The history of Johnnie Walker is inexplicably tied to its bottles. Its iconic square bottle was designed in the 1860s to limit bottle breakages during transport. This year, the world’s leading Scotch whisky brand once more demonstrates its forward-thinking in packaging and bottling with the release of the Blue Label Ultra.
The launch of Johnnie Walker’s latest limited-edition release represents a bold leap into the future of luxury and sustainability. Weighing just 180 grams, it is the world’s lightest 70cl Scotch whisky bottle, thanks to a revolutionary, patented glass technology developed by Diageo’s design team over five years.
The innovation behind Blue Label Ultra reflects Diageo’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions and setting a new industry standard. The patented lightweight glass design is open-sourced and royalty-free, encouraging others to adopt and expand on the technology in a rare show of collaborative progress in sustainable packaging.
Crafted Spirit
Each bottle is filled with a specially crafted blend by Dr. Emma Walker, Johnnie Walker’s Master Blender. The expression includes rare whiskies from iconic distilleries such as Oban, Brora, and Royal Lochnagar, along with select ‘ghost whiskies’ from long-closed distilleries.
The resulting flavour profile boasts notes of fresh red berries, vanilla, wood spice, toffee, and warming wood smoke—a tribute to the craftsmanship synonymous with Blue Label.
To celebrate the milestone, Johnnie Walker has partnered with leading North American designers and The Corning Museum of Glass to explore the broader creative potential of the bottle’s innovation.
Artists including Amber Cowan, Objects of Common Interest, and Scott Newlin have created bespoke works inspired by the new glass technology. Their creations will be showcased at Cristina Grajales Gallery during NYCxDesign in May, expanding the impact of the bottle beyond whisky into the world of contemporary design.
“This release is a bold step forward, combining an extraordinary new blend with our most innovative bottle yet,” said Jesse Damashek, SVP of Whiskey at Diageo. “With Blue Label Ultra, we’re pushing the boundaries of design in the world of luxury.”
With just 888 bottles produced, Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ultra is set to become a rare collector’s item. The new bottle will roll-out in the North American market starting 1st May, with a suggested retail price of US$1,250.
(Images: Diageo)
