Johnnie Walker has done limited-edition Blue Label bottles before. I covered the Year of the Dog release, and last year the brand teamed with Indian fashion designer Rahul Mishra on a packaging redesign. This time the liquid changed too. The new Indian Festive Blend was built by master blender Dr. Emma Walker around Indian festive cooking, pulling the classic Blue Label profile toward cardamom, clove, cinnamon, saffron, rosewater, citrus, honey, chocolate-covered fruit, caramel, and coconut, with a slight smoky finish. It is bottled at 40.8% ABV, a touch above the usual 40.
Mishra handled the visuals again, this time with an ingredient-driven design of leaves, chilies, cardamom pods, and figs in pink, teal, and gold. Given that only about one in every 10,000 casks meets the Blue Label standard, a recipe change is a rare event. It is rolling out to retailers now, listed at $180 at Total Wine, and limited editions like this do not sit around.
