Diageo unveils its First Bottle Personalisation Experience, Fuelled by Generative AI

The Johnnie Walker x Scott Naismith collaboration will offer guests the chance to co-create a personalised, one-of-a-kind Johnnie Walker Blue Label bottle with the Scottish Artist

The experience is powered by ‘Project Halo’, a Diageo Breakthrough Innovation for brands and consumers to co-create unique products

23 JULY 2024, EDINBURGH: Johnnie Walker Princes Street, the World’s Leading Spirit Tourism Experience*, is inviting guests to discover Johnnie Walker x Scott Naismith, a Generative AI-powered experience that allows guests to co-design a personalised bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label. Only available at the Edinburgh venue, the experience is set to run from August 1-31 2024, and is believed to be the first ever to combine world-class Scotch whisky, art, and AI.

The experience will prompt visitors to answer three simple questions that will influence key themes in Scottish artist Scott Naismith’s work, ultimately impacting their bottle design. The simple prompts will generate various colours, locations, artistic styles, and times of day, resulting in a unique bottle that will be printed in a matter of minutes.

The experience is powered by ‘Project Halo’, a Diageo Breakthrough Innovation that allows brands and consumers to co-create personalised label designs/product artwork. The technology, powered by Generative AI, empowers consumers to co-create designs on Diageo products in a way that is bespoke to them and relevant to the worlds they are passionate about.

The launch comes as consumers increasingly search for unique experiences and products that signal belonging, status, and personality, whether it’s for themselves or others. Consumers are going beyond the most up-to-date cultural movements, seeking things that feel entirely original, with personalisation now a necessity.

Diageo’s Breakthrough Innovation team is committed to actively looking for partners to collaborate with to test and learn Breakthrough ideas. ‘Project Halo’ continues this commitment, with Diageo partnering with industry-leading experts including Phantom, Amazon AWS, Hybrid Software, GMG and Roland DG. For example, Diageo has leveraged the latest developments in Generative AI through Amazon’s Titan bedrock model, which ensures the ethical protection of artist work whilst allowing consumers to co-create.

The Johnnie Walker x Scott Naismith experience will be available for a limited time, and guests will be able to access it with every purchase of Johnnie Walker Blue Label in the venue’s retail store throughout August. The bottle design element can be complemented at no extra charge by a bookable expert-led tasting of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, as well as a guided tasting of the incredibly special limited edition Johnnie Walker Blue Label ‘Elusive Umami’, in the rooftop Explorers’ Bothy bar.

Will Harvey, Senior Global Innovation Manager at Diageo, added: “This is the first pilot in a wider platform that the Breakthrough Innovation team is exploring, looking at how we can use AI responsibly to enable co-collaboration between fans and artists. Demand for personalisation shows no signs of slowing down, so we’re delighted to offer the chance to create one-of-a-kind AI-enabled designs with Scott. With Johnnie Walker Princes Street’s previous experience of using AI to enhance customer experiences, it’s the perfect place for us to launch this innovative offer to the world.”

Rob Maxwell, Head of Johnnie Walker Princes Street, said: “Since opening, Johnnie Walker Princes Street has striven to become a leader in using the power of AI to personalise guests’ experiences. Johnnie Walker x Scott Naismith is an exciting new step in our commitment to offering those with various tastes and interests something completely different from what’s available in the whisky experience market. This partnership is a true one-of-a-kind, and we can’t wait to see the designs our guests will print on their bottles.”

Consumers can book the Johnnie Walker x Scott Naismith experience (£240) here: https://bit.ly/3W5R12v

¹IWSR 2024

About Diageo

Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands across spirits and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, J&B and Buchanan’s whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray, and Guinness.

Diageo is a global company, and our products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and the New York Stock Exchange (DEO). For more information about Diageo, our people, our brands, and performance, visit us at www.diageo.com. Visit Diageo’s global responsible drinking resource, www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice.

House of Suntory Tsukuriwake 2024 Set Description

We will be selling this product for £3750 (£3125 ex VAT). For this product we are offering free international delivery.

