Sunday 14 June 2020

ALL YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT JOHNNIE WALKER

FROM WHITE TO BLUE

General Area Map
Kilmarnock, Ayrshire

Johnnie Walker is a brand of Scotch whisky now owned by Diageo that originated from the Scottish town of Kilmarnock, a large burgh in East Ayrshire, where the brand's creator, John Walker began making and distilling the whisky in his grocery, wine and spirits shop located in the town centre. 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).

With the advancement of technology and the ability to monitor operations in real time on a global basis, the brand's owners, Diageo, found that a restructuring programme was required across Scotland with a view to upgrade and expand bottling capacity in anticipation of future growth in demand for its brands, including an evergrowing portfolio of Johnnie Walker blends. Analyses showed that production in the brand's original home in Kilmarnock would need to be moved to Diageo plants in Leven, Fife and Shieldhall, Glasgow. On 1 July 2009, Diageo announced that it intended to cease production at the plant in Kilmarnock. Protests at every level notwithstanding, the Johnnie Walker plant situated in Hill Street in Kilmarnock closed its doors in March 2012. (See Closure in Kilmarnock, Scotland below)

Contents

When John Walker, born on 25 July 1805, lost his farmer father in 1819, the family sold the farm and their trustees invested the proceeds, £417, in an Italian warehouse, grocery, and wine and spirits shop on High Street in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland. John managed the grocery, wine and spirits segment as a teenager in 1820. The Excise Act of 1823 relaxed unduly strict laws on distillation of whisky and reduced, by a considerable amount, the extremely heavy taxes on the distillation and sale of whisky. By 1825, young John Walker, a teetotaller, was selling spirits, including rum, brandy, gin and Islay whisky.

In short order, he switched to dealing mainly in whisky. Since blending of grain and malt whiskies was still banned, he was selling vatted (blended) malt whiskies and grain whiskies. He sold Campbeltown whisky from the Kintyre Peninsula; characteristic snorters from the Inner Hebridean Island of Islay, with their pungent, peaty and smoky flavours; ‘Glenlivat’ (sic) Speyside whisky and patent still, or ‘grain’ whisky. They were sold as made-to-order whiskies, blended to meet specific customer requirements because he didn’t have any brand of his own(see Marketing below). It took him thirty years to realise that he was missing out on a golden opportunity to concoct his own brew and earn a name in the market. John first sold his self-created and distilled malt whisky as late as 1850, only seven years before his death in 1857. Interestingly, none of these brands was called Scotch whisky; they were listed by region of production.



Originally known as Walker's Kilmarnock Whisky, the Johnnie Walker brand is a legacy left by John "Johnnie" Walker after he started to sell whisky in his grocer's shop in Kilmarnock. 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. Under British Prime Minister Henry J Temple, Chancellor of the Exchequer William E Gladstone’s Spirits Act of 1860 became crucial to the fortunes of the Scotch whisky industry, which boasted 111 operational distilleries in 1868, as it allowed for the first time the blending of spirits under bond without payment of duty, the storage of blended spirits in vats, and the filling of casks with blended spirit in bond. This Act ushered in the modern era of what is known as blended Scotch whisky. The one caveat was that under Section VI of the new Act, it would be applicable to distillers only, creating a furore amongst Vintners and grocers who were also blending and selling spirituous liquor. They were permitted three years later in an extension to the Cobden–Chevalier Treaty of 1860 on tariffs on trade between France and England. This Anglo-French free trade agreement reduced cross-tariffs between French wine, brandy and Cognac versus gin and whisky and came into effect on 23 January 1860. Surprisingly, the Johnnie Walker brands of whisky did not use the term Scotch till as late as 1939, whereas Matthew Gloag III, of The Famous Grouse fame, did use the term decades earlier, in 1896-97. Andrew Usher, a brewer and small-scale distiller of Edinburgh, Scotland, was the first in the industry to capitalise on blending malt and grain whiskies starting officially in 1860, producing a more accessible whisky that was lighter and sweeter in character, making it much more marketable to a wider audience, followed by the Walkers officially in 1863.

24° slant

Alexander Walker introduced the brand's signature square bottle in 1860. This meant more bottles fitting the same space and fewer broken bottles. 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 upward from left to right and allows text to be made larger and more visible. There were no advertisements-as presently understood- at the time, other than by word of mouth and pages pasted on billboards at the town centre and it was essential that the whisky's growing following could identify it at a distance. One major factor in his favour was the arrival of the railway in Kilmarnock, carrying goods to ships plying regularly to the four corners of the world. Thanks to Alec's business acumen, sales of Walker's Kilmarnock hit 100,000 gallons (450,000 Litres) per year by 1862.

In 1865, Alec created Johnnie Walker's first commercial blend and called it Old Highland Whisky, before registering it as such in 1867. He then made the astute move of engaging ships' captains as his agents to carry his whisky wherever ships could sail. Before long, his unique blend was available around the globe.

Under John Walker, whisky sales represented eight per cent 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 per cent.And all because of one critical purchase, viz. Cardhu in 1893.

CARDHU DISTILLERY IN 1893

In 1893, Cardhu distillery was purchased by the Walkers for £20,500 to reinforce the stocks of one of the Johnnie Walker blends' key malt whiskies. This move took the Cardhu smooth single malt out of the market and made it the exclusive preserve of the Walkers. Cardhu's output was to become the heart of the Old Highland Whisky and, after the rebranding of 1909, the prime single malt in Johnnie Walker Red and Black Labels.

