Harris Tweed unveils Johnnie Walker-infused fabric

Scotch whisky brand Johnnie Walker Black Label has partnered with Harris Tweed Hebrides to create a unique tweed fabric infused with the aroma of whisky.

Harris Tweed Hebrides has created a Johnnie Walker Black Label infused fabric

Set to launch tonight in Berlin, the tweed is described as offering notes of “rich malt, golden vanilla, red fruit and the trademark dark chocolate tones’.

Developed with the help of Heriot Watt University, the Harris Tweed fabric has been designed to reflect the colours of the whisky ingredients combined with a scent called Aqua Alba based on “key notes of the nose of the liquid”.

“The unique scent, inspired by the nose of our liquid, echoes the masterful whisky production process,” said a spokesman for Johnnie Walker, as reported by The Scotsman. “The key notes of rich malt, golden vanilla, red fruit and the trademark dark chocolate tones have been layered onto the fabric to achieve the unique final nose and finish of the Johnnie Walker Fabric of Flavour.”

While other scented clothing items have been created before, they have only been made to withstand one dry clean.

However, the Johnnie Walker Harris Tweed has been layered with the whisky smell so that it is “permanently imbued” in the material.

According to Mark Hogarth, creative director for Harris Tweed Hebrides, the idea to create a whisky flavoured fabric derives from a shared recognition between the two brands “in terms of provenance, complexity of the process and quality of the finished blend”.

Created by Milan-based designer Angelos Bratis, a selection of products using Johnnie Walker Harris Tweed will be markets around Europe and Germany, Greece and Belgium to begin with.

Oscar Ocana, managing director of Johnnie Walker Western Europe, said: “Bratis’s work celebrates the craftsmanship, premium quality and blending expertise that Johnnie Walker and Harris Tweed are built upon.”