The 2024 Tsukruiwake Selection features four boundry-pushing single malts from Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries exploring artisanship through diversity of making. Raw ingredient selection, peating levels and fermentation, distillation and maturation techniques are expertly balanced by Suntory blenders to explore the full range of expressions of what a single malt can be.

The Yamazaki Golden Promise is composed from Golden Promise barley. First grown in Scotland in the 1960s, this varietal is revered for its flavour and malting characteristics. Combined with aging in American Oak casks, the nuances of the Yamazaki base are accentuated through a malty and rich character, with sweet, fruity and citrus notes.

Islay peat imparts one of scotch whisky’s most distinctive flavours, venerated globally for its distinctive smokiness. The Yamazaki Islay Peated Malt balances the smoky quality with a characteristic sweetness, borne from the unique water and maturation processes that define Yamazaki whisky. This marriage of traditions is especially present on the nose, where gentle smoke meets a hint of biscuit.

Through years of experimentation, our blenders have discovered the secret to the treasures of Mizunara casks: time. A long maturation period imparts unmistakeable spiciness and notes of sandalwood and aloe upon the Yamazaki. As a result, Yamazaki Mizunara Aged 18 Years is a pleasingly complex, rich and elegant whisky, where fruit, spice and wood notes engage to inspire the senses.

The Hakushu Peated Malt Aged 18 Years exemplifies the art of marrying ingredients, techniques and terroir. Throughout their long history of using peated malt, House of Suntory blenders have harnessed Hakushu’s climate to unveil intricate layers of flavour from the peated malt’s robust smoke character. Long maturation catalyzed by Hakushu’s exceptionally pure water reveals a wave of clean smoke, deepening into herbaceous mineral notes and undertones of ripe apples.

Please contact our Prestige Team on prestige@whiskyshop.com for more information on purchasing this product. Please include your name, telephone number, delivery destination and the name of the product.

Free Next Day Delivery for 12 Months For just £14.95 you can enjoy free next day delivery on all your orders for a whole year! Geographic restrictions apply, see full T&Cs. Find out more ❯

GLENTURRET 2024 RELEASE

The Glenturret distillery’s 2024 release is now available at The Whisky Exchange. Made up of eight single malts crafted by the legendary whisky maker, Bob Dalgarno, this year’s collection features six core releases and two rare single malts aged for 23 and 30 years and limited to less than 300 bottles each.

The core release features the sweet and mellow Triple Wood, a duo of Peat Smoked expressions and 12- and 15-year-old whiskies that have spent time in Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks and sit at the heart of the range.

 EXPLORE NOW 

The Green Welly Stop
Tyndrumwhisky, Tyndrum
Crianlarich, Perthshire FK20 8RY
United Kingdom

The Good Dram Show – Episode 562 ‘Dram Mor, Gleann Mor & House of Macduff’

Welcome to this weeks episode of the show which features 2 new-ish releases from each of the Independent bottlers Dram Mor, Gleann Mor & House of Macduff. The Good Dram Show with Chris Goodrum Episode 562– Episode Titled 3 x 2..! Filmed in The Kitchen Nottingham!

Featuring

Dram Mor Pitilie (Aberfeldy) 2015 (9 year old) 54.8%

Dram Mor Caol Ila 2015 (9 year old) 55.2%

https://drammorgroup.com

House of Macduff ‘Golden Cask’ Ben Nevis 2014 (9 year old) 58.8%

House of Macduff ‘Golden Cask’ Ardmore 2011 (12 year old) 52%

https://houseofmacduff.co.uk

Gleann Mor ‘Rare Find’ Royal Brackla 2011 (12 year old) 59.5%

Gleann Mor ‘Rare Find’ Old Rhosdhu 1994 (30 year old) 58.6%

https://gmspirits.com

COURAGEOUS SPIRITS LAUNCH KING’S INCH AGE STATEMENT WHISKY

Brand-new King’s Inch whisky; 8 Year Old King’s Inch Bourbon & Sherry Cask vatting. 

Glasgow-based Courageous Spirits launch their first-ever age-statement whisky under the King’s Inch brand. Adding to their already award-winning non-age statement King’s Inch whisky, this summer they announce the 8 Year Old King’s Inch (46%).

