An Arty Night With Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch Red Rye Finish

Introducing Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch; a new range of experimental whiskies and the first release, Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch Red Rye Finish. Inspired by the bold flavours of American whiskey, it was created by a whisky maker’s small team of expert blenders, led by master blender Jim Beveridge. index

To mark the release of the new blend, Walker blender Emma Walker journeyed from Edinburgh to the home of the Manhattan to see how Red Rye Finish stacks up against its American cousins. Her adventure can be seen in a new film from Johnnie Walker entitled: Blenders’ Batch – Emma’s Red Rye In New York.

Walker put Red Rye Finish before the eyes, noses and palates of some of New York’s most influential mixologists and taste-makers including Dave Arnold, founder and president of the Museum of Food and Drink and owner of the cutting edge Booker and Dax; legendary bartender-cum-philosopher Peter Napolitano of Brooklyn’s Melody Lanes Bowling Alley; and bitters and mixology expert Sother Teague, beverage director at Amor y Amargo in Manhattan’s East Village.

Walker said: “This blend combines all the characteristics of scotch, matured in first fill American oak casks with a rye cask finish. That’s something I think people won’t expect and I wanted truthful, face-to-face feedback from the people in the know. I was a bit nervous – getting the approval of New York’s top mixology experts for a Manhattan featuring a Johnnie Walker blend instead of traditional American whiskey but, happily, it went really well.”

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Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch Red Rye Finish includes malt and grain whiskies aged in first-fill bourbon casks and finished in rye casks. It took more than 50 experiments exploring 203 malt and grain whisky samples to hit upon Red Rye Finish and it was created using a blend of just four whiskies, including Cardhu single malt for its vibrant, fresh fruitiness, along with creamy, vanilla grain whisky from Port Dundas.

We at KALTBLUT are cocktail lovers. Here are our 3 favourite cocktails done with the new Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch Red Rye Finish!

Red Rye – Strikes and Gutters

Ingredients:
10ml Orange Juice
50ml Red Rye
Top with Soda
Ice
Garnish: Orange Wedge

Red Rye – Rush

Ingredients:
50ml Red Rye
5ml Sweet Vermouth
10ml Orange Liqueur
Ice
Garnish: Orange Zest

Red Rye – Uptown

Ingredients:
2oz Red Rye

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Inspired by the bold flavour of the Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch Red Rye Finish I had an experimental night. Playing around with the famous Johnnie Walker bottle and the cocktails.