JOHNNIE Walker has released Johnnie Walker Black Label The Director’s Cut – a limited edition whisky developed in collaboration with Blade Runner 2049 director Denis Villeneuve and the distillers’ master blender Jim Beveridge.

The new blend comes thirty-five years after Johnnie Walker Black Label appeared in the original Blade Runner movie as an iconic whisky of the future.

The unique, custom blend and the futuristic bottle were created in partnership with Blade Runner 2049, opening globally in cinemas today. Both showcase Johnnie Walker’s commitment to progress and Alcon Entertainment’s dedication to maintaining the legacy of the original sci-fi classic. Fans first saw a peek of the new bottle at the San Diego Comic-Con. The bottle will also appear in the new film.

To celebrate the promotional collaboration surrounding the film, Johnnie Walker has released four digital vignettes featuring Villeneuve, who discusses the project. “Like many fans, I remember the Johnnie Walker bottle from the first film, so it was a unique privilege to collaborate with Johnnie Walker on designing a totally original, custom bottle for the new movie,” he says. “It was also a once-in-a-lifetime experience to help create the limited edition Director’s Cut blend, which perfectly captures the complex and mysterious world of Blade Runner 2049.”

Beveridge said: “What we have created in Johnnie Walker Black Label The Director’s Cut is something really special that fans will be able to relate to and whisky drinkers will love. I was truly inspired by Villeneuve’s artistic vision for Blade Runner 2049 and how it could come to life in this new blend. I learned that filmmaking is much like blending – you have to constantly be committed to creating the best possible outcome. Johnnie Walker blending tradition dates back to 1820 and I’m honoured to carry on the legacy and collective memory of our other past blenders to ensure that the same whisky enjoyed today can be enjoyed responsibly in 2049.”

Johnnie Walker has created a series of cocktail videos featuring five innovative Blade Runner 2049-inspired cocktails: The Deckard; Ode to Dreams; Penicillin 2049; Quest and Ahara. These custom cocktails are prepared by some of the country’s leading bartenders, including Ezra Star and Tenzin Samdo of Boston and Sam Anderson of New York City, giving fans a taste of the upcoming film.

Only 39,000 bottles of Johnnie Walker Black Label The Director’s Cut have been produced and will be available in select countries around the world while supplies last. The rich, smooth blend has aromatic and vanilla flavours, with clouds of smokiness and will be bottled at 49 per cent ABV – a nod to the futuristic period in which Blade Runner 2049 is set.

Whatever the century, whatever the universe, the commitment of Johnnie Walker to the spirit of human progress endures.

Johnnie Walker Black Label The Director’s Cut is available Amazon.co.uk with a RRP £99.99.