From 1906 to 1909, John's grandsons George and Alexander II expanded the line and had three blended whiskies in the market, The Old Highland 5 Year Old (YO) ; the Special Old Highland 9YO and the Extra Special Old Highland 12 YO. These three brands had the standard Johnnie Walker labels, the only difference being their colour, White, Red and Black respectively. They were already being referred to in public by the colour of their labels.
                                                                                     
 JW Old Highland, Special Old Highland and Extra Special Old Highland before renaming


The 1st Striding Man R>L
In 1908, when James Stevenson was the Managing Director, the slogan "Born 1820—Still going Strong!" was created. That done, Walkers and he next wanted to convey the brand’s unique point of view visually. They held a competition for suitable artwork in anticipation of the renaming of their brands, but nothing quite fit the bill. A young cartoonist named Tom Browne eventually came up with the Striding Man logo, a figure used in their advertisements to this day in honour of the founder, and given the same name. 

Soon thereafter, the re-branding was finalised and kept simple, in that the public-identified names were retained. In 1909, The Old Highland 5 YO was renamed the Johnnie Walker White Label, now a 6 YO; the Special Old Highland 9YO became the Johnnie Walker Red Label 10 YO and the Extra Special Old Highland was renamed Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 YO.

As per current Scottish law, if an age is stated on a bottle, it must be that of the youngest Scotch Whisky in the product, so mandated in the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SWR 2009). However, prior to this mandate, neither the Scotch Whisky Act 1988 (SWA 1988) nor the Scotch Whisky Order 1990 (SWO 1990) had enacted any laws governing age statements, besides leaving numerous other ambiguities that allowed misuse of the said SWA 1988 and SWO 1990, e.g., definitions of Single Malt, Pure Malt and Blended Grain; how Scotch Whiskies must be labelled, packaged and advertised; where Single Malt Scotch Whisky could be bottled, etc. The only mandate was in the Immature Spirits Act of 1915, which stated that any alcohol meant to be sold as Whisky had to be stored in a Bonded Warehouse for at least two years, amended to three years later that very year.


The Striding Man: Browne reportedly sketched his 'Striding Man' on the back of a menu card; Alexander and George adopted the concept of the ‘Striding Man’ immediately. The Striding Man was critical because it differentiated Walker from other scotch purveyors, which tended to play on Scotland’s traditions of bearded men in kilts playing bagpipes, an image that lacked universality. Here was a gentleman on the move. With one stroke, John Walker the Victorian grocer became Johnnie Walker, the Edwardian dandy. 
The 1999 Striding Man L>R

Four of Browne's ads were used between 1908 – 1910, a session cut short by Browne's death. Sir Bernard Partridge and Leonard Ravel Hill drew their versions between 1910–14, when Leo Cheney, of the Manchester Evening News, gradually modified the original rather rakish figure into a 'rounder and more sociable character', and these sketches appeared in patriotic advertisements in the Illustrated London News during WWI. In the 1920s, colour was used for the first time for a more contemporary look.

Thereafter the logo was regularly touched up and kept contemporary over the years. The logo was first printed on a secondary label on the bottle only in the 1950s and the term Scotch featured prominently on the label. In 1996, John Geary initiated the change in direction of travel of the Striding Man logo to echo the brand's commitment to innovation by flipping it to face right, first seen on the brand in 1999 as part of their global Striding Man 'Keep Walking' advertisement campaign to signal a new direction to progress and readiness to enter the new century. This concept, as well as that of brand loyalty and commitment to excellence saw the creation of the Striding Man Society, a CRM programme, in 2003. A major change was to come up in their rejigged marketing campaign of 2015, detailed under 'Marketing' later.


There are many differences in the presentation of the Johnnie Walker colour-based brand names of the bottles of the 1910s and of today. In the 1910s, the rectangular label at 24 degrees was smaller and worded in a markedly different fashion, including the name. Age statements weren't always visible. The colour was NOT mentioned on the main label, but on the smaller label on the front face just below the neck, as seen on the images at certain auction sites: The quality of the glass bottles, their tops, the labels on each bottle and the printing thereon are obviously far superior today. The difference in sizes of the three labels on the bottle-front are clearly visible as are the words printed thereon. The Striding Man can be seen embossed on the bottles marketed today, a departure from the norm set in the late 1950s of placing him on a label.

Sensing a promising opportunity for their brands in terms of expansion of scale and variety, The Walker company became a shareholder in Coleburn Distillery in 1915, quickly followed by Clynelish Distillery Co. and Dailuaine- Talisker Co. in 1916. Such a strategic expansion was made solely to ensure that the output from the Cardhu, Coleburn, Clynelish, Talisker and Dailuaine distilleries would play a major role in the definition of the extant Johnnie Walker Blends and those slated to follow. In 1923, John Walker & Sons bought Mortlach distillery, in furtherance of their strategy. Most of their output was used in Johnnie Walker blends, whose burgeoning popularity required increasingly vast volumes of single malts.

Johnnie Walker White was dropped during World War I, to re-emerge as a distinctively different Snow White Johnnie Walker Black Label family, one century later, requiring the bottle to be placed in a freezer 20 minutes before serving. 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.

The company joined Distillers Company in 1925. Apart from their blends, Johnnie Walker also produced limited edition blended malts in 1980 and 1982, both from the Mortlach distillery (see Special/Limited bottlings below).

