[52] Johnnie Walker was voted India's Most Trusted Premium Whisky Brand according to the 2014 edition of The Brand Trust Report. Will 5G Impact Our Cell Phone Plans (or Our Health?! Johnnie Walker is also the title namesake for the F1 Grand Prix race in Spa, Belgium. The other identifying characteristic of the Johnnie Walker bottle was – and still is – the label, which, since that year, is applied at an angle of 24 degrees upwards left to right and allows text to be made larger and more visible. Distillers Company was acquired by Guinness in 1986, and Guinness merged with Grand Metropolitan to form Diageo in 1997. [4] One major factor in his favour was the arrival of a railway in Kilmarnock, carrying goods to merchant ships travelling the world. i would say the green label 15 yr is the best value for money and as good as any in the range. That might contain the clue to the exact year the whisky … Johnnie Walker Blue Label is an exquisite blend made from some of Scotland’s rarest whiskies. [10][11], In 1893, Cardhu distillery was purchased by the Walkers to reinforce the stocks of one of the Johnnie Walker blends' key malt whiskies. Vital Stats: 40% ABV (80 proof), no age statement, blended Scotch whisky, available in the low to mid $40 range per 750 ml bottle.. … According to the folks at Johnnie Walker, the roots of Blue Label reach back to 1867 when Alexander Walker – son of John Walker – created what he called “Old Highland Whisky.” The story … Photographs replaced the drawings in the 1930s, and the Striding Man was miniaturised to a coloured logo in 1939; it first appeared on the Johnnie Walker labels in 1960. Jim Beveridge, Johnnie Walker's master blender, handpicks the rare whiskies he uses to make Johnnie Walker Blue. Green or Gold means the whiskey has been aged 15 to 18 years. [4] They were sold as made-to-order whiskies, blended to meet specific customer requirements, because he did not have any brand of his own. Johnnie … Its core range … Here are 13 things you need to know about Johnnie Walker. As a bartender, I have managers who think that Johnnie Walker Red Label is a premium scotch. ever since malt is my weakness . [53] Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve won the World's Best Blended -- Best Scotch Blended in World Whiskies Awards 2018. Because Johnnie Walker Blue Label is blended from various casks of Scotch, the bottle and label do not feature an age statement, unlike the rest of the Johnnie Walker whiskies. Johnnie Walker's Oldest is one of the first ever bottlings of Johnnie Walker Blue Label. The Johnnie Walker company does not specify how long it ages its Blue Label scotch, since it is made up of different scotches that can be aged anywhere from six to 50 years. The Walkers created their primary marketing strategy in 1908 with advertisements featuring Browne's Striding Man, using the slogan, "Johnnie Walker: Born 1820, still going strong". For most of its history Johnnie Walker only offered a few blends. Sensing an opportunity to expand the scale and variety of their brands, Walker acquired interests in Coleburn Distillery in 1915, quickly followed by Clynelish Distillery Co. and Dailuaine-Talisker Co. in 1916. They were commonly referred to in public by the colours of their labels. [2] By 1825, Walker, a teetotaller, was selling spirits, including rum, brandy, gin, and whisky. Their trustees invested the proceeds, £417, in an Italian warehouse, grocery, and wine and spirits shop on the High Street in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland. and blue … [60], Johnnie Walker Blue Label was a favourite of the late US president Richard Nixon's; Nixon used to enjoy it with ginger ale and a wedge of lime.[61]. [48], Johnnie Walker spirits have received strong scores at international spirits ratings competitions and from liquor review bodies. What was required on the label very much depends on which country the bottle was … [12] Cardhu's output was to become the heart of the Old Highland Whisky and, subsequent to the rebranding of 1909, the prime single malt in Johnnie Walker Red and Black Labels. Johnnie Walker White was dropped during World War I. Blue Label: Legendary Eight 200th Anniversary Exclusive Blend Johnnie Walker Legendary Eight is an elegant blended scotch set to retail at $350 per bottle when it arrives on … [54], Johnnie Walker is the official whisky of Formula One,[55] and are a sponsor of two F1 teams McLaren and Racing Point. A nicely illustrated bottling of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, bottled for the Asian market at 55.8%. The Blue … ", "Johnnie Walker Green Label returns - Scotch Whisky", "Johnnie Walker Gold Label The Centenary Blend 18 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky (700ml) - Blended Scotch Whisky", "Johnnie Walker Gold Label 18 vs. Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve", "Johnnie Walker Platinum given new identity - Scotch Whisky", "Johnnie Walker Blue Scotland Scotch 750 ml", "Bottle King Largest New Jersey Retailer of Wine, Beer and Spirits", "Bloom redraws Johnnie Walker's 'Striding Man, "Robert Carlyle - Johnnie Walker - The Man Who Walked Around The World [SUB ITA]", "Johnnie Walker unveils White Walker Scotch whisky", "Whisky is coming: 'Game of Thrones' gets its own White Walker scotch whisky, line of single malts", "Johnnie Walker's New 'Game of Thrones' Scotch Will You Remind You How Mad the Finale Made You", "Proof66.com Summary of Green Label Awards", "Proof66.com Summary of Gold Label Awards", "India's Most Trusted Alcoholic Beverages 2014", "Johnnie Walker becomes the Official Whisky Of Formula 1", "Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles plans for the future - European Tour", "Diageo sells golf's Gleneagles hotel as it focuses on core business", "Andrzej Pilipiuk | Å»ycie i twórczość | Artysta", "Straight Up: How Johnnie Walker conquered the world", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Johnnie_Walker&oldid=990887234, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 27 November 2020, at 02:30. The Johnnie Walker Blue Label … On the other side of the front label there's a code you can see looking through the glass on the other side. At the end of the day, when you buy scotch, you are buying the rental fee for the ageing process and the expertise of the master blender. A number of singers and songwriters have referenced Johnnie Walker in their works, from Amanda Marshall to ZZ Top. The Johnnie Walker company does not specify how long it ages its Blue Label scotch, since it is made up of different scotches that can be aged anywhere from six to 50 years. [50] Spirits ratings aggregator proof66.com, which averages scores from the San Francisco Spirits Competition, Wine Enthusiast, and others, puts the Black, Blue, Gold and Green Labels in its highest performance category ("Tier 1" Spirits). The Spirits Act of 1860 legalised the blending of grain whiskies with malt whiskies and ushered in the modern era of blended Scotch whisky. Johnnie Walker Blue Label - Johnny Walkers signature and most expensive label. How Long Is Johnnie Walker Blue Aged For. Since blending of grain and malt whiskies was still banned, he sold both blended malt whiskies and grain whiskies. This high-end whiskey embodies the Walker family's singular approach to blending whiskey, which is based on end result and not on a whiskey's age or the location from which it comes. Johnnie Walker Block is made up of 40 whiskeys at 12 years old and features a more … Thanks to Alec's business acumen, sales of Walker's Kilmarnock reached 100,000 gallons (450,000 litres) per year by 1862. [4] In 1909, as part of a rebranding that saw the introduction of the Striding Man, a mascot used to the present day that was created by cartoonist Tom Browne,[13] the company re-branded their blends to match the common colour names. Johnnie Walker Blue Label is the high-end blend (they call it their "most treasured blend") from Johnnie Walker, though available as a novelty in many bars. [46] Diageo then released a collection of Game of Thrones–inspired single malt whiskies,[47] followed by two more whiskies by Johnnie Walker in mid-2019. His farmer father died in 1819, and the family sold the farm. [3][9], Under John Walker, whisky sales represented eight percent of the firm's income; by the time Alexander was ready to pass on the company to his own sons, that figure had increased to between 90 and 95 percent. Johnnie Walker spirits have several times taken part in the Monde Selection's World Quality Selections and have received a Gold and Grand Gold Quality Award. The brand was first established by grocer John Walker. It is has a very complex flavor profile. It is the most widely distributed brand of blended Scotch whisky in the world, sold in almost every country, with annual sales of the equivalent of over 223.7 million 700 ml bottles in 2016 (156.6 million litres). [19][20] The Johnnie Walker plant in Kilmarnock closed its doors in March 2012 and the buildings were subsequently demolished a year later. The Excise Act of 1823 relaxed strict laws on distillation of whisky and reduced, by a considerable amount, the extremely heavy taxes on the distillation and sale of whisky. On the nose it is a very well rounded whisky with a that signature Johnnie Walker smokiness. Heavy metal band Black Label Society was named after Johnnie Walker Black Label whisky, as Zakk Wylde was very fond of the drink. [21], In July 2020, Johnnie Walker announced plans to release a new environmentally-friendly paper bottle set to debut in early 2021.[22]. The Old Highland was renamed Johnnie Walker White Label,[14] and made a 6 year old, the Special Old Highland became Johnnie Walker Red Label at 10 years old, and Extra Special Old Highland was renamed Johnnie Walker Black Label, remaining 12 years old.