second fill American oak casks and subtle wood spice from scotch matured in first fill highly charred American oak casks.

“Port Dundas was, in its day, one of the finest Grain Whisky distilleries in the world and the rare expressions that we have chosen from our reserves are some of the most distinctive it has ever produced. Their slow maturation allows the sweet and delicate Grain character to blossom,” Emma says. “These rare whiskies highlight the distillery character of Port Dundas, perfectly showcasing the wonderful depth of flavor that this Grain Whisky brings to Johnnie Walker Blue Label. It’s incredible character inspired us to create something truly extraordinary that pays proper tribute to the whisky makers of this storied Glasgow distillery.”

To complement the fragrant wood spice character of Port Dundas, Emma and her team hand-selected two other “ghost” whiskies from the distilleries of Cambus and Brora² before combining these with other very rare scotch from five iconic distilleries. Creamy, wood notes from Port Dundas embrace the vanilla and soft smoke from the “ghost” whiskies of Cambus and original stocks of Brora. Other very rare whiskies from Cameronbridge and Glenkinchie reveal notes of spiced apples alongside Clynelish, Dailuaine and Auchroisk, bringing aromas of peaches and berries.

This exclusive NFT opportunity follows the successful Web3 campaigns for the launch of Johnnie Walker Masters of Flavour 48-Year-Old and the Johnnie Walker VeeFriends Gift Goat collaboration earlier this year.

In celebration of the pioneering achievements of Emma Walker and Ivona Tau, Johnnie Walker is creating more opportunities for women to achieve their goals with a dedicated business grant through IFundWomen - the go-to funding marketplace for women-owned businesses. IFundWomen is an ongoing partner in the Johnnie Walker ‘First Strides’ initiative, which aims to celebrate and enable people and organizations moving culture forward.

“For our second NFT release, we chose to create the Ghost and Rare Port Dundas Master Set because it allows us to take the consumer into the Johnnie Walker world, beyond the tasting of whisky, and explore our iconic, rare reserves,” says Sophie Kelly, Senior Vice President of Whiskies, DIAGEO North America. “As a leader in whisky innovation and a champion of collective progress, Johnnie Walker will continue to foster meaningful relationships with consumers by championing the creators and community leaders in Web3. Stay tuned for more exciting collaborations on the horizon.”

“BlockBar unlocks exclusive access to some of the scarcest liquids in the world and we're proud to be partnering with one of the most iconic whisky brands for the launch of its Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare Port Dundas,” says Dov Falic, BlockBar co-founder & CEO. “One of our missions at BlockBar is to support women in wine, spirits and web3 so we’re also delighted to support IFundWomen through this collaboration.”

"We are thrilled to partner with Johnnie Walker and the broader Diageo portfolio, as the company continues their journey in Web3, focusing on empowering creators and building exclusive community experiences that speak to their heritage, craftsmanship, and authenticity," said Avery Akkineni, President of Vayner3. "The latest Johnnie Walker Ghost and Rare x Ivona Tau collaborative launch on Blockbar.com will be an opportunity to deliver new and exciting experiences for both spirit collectors and the Web3 community."

The 75 limited edition Ghost and Rare Port Dundas Master Sets will drop on BlockBar.com at 10AM ET on Friday, September 9. The NFT priced at $775 USD (approx. 0.51 ETH) may be purchased from BlockBar.com with ETH or credit card. At 10AM, the first users to reserve the bottle will then have 10 minutes to checkout. Users who successfully check out will receive an NFT (digital version) representing a proof of authenticity and ownership of the physical bottle, which is stored with BlockBar until the bottle owner is ready to “burn” the NFT to redeem. Bottle owners can gift or resell this NFT on the BlockBar.com marketplace.