Distillers was acquired by Guinness in 1986, and Guinness merged with Grand Metropolitan to form Diageo in 1997. That very year, the Walkers introduced their vatted (blended) malt, Johnnie Walker Pure Malt 15 Year Old whisky and, in 2004, renamed their original blended malt bottling as the Johnnie Walker Green Label. This popular whisky is a blend of malts from Cragganmore, Linkwood, Talisker, and Caol Ila distilleries. The 43% ABV brand was discontinued in 2012, but reintroduced in 2016.

Closure in Kilmarnock, Scotland

When the brand's owners, Diageo, announced its decision in 2009 to close all operations in the town of Kilmarnock, despite it being the birthplace of both John Walker, the creator of Johnnie Walker, and the Johnnie Walker brand and whisky itself, it met with backlash from local people, local politics and then First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond. News of the planned closure attracted widespread media attention and condemnation. Despite petitions, public campaigns and a large-scale march around Kilmarnock and pressure placed upon the Scottish Government to persuade Diageo to change their minds, Diageo continued to forge ahead with the closure. 

When a prominent MNC is reviewing its costs in an economic downturn to produce savings of £120m, heritage and sentiment, even if an important part of the brand identity of the world’s most popular whisky, must take second place to dispassionate economics. As matters stood, 80 percent of Johnnie Walker was already being bottled at Diageo's other Scottish bottling facilities. On 9 September 2009, Diageo stated that they intended to press ahead with the move away from Kilmarnock and that the matter was "closed". The Johnnie Walker plant, the largest employer in the town of Kilmarnock, downed shutters in March 2012.

Blends

For most of its history Johnnie Walker only offered a few blends. Since the turn of the century, there has been a spate of special and limited bottlings.

Note: As far as possible, the term °Proof has been removed as the USA differs with the rest of the world as to its interpretation. 40% ABV would mean 70°Proof globally (ABV x 1.75), but 80°Proof (ABV x 2) in the USA. USA has now deemed the degree symbol redundant, but traditionalists may still use it, as long as it is placed adjacent to the ABV numerical value.

STANDARD BLENDS

Red Label

Red Label is a 40% ABV blend of at least 35 grain and malt whiskies, including Cardhu (replaced by Roseisle in 2013), Aberfeldy, Cragganmore, Linkwood and Glen Elgin among others. It has been the largest selling Scotch Whisky in the world since 1945. As seen in the 1960s photo of the Red Label bottle, the blend does not carry an age statement. Did this reflect a steep drop from the self-standing 10 YO of yore? Going by SWR 2009, it certainly does so today. Its primary use now is for making mixed drinks. Roseisle has replaced Cardhu. The lead it once enjoyed has narrowed considerably, with Ballantine's and Grant's hot on it's heels. Duty Free versions are marketed in 1.0-1.125 litre-bottles at 40% ABV No Age Statement(NAS).

Black Label

Black Label is a 40% ABV blend of about 40 whiskies, reportedly 35 single-malt and five single-grain whiskies, each aged at least 12 years, it is one of the world's best-selling Deluxe Scotch Whiskies. Cardhu is the dominant single malt in this blend. Coleburn, Clynelish, Dailuaine and Mortlach are important constituents of its body, while Caol Ila, Talisker and Lagavulin provide the hint of peat and background smoke. Today, Caol Ila and Coleburn do not feature in the mix. At least 30-33 other single malts from Diageo's 28 malt distilleries add to its flavour profile, with single grain whiskies from Diageo's Cameronbridge, Port Dundas (closed in 2011, though the few remaining young and aged grain whiskies in barrels are still in use) and North British grain distilleries melding the diverse single malts. North British is operated by Lothian Distillers, a joint partnership between Edrington and Diageo. Duty Free versions were marketed in 1.0-1.125 L bottles 40% ABV. The 1.125L bottle has been consigned to posterity. It must be understood that ONE distillery could easily supply 5-10 or more single malts!

Double Black Label

Double Black Label was made available for general release in 2011 after a successful launch in travel retail. The 40% ABV No Age Statement (NAS) whisky was created taking Black Label as a blueprint, adding peaty West Coast malts (specifically the Talisker 10 YO) and Islay malts to it and maturing it in heavily charred old oak casks.

Green Label

First introduced in 1997 as Johnnie Walker Pure Malt 15 YO, this 43% ABV whisky was renamed Johnnie Walker Green Label in 2004. The Green Label is a Blended Malt, meaning it is made by mixing single-malts with no grain whisky added. Green Label uses predominantly four malts "drawn from the four corners of Scotland." These malts (Talisker, Linkwood, Cragganmore, and Caol Ila) were selected by the blender for balance, and consistency of flavour achieved by adding small volumes of other single malts. All malt whiskies used are a minimum of 15 years old. Diageo discontinued Green Label globally in 2012 (except for Taiwan, where demand for blended malts is very strong), as part of a reconstruction of the range that saw the introduction of Gold Label Reserve and Platinum Label. The brand was reintroduced in 2016 and is now globally available.

Island Green Label

 Island Green Label is a 1 L 43% ABV 2016 travel edition blended malt released first for the Southeast Asia market. Now available globally, the NAS maritime blended malt includes whisky from Clynelish, Glenkinchie and Cardhu and a greater proportion of malt from Caol Ila distillery on Islay.

