Johnnie Walker Blue Label Launches Limited Edition Year Of The Ox Scotch Whisky For Lunar New Year

When it first hit shelves in 1992, Blue Label helped change the game for high end scotch. Back then, Johnnie Walker was already one of the top-selling names in the whisky industry. The lion’s share of that success was driven by entry level Red Label (to this day, it remains the world’s most consumed scotch—accounting for more than 19 million cases worth of sales last year alone). But people certainly were not accustomed to spending $200 on a single bottle of booze.

Blue Label made the world ‘safe’ for spirits priced in the triple digits. And even as many connoisseurs have ditched blended offerings for the single malt space, there’s no denying the enduring aspirational appeal of this luxe liquid. One of the way’s in which parent company Diageo keeps it relevant is by continually introducing limited edition variants of the iconic bottle. The latest example arrives as a commemoration of the Chinese New Year.

Blue Label Year of the Ox highlights the namesake animal, honored every dozen years as part of the Chinese zodiac’s 12-year cycle—based upon the approximated orbital period of Jupiter. The packaging features the design work of acclaimed artist Shirley Gong. Her drawings are meant to inspire “people to think about the future in a positive and optimistic way—making sure that this gift is something to give people hope for the coming year,” she said in a press release.

The ox, for its part, is meant to signify prosperity and growth. We could all use some of that in the months ahead. And for Johnnie Walker, they’ve been tapping into plenty of it in China, which has developed into one of their largest export markets throughout the 21st Century.

As for the liquid inside the bottle? Well, it’s not really at all different from the Blue Label you’ve come to expect over the past 29 years. Blending matured malt and grain from across Scotland, it strikes a commendable balance between semi-sweet treacle and savory smoke; a full-bodied sip rendered in a velvety liquid that clings to the tongue. Bottled at 92-proof, you can order it online now—at a suggested retail price of $230—to arrive well before the February 12th holiday. And for a total of $300, ReserveBar will deliver you the goods with custom engraving in the glass.

Happy new year, indeed.