Non-Fungible Whisky: Johnnie Walker Releases NFT You Can Drink


For scotch whisky lovers everywhere, Johnnie Walker has partnered with BlockBar.com –– the first direct-to-consumer NFT marketplace for wine and spirits -– and Vayner Media's Web3 consultancy Vayner3 to release 75 limited edition Blue Label Ghost and Rare Port Dundas Master Sets, which include an exclusive NFT drop. 

The Master Sets are a nod to one of the world’s most famous grain-whisky distilleries, the “ghost” distillery of Port Dundas, offering collectors a physical 1L bottle signed by master blender Emma Walker, a digital NFT bottle, a unique digital art piece created by AI artist Ivona Tau, and access to an exclusive virtual storytelling experience. 

In some ways, the NFTs are stand-ins for a future opportunity, as Johnnie Walker has stated that buyers who “burn” this NFT -- or effectively remove it from the blockchain (and destroy it) -- will gain priority access to the company’s next digital drop on BlockBar.com. 

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In addition, buyers will not be able to redeem their physical bottle until they have burned the NFT.

As for the scotch whisky itself, the company says: “Ghost and Rare Port Dundas features a touch of creamy vanilla notes from whiskies aged in second fill American oak casks and subtle wood spice from scotch matured in first fill highly charred American oak casks.”

Emma Walker and her team hand-selected two additional “ghost” whiskies from the distilleries of Cambus and Bora before combining them with other rare scotch from five iconic distilleries, including Cameronbridge and Glenkinchie. 

Johnnie Walker launched two previous Web3 campaigns earlier this year, including the Masters of Flavour 48-Year-Old and the VeeFriends Gift Goat collaboration. 

“For our second NFT release, we chose to create the Ghost and Rare Port Dundas Master Set because it allows us to take the consumer into the Johnnie Walker world, beyond the tasting of whisky, and explore our iconic, rare reserves,” said Sophie Kelly, senior vice president of whiskies at Diageo North America. 

The company has also announced that it is creating more opportunities for women with a dedicated business grant through IFundWomen, a funding marketplace for women-owned businesses. 

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