Gold Label

Gold Label is a 40% ABV 70 cl blend of over 15 single malts, particularly Clynelish, it was derived from Alexander Walker II's blending notes for a whisky to commemorate Johnnie Walker's centenary. His original efforts could not fructify due to a shortage of these malts following World War I. Gold Label was bottled at 18 years and labelled "The Centenary blend". It is no longer available. Surprisingly, a very rare edition of Johnnie Walker Gold Label was bottled in the 1990s for the Far East at the unusual age of 15 years, in a 75 cl bottle and at 43% ABV. It is also not available. In 2013, Gold Label was replaced by a No Age Statement (NAS) blend, labelled "Gold Label Reserve".

Platinum Label

Platinum Label is a 40% ABV blend—aged 18 years to replace the original Gold Label in the Asian market, and sold alongside Gold Label Reserve. Though still available around the globe, the Platinum Label was discontinued in mid-2017 and is being replaced by the Johnnie Walker Aged 18 Years blended Scotch whisky. The two are identical except for the packaging and wording on the label. The same 18 malt and grain whiskies have been used, including Cardhu, Glen Elgin, Auchroisk, Blair Athol and other aged island malts, all mated in 18-year-old Lowland grain whisky.

Blue Label

Blue Label is Johnnie Walker's premium 40% ABV blend with no age statement. Johnnie Walker Blue Label is blended to recreate the character and taste of some of the earliest whisky blends created in the 19th century. Bottles are numbered serially and sold in a silk-lined box accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. It is one of the most expensive blended Scotch Whiskies on the market, with prices in the range of US $174–$450.Over 25 Limited Editions have been released till date.

Johnnie Walker Swing

Johnnie Walker Swing is a 40% ABV supplied in a distinctive bottle whose irregular bottom allows it to rock back and forth. This type of bottle design was originally used aboard sailing ships. It was Alexander II's last blend: it features a high proportion of Speyside malts, complemented by malts from the northern Highlands and Islay.

Red & Cola

Red & Cola is a premix of Red Label and cola, sold in cans and bottles similar to beer.

SPECIAL AND LIMITED BOTTLINGS

1920–2000

Original Swing – First created by Sir Alexander Walker, grandson of John Walker, in 1932. Up to thirty-five individual whiskies are used in the blend This bottling was discontinued in 1967.(US$1,500)

Celebrity – limited edition of 1462 bottles, bottled in 1972 in a Swing-style bottle. Usually available only in auction houses, it is also available online at £850- £899.

Rare Mortlach Black Jug – 700ml Boxed $4,950.00. An extremely difficult to find originally boxed expression by Johnnie Walker & Sons unblended pure malt from its Mortlach Distillery. Released only to Japan in the early 1980s most of which is thought to have been consumed. Believed to be an under 2000 limited bottling.

Rare Mortlach Red Jug – 700ml Unboxed $1,200.00. Another pure malt expression from Johnnie Walker released exclusively for the 1982 Takashimaya British fair in Japan. Limited to 3000 bottles only, it sold out during the fair itself.

150 Years Anniversary – This set was produced in 1985 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the brand (1820-1970), and comes in a wooden presentation case fitted for the 75cl 43% ABV unusual dumpy bottle, an accompanying white metal mounted Royal Brierley crystal decanter with a metal stopper, certificate and a set of keys within the original carton. It is currently priced at £1,750 

2001–2010

The John Walker: Released towards the end of 2010 (70cl / 40% ABV), The John Walker is an ultra-premium expression of Johnnie Walker Blue Label. Also known as the Founder’s Blend, it uses whiskies from distilleries from John Walker's lifetime, but are now silent, like Cambus and Glen Albyn. Just nine distilleries in total contribute their whiskies, which are blended using traditional methods and in extremely limited quantities, before being married together in a 100-year-old cask. Only 330 bottles were made. (£2,050)

Millennium Edition – A particularly rare limited edition bottling of Johnnie Walker Black Label, bottled at the turn of the millennium. Only available now at auction houses, priced around £75.00.

Blue Label King George V Edition (2007) – To recreate the Johnnie Walker blending style from King George V era. King George V was the British monarch that first granted Johnnie Walker its Royal Warrant in 1934. Oak casks dating back to the last century were used to age the whisky, sourced from distilleries operating during the reign of King George V. Special packaging in crystal decanter accompanied by an individually numbered certificate of authenticity. (US$600)

Blue Label Anniversary 60.5% – This special limited edition was created to commemorate the 200th anniversary of John Walker’s birthday, i.e., 25 July 1805, and made available at £2500. The whisky in this special edition is a cask strength blend of Blue Label, the highest ABV release so far at 60.5%. This exclusive Blue Label comes in a 70cl crystal decanter especially created for Johnnie Walker by Baccarat. The US variant (75cl) was at 59.9% ABV  and priced at $3499.98/- 

Black Label: Collectors Edition – a collectors' edition of 12-year-old Black Label 70cl 40% ABV was released in limited amounts (≈US$43) in attractive carafes, first available circa 2010. A few carafes have recently been sold at auction sites for prices between £30.00 and £45.00 (+ shipping). They are also available at liquor shops specialising in selling hard to locate old or limited edition brands at prices ranging from £107.00 to £180 (+ shipping).

2011-2016

Diamond Jubilee (2012) –  In honour of Queen Elizabeth II, 60 bottles of whisky distilled in 1952 were made available for sale in Singapore at S$250,000 (£120,000).