[3]. [59], Vanity Fair writer Christopher Hitchens was partial to Johnnie Walker Black Label cut with Perrier sparkling mineral water and referred to it as "Mr Walker's Amber Restorative". An extraordinary Whisky for extraordinary occasions. [16] Most of their output was used in Johnnie Walker blends, whose burgeoning popularity required increasingly vast volumes of single malts. The company joined Distillers Company in 1925. Johnnie Walker Blue has the authentic character and flavor of a … Black Label, for example, has a twelve year age statement, while Green Label is fifteen years. Johnnie Walker Red Label comes from 35 malt or grain whiskeys. Bottom label did not change until 1980. Could well have been a Duty Free bottling - 1 Litre was a common size for this. Many are three to five years old. ), The Secret Science of Solving Crossword Puzzles, Racist Phrases to Remove From Your Mental Lexicon. [18], In July 2009, the brand's current owners, Diageo, decided to close all operations in Kilmarnock by 2012. [63] George Thorogood name checks “Johnny Walker and his brothers Black and Red” in "I Drink Alone". [3], The brand became popular, but after Walker's death it was his son Alexander ‘Alec’ Walker and grandson Alexander Walker II who were largely responsible for establishing the whisky as a favoured brand. Andrew Usher of Edinburgh, was the first to produce a blended whisky, but the Walkers followed in due course. Johnnie Walker Blue Label is the rarest whisky from this world famous brand – only one in ten thousand casks makes the grade. And then there’s the Johnnie Walker Blue Label. [64], Johnnie Walker Green Label & Green Label 180 Cask, Coordinates: 55°36′52″N 4°30′04″W / 55.61444°N 4.50111°W / 55.61444; -4.50111, Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, "Scotch Whisky Brand Champion 2017: Glenfiddich", "Johnnie Walker: The Man Who Walked Around the World", "A Visual History of Johnnie Walker's Striding Man Logo", "Mortlach History - Mortlach Whisky - Malts", "Expert Liquor Recommendations - Distiller", "Reports on 'end of Johnnie Walker' completely false: Diageo - Indian Express", "Johnnie Walker whisky to be sold in paper bottles", "Whisky Notes: Johnnie Walker Red Label vs. Johnnie Walker Black Label", http://www.scotch-whisky.org.uk/media/12744/, "Whisky Notes: Johnnie Walker Red Label vs. Johnnie Walker Black Label: Johnnie Walker Red Label (40%, OB +/- 2013)", "Johnnie Walker Red Label : The Whisky Exchange", "Johnnie Walker Double Black : The Whisky Exchange", "Johnnie Walker adds Double Black to whisky line", "What Is the Difference Between Single Malt and Blended Whisky? We're taking a look at the elegant John Walker King George V and comparing it against one of my favorites, Johnnie Walker Blue Label. gold label is the best in my opinion. [5] He began using his name on labels years later, selling a blended malt as Walker's Kilmarnock Whisky. Johnnie Walker Blue Label is inspired by Alexander Walker’s 1867 Old Highland Whisky. When you buy Blue Label… [3], In short order, he switched to dealing mainly in whisky. Fact Check: What Power Does the President Really Have Over State Governors? The Johnnie Walker Blue Label was first unveiled in 1992, towards the end of the 20th Century while the Johnnie Walker … [57] Diageo sold the Gleneagles Hotel and Golf Course, the site of the tournament, mid-2015 to focus on its core business. The rarity of the blend is dictated by the rarity of … It’s price is in a class where even friends of fine single malts think twice … Blue label is the oldest, aged at least 20 years and without limit. Let it sit for a minute or two and you will then start to get sweet raisins and other dried fruits. [8][3] This also allowed consumers to identify it at a distance. Some of these only operate in order to supply the Johnnie Walker range. The Cristal of the blended whisky world. Walker managed the grocery, wine, and spirits segment as a teenager in 1820. Johnnie Walker does specify how long it ages its other labels. Johnnie Walker Blue Label is a fantastic whisky. Rich and slightly smoky, it's made up of some very old malt and grain Scotch … John Walker died in 1857. Johnnie Walker Blue is blended in small batches to create an intense and complex whiskey. Johnnie Walker Double Black Label - A blend with a heavy peat flavor. Johnnie Walker Blue Label Australia Limited Edition 75cl. [51] The core range consists of the Red Label (which carries no age statement), Black Label (minimum age of whisky in this is 12 years), Green Label (minimum age 15 years), Gold Label (minimum age 18 years) and this legendary Blue Label. [42], In 2009, the advertising agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH) created a new short film, starring Robert Carlyle and directed by Jamie Rafn, titled The Man Who Walked Around the World, which outlined the history of the Johnnie Walker brand. [49] The Gold Label received double gold medals from the San Francisco competition in 2008 and 2009 and won a gold in 2010. Is the Coronavirus Crisis Increasing America's Drug Overdoses? Black implies at least 12 years of age. [6][3] Blended Scotch whisky, lighter and sweeter in character, was more accessible, and much more marketable to a wider audience. ive also been through the johnnie walker range, on the back of their reputation. These three brands had the standard Johnnie Walker labels, the only difference being their colours: white, red, and black respectively. The bottle's