The Chinese zodiac calendar assigns animals and their supposed attributes to people born in each year of a repeating 12-year cycle. Coming up next in 2024 is the year of the dragon – the only mythical creature in the zodiac, and the mightiest of all signs thanks to its associations with prosperity, vitality and excellence.
These are concepts all familiar to celebrated Scottish distiller Johnnie Walker and its characteristically defiant motto, Keep Walking, which is why the brand is continuing in its proud tradition of releasing Lunar New Year-themed drams designated under its exclusive Blue Label, reserved for a whisky blended from only the most exceptional of casks.
This year’s Johnnie Walker Blue Label Lunar New Year limited edition expresses the vivacity of the dragon – specifically, the wood dragon, as the zodiac also runs through the elements of earth, wood, metal, fire and water with each 12-year sequence of animals – with the energetic and dynamic illustrations of Asian-American visual artist James Jean on each bottle.
The Taiwan-born artist is best known for his multifaceted approach to art across various mediums and genres. He is no stranger to blending contemporary subjects with traditional aesthetic techniques inspired by Chinese scroll paintings, Japanese woodblock prints and Renaissance-era portraiture. His works have been featured in prominent promotional posters for award-winning movies, including The Whale and Everything Everywhere All At Once.
Jean’s depiction of a wood dragon bursting to life effervescently from a spring of prospering flora and fauna – along with auspicious hidden details in its botanical elements, such as hummingbirds feasting on golden ambrosia dripping from delicate chrysanthemums – add a layer of visual spectacle to what is surely an exceptional gifting bottle for the Lunar New Year season.
After all, it carries a Blue Label distinction, ensuring that the whisky within is almost surely worthy of regard in its own right. The label does not come lightly, as it carries more than a century and a half of history, having first emerged in the Johnnie Walker lexicon back in 1867.
The process of bottling a Blue Label is an arduous one, as only one in 10,000 casks hailing from Johnnie Walker’s inland and coastal distilleries contain whisky with sufficient character and quality to pass muster – though it is well worth it, as the dram is said to boast “fruity notes with wistful hints of smoke”, conveying the “centuries of craft” behind the rich and exceptional whiskies that make up each and every Blue Label blend. The result? A blend not only worthy of the exceptional label, but also the unyielding and creative spirit of the wood dragon.
On the collaboration, Jean maintains, “With Johnnie Walker Blue Label Lunar New Year, we wanted to create a dragon that felt different, new and innovative – respect for the past, but also looking into the future with optimism; in the same way that Johnnie Walker stands for progress through that incredible Keep Walking spirit.”
Discover the Johnnie Walker Blue Label Lunar New Year limited edition here.
(Images: Johnnie Walker)