XR 21 – a 40% ABV 70cl Extra Rare (XR) blend aged 21 years. First released in Jan 2014, the bottle costs £131.34. It is also available as a 1 litre bottle at £134.95 and 75cl bottles are freely available in the duty-free outlets in the Philippines at US$95.

John Walker & Sons Odyssey, First Bottling – An expensive Blended Malt  with the first bottling of the barrel producing only 250 bottles at 40% ABV 70/80 proof (≈US$3,000) in 2013. This rare triple malt was created in celebration of the epic journeys their whiskies undertook in the early years of the 20th century, as they travelled over the oceans to every corner of the world. It comes in a modern crystal grade glass decanter, presented in a gyro-stabilised box that enables it to swing freely back and forth yet always remain upright, a scienrific follow up to the Johnnie Walker ‘Swing’. Available for International Travel Retail (Duty Free) outlets only, till fully sold out.

John Walker & Sons Odyssey – An expensive General Release Blended Malt ≈GBP 520-580/≈US$700–800.

John Walker & Sons King George V - Royal Warrant 80th Anniversary – A limited-edition presentation of John Walker & Son's King George V blended Scotch whisky, released in 2014 in celebration of the 80th anniversary of their Royal Warrant awarded to them by King George V in 1934. The blend itself was crafted exclusively using whiskies from distilleries in existence at the time of King George V. Priced at ~£385  or $500 when available.

Blue Label Ryder Cup Limited Edition – In celebration of the Ryder Cup returning to Scotland after 41 years (the September 2014 event was held on the PGA Centenary Course at the Gleneagles Hotel), Johnnie Walker released a limited edition bottling of their Blue Label blended Scotch whisky. Each bottle of this Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ryder Cup Limited Edition was individually numbered and the distinctive design of the bottle depicts a classic view of the Gleneagles Hotel and a golfer. The 70cl 40% ABV bottle is priced at £190 ex VAT.

Blue Label - Porsche Cube – The Cube was made by a collaboration of Johnnie Walker and the Porsche Design Studio. The Cube is a classic box for the 70 cl, 40% Blue Label bottle, splitting in half to form an ice bucket, whilst holding four branded tumbler glasses, a pair of ice tongs and the bottle.

Blue Label Alfred Dunhill Limited Edition – The 2015 Limited Edition Giftpack designed by Alfred Dunhill features a limited edition designed bottle 70/75cl with both its interior and exterior evoking the contours of a map, combining the two brands’ shared journey. A 1L Travel Retail Exclusive Giftpack bottle was available at selected travel retail stores, priced at £6,000.

Select Casks, Rye Cask Finish (2015) – a first in a series of limited edition wood-finished blends that will be released over the coming years. It is aged 10 years and is priced at US$45 for a 750ml bottle, at 46% ABV. Its primary market will be the USA. No bottles have been released since then.

2017-

Blue Label Winter Edition – Arriving just in time for Christmas, only 600 bottles of Johnnie Walker Blue Label Winter Edition are available to purchase in the UK. The 70cl 40% ABV blend is presented in a two-tone blue bottle with golden snowflake accents.

Blue Label with Engraving and Free Hip Flask – You can make your Johnnie Walker Blue Label experience that little bit more special with a personalised bottle engraved with a name and short message. You may create two lines of engraving with each line containing up to 14 characters each. (Front Engraving) The 70cl 40% ABV bottle is priced at ~£132.50 ex VAT.

Black Label The Director’s Cut – The September 2017 release of 39,000 70 cl bottles of Johnnie Walker Black Label The Director’s Cut at 49% ABV (86/98 proof) along with the sci-fi futuristic thriller Blade Runner 2049 (October 2017) shows Diageo partnering with film director Denis Villeneuve for a limited-edition Johnnie Walker bottling. The whisky is housed in a futuristic bottle, a reprise inspired by the Johnnie Walker Black Label bottle that appeared fleetingly in the original Blade Runner film in 1982. Priced between £68 (US$90) and £122 ($160), this release is a singular deviation from the norm in terms of bottle shape, number of whiskies used-30 instead of the usual 40- and ABV.

Double Black Label Limited Edition – Featuring 12 black and white photographs selected from across the world that represent a vast range of emotion and humanity pasted on the bottle / printed on its cover. Contents remain unchanged.

Black Label Limited Edition – Exactly the same as with JW Double Black, featuring 12 black and white photographs selected from across the world that represent a vast range of emotion and humanity to be pasted on the bottle and printed on its cover. Contents remain unchanged.

Johnnie Walker Black Label – Yankees 2017 Limited Edition Design-The New York Yankees have been paired with JW Black Label in a 750ml bottle at 40% ABV. This product is only available in New York for $46. 

Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve Bullion Bottle – A limited edition gold-wrapped bottle of Johnnie Walker's Gold Label Reserve. Available in 70 cl, 40% ABV bottles, the contents remain unchanged.

The Walking Woman Jane Walker 01 Mar 2018

Bottles of some Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky looked a little different from March 1, 2018, with the brand’s famous striding man was replaced in the US by a woman, Jane Walker. The Johnnie Walker Black Label Jane Walker Edition bottles are available there, with Diageo donating $1 from each sold to organisations championing women’s causes. Jane Walker is a toast the many achievements of women and everyone on the journey towards progress in gender equality. 

