John Walker & Sons Diamond Jubilee
In 2012, we celebrated sixty years since Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II came to the throne of the United Kingdom. A Diamond Jubilee is rare and remarkable occasion, which John Walker & Sons, holders of the Royal Warrant, marked with a rare and remarkable whisky.
It is a regal blend of grain and malt varieties, all of which were distilled in 1952, the year of Her Majesty the Queen’s accession.
These exceptionally mature and treasured whiskies were married in two small casks made with oak from the Royal Estate at Sandringham and laid down at the Royal Lochnagar distillery close by Her Majesty the Queen’s Balmoral Castle residence.
The Diamond Jubilee by John Walker & Sons was bottled on 6 February 2012, precisely on the sixtieth anniversary of the accession, in a symbolic limited edition of sixty – one for each year of Her Majesty’s reign.
The Diamond Jubilee by John Walker & Sons is gloriously complex, elegant and deeply evocative of a life well lived. A profoundly well-structured, unique whisky that is full of harmonious contradictions - considered maturity with joyous vitality, wonderful complexity and elegant simplicity, all captured within a single sip.
It has a clear, soft gold appearance and an intriguing nose that is velvety yet fresh. On the palate it brings clear, light fruits over a cleansing sweetness which dries to vanilla and sleek tannins. Seductive creaminess and spice follows, with a hazy memory of wood smoke at the finish. Jubilant and unforgettable.
Profits from this whisky were donated to the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust, which funds world class training of craftsmen and women in traditional skills. John Walker & Sons pledged a minimum of £1 million to the charity.
This unique blend comes in a diamond-shaped Baccarat crystal decanter, set with a half-carat diamond in a Britannia silver collar. It is presented with two hand-engraved English lead crystal whisky glasses in a bespoke cabinet, crafted from Sandringham oak and Balmoral Caledonian pine. The cabinet is inlaid with exquisite marquetry using veneers from countries of the Commonwealth.