Hand-selected by the team at Courageous Spirits – the King’s Inch 8 Year Old, priced at £49 is carefully chosen from the best-quality mix of the Bourbon casks and Sherry butts, a small vatting of just 1,500 bottles. This 8 Year Old whisky is an ultimate example of a Bourbon and Sherry cask vatting crafted specifically to be bottled at a younger age statement.

As the liquid slowly matures the Courageous Spirits team have been experimenting with how the whisky responds to different woods and finishes.

Golden, with a tinge of amber – the nose is rich and soft, laced with hints of heather honey and subtle kick of spiced oak and citrus. On the palette, there are notes of subtle sweetness, tropical fruit and dried raisins that lead onto spiced oak and ginger. Spiced ginger on the finish, lingering at the back of the palate and finishing with a warm and long-lasting sweet chilli.

AWARDS FIT FOR A KING

King’s Inch is named after the old imperial measurement of an inch, and a forgotten island in the Clyde, with its first bottling fresh off an award-winning run in 2022. King’s Inch Non-age statement (£45) was awarded Gold at the IWSC International Wine & Spirit Competition with 95 points, received Gold as well as Best in Show at the London Spirits Competition 2022, and achieved Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2022.

NEW DIGS

Announcing the 8 year old whisky coincides with the official opening of the brand-new Courageous Spirits premises based on 121 Lancefield Street, Glasgow – where the company wants to bring everything under one roof. The new 8 year old release from King’s Inch is a project Courageous Spirits are taking on before they hope to build their very own urban distillery, with plans aiming to be announced later in 2024.

Situated on the edge of Finnieston’s hub of culture & creativity, the new site currently offers 3rd party services. Aiming to bring dry goods storage, bonded storage, bottling and distribution all under one roof – significantly reducing road miles and associated carbon.

Andy McGeoch, Managing Director and Founder of Courageous Spirits, commented on the launch: “We’ve always known King’s Inch is special since its launch in 2021. The awards and customer feedback gave us real confidence in the spirit. We’re now at a point where we can experiment with casks and see how the spirit reacts. That to us, is a really exciting prospect – one that will continue to bring the best out of our King’s Inch spirit. We really look forward to hearing feedback from our customers, good or bad!”

“At Courageous Spirits, our team really takes pride in our work, and pride for our city. Our brands continue to go from strength to strength and to have our new premises bring everything under one roof, makes our future very promising as we expand the vision of Courageous Spirits.”

GLOBAL EXPANSION

Home to both the award-winning Glaswegin and King’s Inch Single Malt Whisky brands, Courageous Spirits is planning to further break into global markets; targeting international territories such as Hong Kong, Myanmar, India and currently recruiting distributors across the globe.

Courageous Spirits aims to produce world-class liquid in outstanding packaging from Glasgow to the world. They hope to launch their urban distillery plans later in 2024. Their brand-new King’s Inch 8 Year Old, priced at £49 is available to buy now: https://kingsinch.com/

*Full Tasting Notes 

King’s Inch 8 Year Old | £49

The King’s Inch 8yo is a perfect example of a bourbon and sherry cask vatting made specifically to be bottled at a younger age statement. West coast barley, narrow cut points in the distillation and fresh (some would say wet) casks all contribute to the deep and ever changing nature of the spirit. An 8yo with the profile and characteristic to stand up to any 16yo.

Colour – Golden with a tinge of amber.

Nose – Rich and soft laced with hints of heather honey and subtle kick of spiced oak and citrus.

Palette – Notes of subtle sweetness, tropical fruit and dried raisins lead onto spiced oak and ginger.

Finish – Spiced ginger lingers at the back of the palate and finishes with a warm and long lasting sweet chilli.

Link to buy: https://kingsinch.com/

Courageous Spirits
Home of multi-award-winning spirits Glaswegin Premium Gin and King’s Inch Single Malt Whisky, Courageous Spirits products embody innovation and modernity in Scottish craftsmanship.
W: https://courageousspirits.com/

King’s Inch

Named after the old imperial measurement of an inch, and a forgotten island in the Clyde, a contemporary single malt with exceptional character.