But there is a lot of population dynamics at play here in India. Per capita consumption wise India stood only ninth. And among these drinkers, one can imagine how many women drink whisky in India. Women who drink (you can blame society, Bollywood and even regional cinema, for that sake) have long since been portrayed as less than respectable and are found to be still wary of entering most watering holes, at least in small town and cities of in socially conservative India. But it looks like they are becoming big business, at least in bigger cities, and are clearly on the radar of the brand represented by a jolly man (sorry, now also a woman) walking with a top hat and cane on the label of scotch whisky!

The White Walker: 2018 Limited Edition – Johnnie Walker has blended a limited-edition Scotch whisky, inspired by the most enigmatic and feared characters on the hit HBO® show Game of Thrones - the White Walkers. This quirky limited edition blend brings you right to the Frozen North with an icy white and blue design along with the iconic Johnnie Walker Striding Man now fashioned in armour to fit in among the ranks of the Night King’s forces. Utilising temperature-sensitive ink technology, fans will be reminded that “Winter is Here” from an unexpected graphic icy reveal on the bottle when at the right temperature for serving.

Created by whisky specialist George Harper, alongside the small team of expert blenders at Johnnie Walker, this innovative whisky is best served directly from the freezer, echoing the chilling presence of the White Walkers. The Scotch features Single Malts from Cardhu and Clynelish – one of Scotland’s most Northern distilleries. Blender George Harper used the Frozen North as his starting point for creating White Walker by Johnnie Walker, since whiskies from Clynelish have endured long, Scottish Winters, not dissimilar to the long periods endured by the Night’s Watch who have ventured north of the wall - so it was the perfect place to start when creating this unique whisky.

Blue Label Ghost & Rare: PORT ELLEN – What is a “ghost whisky”? For the unversed, the term ghost whisky refers to irreplaceable whiskies from “ghost” distilleries that have long since closed, making them a much sought-after whisky in the world of Scotch. Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare Port Ellen is the second in a series of special releases crafted using irreplaceable “ghost” whiskies and other incredibly rare whiskies from the Johnnie Walker Blue Label reserves. At the heart of this limited edition lies the highly sought-after Islay single malt, Port Ellen - a legendary ‘ghost’ distillery that shut its doors in 1983. Alongside the revered Islay whisky in the blend are whiskies from two closed grain distilleries (Carsebridge and Caledonian), as well as incredibly rare malts from Mortlach, Oban, Blair Athol, Cragganmore and Dailuaine.

Blue Label Ghost & Rare GLENURY ROYAL: 08 JULY 2019 –  Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare Glenury Royal is the third in a series of special releases crafted using incredibly rare whiskies from the unparalleled Johnnie Walker reserves. At the heart of this limited-edition whisky lies the Highland single malt, Glenury Royal - a ‘ghost’ distillery that shut its doors in 1985 after a long and colourful history.

Founded in 1825 by Captain Robert Barclay, who as an MP, walked one thousand miles in one thousand hours. The distillery was destroyed in a fire, only to rise once again and flourish under Barclay’s leadership to become one of only three Scottish distilleries to have a Royal title.

Johnnie Walker Master Blender, Dr. Jim Beveridge, exploring the unique flavours found in these exceptionally rare whiskies has shone a light on this hidden treasure of the whisky world. This indulgent new limited edition provides us with a wonderful opportunity to explore the remarkable layers of rich fruit found in every drop of Johnnie Walker Blue Label. It has been crafted by blending the highly sought-after “ghost” whiskies from Cambus and Pittyvaich with five incredibly rare malts from Glen Elgin, Inchgower, Glenlossie, Cameronbridge and Glenkinchie. It is bottled at an ABV of 43.8%. 

JW Limited Edition Gift Packs  For the festive season of 2019, Johnnie Walker has created a series of limited-edition packs for each of their iconic, award-winning blends. The Red Label is available in a tin carton, or with a pair of special glasses. The same holds good for their Black Label. The Green, Gold Label Reserve, 18 YO and Blue Label come with a pair of special glasses, each with a trace of their colour. 

One-off Releases

Premier – A rare and exclusive blend constructed from the most precious of Johnnie Walker's vast stocks of long-aged malts, some of which are from now-silent distilleries and irreplaceable. Bottles are freely available in the duty-free outlets in the Philippines at US$112.00.

Premier Taipan Limited Edition Design – a special 'Taipan' Edition of Johnnie Walker's Premier, in a red and gold decorative box. Available online only in the Philippines.

1820 Decanter – 70 cl, 40% ABV. A unique engraved glass decanter, containing a very rare blend known as the "Johnnie Walker 1820 Blend", was presented to long serving employees of Diageo to mark the 50th year of manufacturing at Hill Street, Kilmarnock. Its present cost is ~£800.

1820 Whisky Decanter – 70 cl, 40% ABV. Johnnie Walker 1820 is a special blend of forty aged whiskies, each chosen for their singular characteristics as expected of that blend. A one off limited edition for the Japanese market, it was intended to be a premium blend offering. The contents are rumoured to be around 21 YO and it is available online for $353.50 + shipping.

50 Years Diageo Thank You Hill Street – A special and final bottle of Johnnie Walker to say Thank You to all the staff at the Hill Street Plant in Kilmarnock when it closed in 2012. Only 900 bottles of this 75 cl, 43% ABV whisky were produced. It is currently available for ~£900. Its design was based on the bottle that was given to staff when Hill Street first opened in September 1956.

