Elite Traveler Summer 2023

Left Johnny Walker Princes Street in Edinburgh

elite traveler SUMMER 2023 131

Rich and Pour

Not long ago, a ffl uent whisky enthusiasts who aspired to buy rare and exceptionally mature Scotch whisky were relegated to the high-end auction market. Those opportunities may have led to the procurement of a sought-after bottle, but they didn’t enhance a collector’s appreciation for the brand or the distillery that produced it, nor did they welcome consumers into exclusive spaces or o ff er them tastes of celebrated whiskies prior to their purchase. Diageo is changing that through its private client program, an invitation-only service that allows vetted clients to buy not only rare bottles, but in some cases the entire contents of a very old (and very valuable) cask. Although not a private travel operator, the spirits company can leverage its partnerships with luxury hospitality providers across the country to help clients secure lodging and dining in fi ve-star properties, as well as book immersive experiences. As for the access to world-class whisky, well… Diageo assuredly has that covered. The company recently hosted a select few members of the media on a three-day journey to get a taste of the private client experience. technologically advanced visitor center for the whisky brandthat fi lls the space of a former branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland. Eventually, Diageo’s guests arrive below ground in a treasure chamber of sorts — a railway car-like room lined with shelves that hold about 500 samples of unique whiskies from all of Diageo’s 37 distilleries. Appropriately, this space once served as the aforementioned bank’s vault during the Victorian era, and the assemblage of whiskies now on display here includes rare single-malt and single-grain expressions, as well as some that have never been bottled or sold commercially. “What amazes me about this space is that there’s no other company in the Scotch whisky industry that can do this,” says Ewan Gunn, Diageo’s senior global brand ambassador, referencing the company’s broad network of distilleries across the nation. “That means that our private clients, when they come here, have access to a representative sampling of those incredible whiskies — something that I think spans almost every fl avorand texture that Scotland can produce. When we bring a private client into this space, it’s either to introduce them to something new or to share something really special with them.” DAY1 Johnnie Walker Princes Street, Edinburgh Whisked through a discreet back door on the corner of Hope Street Lane, private clients are escorted through Johnnie Walker Princes Street, a vibrant and