W: https://kingsinch.com/
I: @kings_inch_whisky
Link to buy: https://kingsinch.com/products/kings-inch-whisky

Glaswegin
Developed, distilled and bottled in Glasgow, Glaswegin was inspired by the city and its people and is truly a gin for Glasgow (and beyond).
W: https://glaswegin.com/
I: @glaswegin
Link to buy: https://glaswegin.com/collections/shop

FAREWELL TO OLD FRIENDS…

THE SPICE TREE

&

THE STORY OF THE SPANIARD

Every now and then, a much beloved whisky must go into retirement. It is always a bittersweet time as they will have undoubtedly served us well, sharing their stories and bringing colour to the Compass Box journey. This year, we’re saying goodbye to old friends The Spice Tree and The Story of The Spaniard.

The Spice Tree first appeared in 2006 causing controversy from the outset. In 2007, largely due to this whisky, we won Innovator Of The Year in Scotch Whisky. Funnily enough this was also the year The Spice Tree had to be first retired for pushing the boundaries of Scotch whisky too far for the Scotch Whisky Association.

As a result, we developed our own hybrid-cask program for The Spice Tree that many in the industry have now adopted. It allowed us to bring rich spice notes and intensity to our Scotch whiskies. This whisky has always been about one thing: oak-derived spice.

Pour some of The Spice Tree for rich, baking spice, toasty oak and a fruity maltiness.

The Story of The Spaniard was our first long-term commitment to making sherried whisky. We set out, not to make a sherry bomb, but to create something balanced, complex and nuanced.

The first batches of The Story of The Spaniard had not just sherry-seasoned casks but also wine casks: our nod to the great similarities of whiskymaking and winemaking. The recipe has evolved over time, and yet that underlying full, soft and sumptuous character of sherry has always remained.

In The Story of The Spaniard you’ll find a whisky that is full, soft and sumptuous on the palate with jammy flavours of pears poached in red  wine, citrus peel and spices.

Don’t worry, you’ll still find The Spice Tree and The Story of The Spaniard on shelves for a little while. But for now, we wanted to share the news of this momentous milestone in Compass Box history.

These are the last two bottling codes for The Spice Tree and The Story of The Spaniard respectively L 21 12 23 and L 21 06 23. You’ll find these printed on the back of the bottle.

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Compass Box Whisky 3 Water Lane, Richmond, TW9 1TJ

We’re immensely proud to announce that our latest feature-length documentary is OUT NOW!

Created in partnership with the team behind Ardray, the film delves into the world of blended Scotch and tells the story of this oft-misunderstood category in an unprecedented level of detail, through conversations with whisky history expert Justine Hazlehurst; master blender Calum Fraser; Bar Swift manager Rachel Reid; and members of the Ardray team.

One of the most intriguing new-wave blends on the scene, Ardray is a malt-rich blended Scotch whisky bottled un-chill filtered at 48% ABV, with only its natural colour. Head over to YouTube now to watch the full film, and don’t forget to hit the subscribe button so you never miss one of our videos!

WATCH NOW

Shop the last of our latest releases while stock lasts

These are the very last remaining bottling’s from some of our recent launches. Don’t miss out on your chance to grab one of our bottlings before they’re gone for good!

Whisky Sponge Equilibrium III Highland Single Malt 22 years old

Whisky Sponge Ed.95 ‘SideBurn’ 31 years old

Decadent Drinks Ltd DECADENT DRINKS LTD, WEST BUILDING RUTHVENFIELD GROVE,

INVERALMOND INDUSTRIAL ESTATE PERTH, Highlands PH1 3FN United Kingdom

Boutique-y Blended Grain Scotch #3 Aged 45 Years – The Unbottling

Fresh from the July 2024 Whisky Showcase, Adam tries the extra special That Boutique-y Whisky Company’s 45 year aged Blended Grain #3. This features two different closed distilleries – which in the video Adam describes as Cambus and North Of Scotland – but sources seem to suggest that it’s actually Carsebridge not Cambus – which is even rarer. Our members scored it 93.07 and put it in the “Fruity & Spicy” flavour profile.

THE UNBOTTLING REVIEW