Liqueur Whisky – A hard-to-find bottle of Johnnie Walker's whisky liqueur – produced for the US market, long discontinued, very rare and highly collectible. Probably the first and only time that the masters of blended whisky exported their take as a liqueur. A 75 cl 40% ABV bottle, it is available online at ~£500.00.

21 year old – This very rare expression of Johnnie Walker was produced solely for the Japanese market. It has since been discontinued. The numbered bottle is presented in a rare red and gold box which includes a certificate of authenticity. A few bottles turn up at auction sites and sell for approximately £210.

Quest – A rare bottling of Johnnie Walker, Quest was originally billed as being above the Blue Label in the range but didn't last particularly long before being discontinued. A 75 cl, 40% ABV bottle described as cask conditioned, it is reportedly the closest to a single cask bottling from Johnnie Walker, despite its low strength. Currently available at ~£500.

Honour – one of the most rare and most expensive blends of Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky, it is currently available at £1,200.

Excelsior – a rare double matured Scotch whisky, distilled in 1947, bottled in 1997. Available for £795.00 for a 75 cl 43% ABV decanter.

Old Harmony – Johnnie Walker Old Harmony is a 1980s exclusive for the Japanese market. The 75 cl 43% ABV bottle is priced between £450 and £475.

15 Year Old Kilmarnock 400 Whisky – an extremely rare[citation needed] Gold Label blend, a 75 cl, 43% ABV expression, bottled in 1992 to mark the 400th anniversary of the granting of burgh status to Kilmarnock. Quite aptly, 1992 bottles were released to celebrate the occasion [GBP 700 (US$900)].

John Walker's Oldest Aged 15 to 60 Years – This extremely limited edition of 1992 was the very first appearance of what was to become Johnnie Walker Blue Label, the world's No.1 premium blended whisky. Available for £850/- 

Johnnie Walker Oldest NAS – The sequel to John Walker's Oldest when that edition sold out, this equally limited bottling looked identical to its predecessor except for the name and age statement. This edition also sold out in 1992, making way for the Johnnie Walker Blue Label NAS.

Blue Label 1805 The 200th Anniversary Celebration Blend – On 25 July 2005, the makers of Johnnie Walker Blue Label celebrated the 200th birth anniversary of its founder with the release of just 200 bottles of a special edition blend in a square Baccarat crystal decanter. This cask strength 46.3% ABV blend was created from whiskies ranging from 45 to 70 YO from distilleries which no longer exist. The recipe for this blend has been destroyed, making it impossible to replicate. None of these bottles were made available for retail sale and were presented to individuals deemed to have made the most significant contribution to modern life. Bottles are available at £20,000.

Blue Label Voyager Commemorative Release – A 2013 limited edition designed to commemorate the epic journey of traditional 19th-century whiskies, the first of which were exported to Australia in the 1860s. Each bottle is numbered. 750 ml, 48% ABV/$380.

Johnnie Walker Black Label Shadow Series by Mattia Biagi- A limited edition of the Black Label blend, with packaging designed in collaboration with the well known Los Angeles-based Italian artist Mattia Biagi, packaged in White Bottles 1.0L 40% ABV. Priced at $99.00. 

Johnnie Walker Blue Label with 4 Markham Marquis by Waterford Double Old Fashioned Glasses – A 750 ml 40% ABV bottle of JW Blue Label has been offered by Johnnie Walker along with four Waterford Crystal tumblers. The offer is valid only in the US. Waterford launched the Marquis brand in 1991. The Markham Collection combines traditional-style cutting and quality with Marquis value. Price: $229. Engraving possible on order for a further $15.

SERIAL RELEASES: THE DIVERSE SERIES

         Blue Label The Cask Series – A dedicated Travel Retail limited edition release in July 2012, the "Blue Label 'The Casks Edition'", is blended from a small selection of hand picked casks. It is offered in a 1L bottle at a 'natural strength' of 55.8% ABV. Priced at £232 (US$305), it sold out quickly. Of these, only the Korean Wealth & Honour Cask series is available, but at $1,200 each, known as “Bu Gwi Yeong Hwa.” Each of the 500 bottles comes in a porcelain decanter exclusively produced for the South Korean market. The design is embellished with mother of pearl inserts.

         New Explorers' Club Collection – A collection which contains a number of 'series', the first of which is the 'Trade Routes' series, which contains "The Spice Road" (≈US$43) released in Dec 2012; "The Gold Route" (≈US$95) released in Mar/Apr 2013; "The Royal Route" (≈US$159) released in May/Jun 2013 and "The Adventurer" (≈US$30) released in May 2014. The Trade Routes series is available exclusively in Duty Free. The Explorer's Club of New York took umbrage at this titling and filed suit against Diageo for misuse of its trademark. After a New York judge ruled in favour of the club, a settlement was reached in November 2014 with Diageo signing a licensing agreement with the club (without disclosing the financial terms of the settlement). There were no further bottlings.

         Director’s Blend Series 2008–’13 – Never available at retail, this collection was only given to very important Diageo types. This rare series consists of annual releases of around 500 70cl bottles between 2008 and 2013, each with their unique presentation, design and character.

        Director’s Blend 2008 – This grain whisky celebrates sweetness as the biggest component of any Blended Scotch. One of 450 bottles, ABV 46%.

        Director’s Blend 2009 – A celebration of smokiness. This release contains Islay single malt whisky, including Lagavulin. One of 504 bottles, ABV 43%.

