Johnnie Walker House Singapore opens its doors

Johnnie Walker House Singapore is effectively an embassy for Johnnie Walker – one that’s growing internationally alongside with the whisky explosion.

Johnnie Walker House Singapore marks the twelfth addition to the network, which also includes Shanghai, Beijing, Seoul, Chengdu, Taipei, Mumbai, Johannesburg, Auckland, Dubai and Amsterdam.

Located at Diageo’s Singapore office, Johnnie Walker House overlooks what was once a historical trading port near the mouth of the Singapore River, a place where the first bottles of Johnnie Walker would have passed through many, many years ago.

Access to Johnnie Walker House Singapore is offered to private collectors and fine whisky enthusiasts only by personal invitation. It’s their first by-invite-only private suite for connoisseurs (and pretty much hardcore fans), who will get direct access to Diageo’s prestige range of its rarest and collectible scotch whiskies.

Of interest to collectors and hardcore fans alike are the rarest expressions of blended and single malt Scotch whiskies from Diageo’s distilleries, both open and closed. For the ‘completionists’, it’s a rare opportunity to get their hands on distillery bottlings that rarely appear on retail or on the secondary market.

You can also expect rare blends from the John Walker & Sons Collection, including the John Walker & Sons Master Blenders Collection, which pays tribute to the Master Blenders of Johnnie Walker.

The popular range of Special Releases will also be available. Released yearly, these feature some of the rarest, most highly sought-after single malt distilleries of Scotland, such as Brora and Port Ellen, or hard-to-find whiskies like Pittyvaich and Dailuaine, which rarely turn up in independent bottlings, let alone official ones.

“In Asia, there is rapid growth of interest in rare whisky not only as a collectible asset, but also for investing and gifting,” said Apurvi Sheth, Managing Director Emerging South East Asia and Joint Ventures, Diageo. “As consumers become more discerning, they are also actively seeking out access and rare experiences.”

As such, Johnnie Walker House will also be home to a private client team of specialists who will be able to advise on whisky cellar curation – as well as a more personal service. Serious buyers will virtually be granted direct access to Diageo’s blending rooms, distilleries and craftsmen – including the Master Blender himself, Dr Jim Beveridge.

Guests will also have exclusive access to services such as the John Walker & Sons bespoke Signature Blend and unique Casks of Distinction programme.

Both offer you an opportunity to own something completely exclusive and unique; get Dr Beveridge to create a bespoke blend for you, or pick out an extraordinary cask from a collection set aside once a year for the programme. They weren’t kidding when they said that they were offering an unforgettable experience – set up within the premises is a teleconference system that lets you speak to the Master Blenders and Distillers who will help you obtain the bespoke blend or single cask bottling of your whim.

Understandably, this isn’t quite everyday drinking stuff, unless it’s peanuts to you to begin with of course. But ultimately it is rather fascinating to see that we’ve come a point where it has become necessary for companies like Diageo to address this gap in the market. To evoke that old cliché, it is what it is. “Over the last 5 years, there has been rapid growth of interest in rare whisky as collectables, evidenced also by the success of our Johnnie Walker House limited editions,” said Lawrence Law, Global Director for Johnnie Walker.

I’ll say. Keep on walking, indeed!