A DRAM OF UMAMI
Johnnie Walker Blue Label Elusive Umami breaks the mould of traditional whiskies, capturing the essence of umami in a bottle.
Celebrated Scottish distillers Johnnie Walker have just released a limited- edition blend centred on the elusive fifth basic flavour of umami.
It’s an incredibly exciting release, not just for its mission – identifying and capturing the complex, meaty savouriness that is characteristic of umami and expressing in time- honoured whisky – but also for its designation under the brand’s feted Blue Label, reserved for only the rarest and most exceptional of casks.
The designation’s history stretches back to 1867, pre- dating the discovery and documentation of umami by a Japanese chemist in 1908, making the pairing in a rare whisky release a fitting collaboration with an equally apt name: the Johnnie Walker Blue Label Elusive Umami.
Joining forces for the creation of Elusive Umami was Johnnie Walker master blender Emma Walker, working together with renowned Japanese chef Kei Kobayashi of three- Michelin- starred Kei in Paris to nail down the taste of umami, a neologism that plays on the Japanese word for deliciousness.
On Walker’s end, she selected casks from both inland and coastal distilleries, with only one in 25,000 casks achieving the desired umami profile. The resulting blend offers a harmonious medley of nutty notes, salty brine and hints of dried fruits, with an enduring and balanced finish that lingers on the palate.
This pour was complemented by efforts from Kobayashi, who designed a menu featuring locally crafted Japanese- and Singaporean- inspired bites for a launch event at Raffles City. These, too, were all about umami, expressed with an amusebouche of caviar and salmon cream on a buckwheat waffle, followed by a smoked Scottish lobster paired with a whisky bisque.
Setting aside the artistry, the limitededition release follows in the footsteps of other Lunar New Year specials. It’s a clear indication that Johnnie Walker, operating under the arm of British alcohol giant Diageo, has turned its attention to the rising Eastern market.
After all, according to the Scotch Whisky Association, the Asia- Pacific region overtook the European Union last year to become the world’s biggest buyer in the Scotch whisky export market – making this release, and others that’d probably follow, all the more delicious for everyone involved.