pretty new, early 1990s. This has since been rebranded as Johnnie Walker 18 Year … Johnnie Walker is a Scotch whisky that was developed near the beginning of the 19th century. Johnnie Walker's most prestigious whisky. The Green Label received a string of three double gold medals from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition between 2005 and 2007. The 15 year old green label is priced between $45-$60 in the USA. Johnnie Walker master blender Jim Beveridge says he took inspiration from Old Highland, the brand’s inaugural product, released in 1867. Blue Label’s bold, multi-layered palate and silky delivery ensure that it sits unchallenged at the top of the Johnnie Walker … The most premium expression from the house of Johnnie Walker, the Blue Label is a NAS – No Age Statement blended Scotch whisky, created by marrying some of the finest malt and grain Scotch whiskies.. [7], Alexander Walker had introduced the brand's signature square bottle in 1860. That year saw the introduction of the blended malt, Johnnie Walker Pure Malt, renamed as Johnnie Walker Green Label in 2004. Johnnie Walker is arguably the most popular and recognisable blended Scotch on the market. Polish fictional humorous character Jakub Wędrowycz is a word play based on Polish translation of "Johny Walker". These old bottles are now getting extremely rare and difficult to find. [13] The Striding Man icon was most recently redrawn in 2015. [3], In 1865, Alec created Johnnie Walker's first commercial blend and called it Old Highland Whisky, before registering it as such in 1867. [56], Johnnie Walker sponsored the Johnnie Walker Classic, an Asia-Pacific golf tournament, up to 2009 and the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, a golf tournament in Scotland up to 2013. Since the turn of the century, there has been a spate of special and limited bottlings. [8][43][44][45], In October 2018, Diageo teamed with HBO to produce "White Walker by Johnnie Walker" whisky, inspired by the army of the undead in the TV series Game of Thrones as part of the marketing for the series' final season. [58], Winston Churchill's favourite whisky was Johnnie Walker Red Label, which he mixed with water and drank throughout the day. This met with backlash from local people, local politicians, and then-First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond. You may know Johnnie Walker from the famous Red, Blue and Black labels, but there's more to know. It was at the forefront of an era when fewer casks were available and quality cask selection was in its infancy. [4], From 1906 to 1909, John's grandsons George and Alexander II expanded the line and had three blended whiskies in the market, Old Highland at 5 years old, Special Old Highland at 9 years old, and Extra Special Old Highland at 12 years old. Scotland- Created from the rarest and most expensive whiskies in the world, individually numbered and produced in limited quantities. Johnnie Walker Blue Label is, like most Johnnie Walker whiskeys, a blended scotch bottled to the specifications of Scottish Law. Despite petitions, public campaigns, and a large-scale march around Kilmarnock, Diageo proceeded with the closure. Today it is the best-selling brand of Scotch, a spirit with a relatively high number of producers due to its age … This meant more bottles fitting the same space and fewer broken bottles. [1], John Walker was born on 25 July 1805. Johnnie Walker Platinum sits between gold and blue in Walker's extensive range of blends, carrying an impressive 18 year old age statement. Buy here. (Starting in 1987, Johnnie Walker sold a somewhat similar-looking product, with a blue label and box; “Oldest,” a blend of 15- to 60-year-old … Since the turn of the century, there has been a spate of special and limited bottlings. [62] Elliott Smith's Oscar-nominated "Miss Misery" has the narrator "[making] it through the day with some help from Johnnie Walker Red." [3] This move took the Cardhu single malt out of the market and made it the exclusive preserve of the Walkers. [17] In 1932, Alexander II added Johnnie Walker Swing to the line, the name originating from the unusual shape of the bottle, which allowed it to rock back and forth. [15] In 1923, Walker bought Mortlach distillery, in furtherance of their strategy. Johnnie Walker is arguably the most popular and recognisable blended Scotch on the market. Its core range includes the standard Red Label and Black Label… Johnnie Walker is a brand of Scotch whisky now owned by Diageo that originated in the Scottish burgh of Kilmarnock in East Ayrshire. Johnnie Walker Gold Label - A blend of 15 malts, each aged from 15 to 18 years. [3] This ensured a steady supply of single-malt whisky from the Cardhu, Coleburn, Clynelish, Talisker, and Dailuaine distilleries. For most of its history Johnnie Walker only offered a few blends. In the late 1990s, the direction of the Striding Man was reversed as part of a "Keep Walking" campaign. Tasting Notes: Johnnie Walker Double Black. Probably THE most famous super-premium blend, made up of the finest old-aged malt and grain whiskies.