        Director’s Blend 2010 – The rich smell of autumn fruit with generous helpings of European oak influence. Old whisky, using a generous number of 2nd fill sherry casks. These bottle feature one of 6 different screen-printed labels by artist Lewis Moberly. One of 450 bottles at a staggering ABV of 65%.

        Director’s Blend 2011 – The effect of wood on whisky. A blend of Scotch whiskies, both grain and malt, matured solely in virgin oak, American and European. Luxurious minimalism and delicate detailing. Intensity and power of that big tannic, sugary structure served with elegance and grace. One of 504 bottles, 46% ABV.

        Director’s Blend 2012 – Celebrating the aroma of fresh fruits. Pronounced, open Speyside character with all its swagger. Instead of using the label to describe the contents of the bottle, LOVE design agency chose to use it to celebrate the recipient of the blend, drawing inspiration from Johnnie Walker’s ‘Keep Walking’ philosophy. One of 504 bottles at an ABV of 43%.

        Director’s Blend 2013 – Celebrating Malt and the deep resonance that aged Malts bring to the blend. This one is about age. The packaging is designed by Claessens. One of 588 bottles, 46% ABV.

        Blenders' Batch 2016 – The Johnnie Walker Blenders' Batch of whiskies form a special series that highlights experimental Scotch whiskies that are non-conformal, yet brings an unusual take from the distillery’s pursuit of flavour and blend, keeping Johnnie Walker’s expert blenders busy for nigh on two centuries. The Blenders’ Batch whiskies have been designed 'from the bar back' to ensure bartenders have the right blend at hand to serve discriminating customers. With six editions released over 2016–17, Diageo has revealed that there will be more such releases every year, under Master Blender Jim Beveridge's overall guidance.

        Blenders’ Batch Red Rye Finish 2016. 70cl, 40% ABV, €20.00. Malt and grain whiskies aged in first-fill bourbon casks and finished in rye casks. It was created using a blend of just four whiskies, including Cardhu single malt and grain whisky from Port Dundas. Released September 2016.

        Blenders’ Batch Bourbon Cask & Rye Finish – 100cl, 40% ABV, €44.90. Drawn from over 200 whisky samples, aged in first-fill bourbon casks and finished for up to six months in former rye casks. Features whiskies from just five distilleries including Dufftown and the now closed Port Dundas. Available in select markets including travel-retail. Released February 2017

        Blenders' Batch Triple Grain American Oak Scotch Whisky – 75cl, 41.3% ABV $29.97. A blend of three grain whiskies—wheat, barley, and corn—from storied distilleries including the now closed Port Dundas and 2 iconic malts from Cardhu and Mortlach. Aged for 10 years in American Oak Casks. Released Feb 2017.

        Blenders' Batch Wine Cask Blend Scotch Whisky 2017 – 75cl, 40% ABV, $29.99. A new lighter style of whisky from the Blenders' Batch series, hand-crafted by Johnnie Walker blender Aimee Gibson. Combines whisky filled into wine casks by Johnnie Walker’s master blender Jim Beveridge more than 10 years ago. The blend contains whiskies from distilleries such as Cameronbridge and Clynelish. Released Aug 2017.

        Blenders’ Batch Rum Cask Finish – 50cl, 40.8% ABV, £30 ($40). A blend of whiskies from Speyside and the Lowlands that have been finished in casks that previously held Caribbean pot still rum. Created by Johnnie Walker blender Chris Clark. Released Aug 2017.

        Blenders’ Batch Espresso Roast – 50cl, 43.2% ABV, £30 ($40). Blender Aimée Gibson used whiskies distilled with barley roasted more heavily than ever before. Punchy notes of rich coffee and dark chocolate that is best served neat in an espresso cup. Released Aug 2017; available in select countries from September 2017.

        Johnnie Walker’s Sweet Peat – 50cl, 40.8% ABV, £30 ($40). A limited edition whisky launched in January 2019, blending caramel sweetness with peated smoke, Sweet Peat is the latest in the Blended Batch series. Its primary target is Australia, priced at AU$55. At its heart is whisky from Caol Ila, chosen for its soft bonfire smoke and hidden sweetness, Speyside malts, including Cardhu, and Glendullan aged in sherry casks, for additional sweetness, rich fruity notes and balance.

        Blue Label Skyline Series – Starting September 2013, Johnnie Walker Blue Label released their limited edition Skyline Series. Designed by Innovation Kitchen and illustrated by Michael Ng, each bottle features a gold-etched illustration inspired by the skylines of seven of the world’s metros. The seven cities are Singapore, Hong Kong, Mumbai, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Auckland, and each individually numbered bottle also comes with a bespoke sleeve. Hong Kong featured again in 2017 on the 20th anniversary of its handover by the UK to China (see Artist Series below).

       Blue Label Cityscape (Cities) Series – In Dubai in 2015, Diageo Global Travel launched the limited edition Johnnie Walker Blue Label Cityscape Series aimed at the travelling whisky collector. The internationally renowned handcraft artist, Jeff Nishinaka, was commissioned to create the design for the numerous cities. The Cityscape Collection is individually numbered and available in limited quantity only in the cities that inspired them. The series includes the cities of Dubai, London, Toronto, New Delhi, Amsterdam, Munich, Monaco, Sydney, Edinburgh, Tel Aviv, Moscow, St Petersburg, and the countries of Brazil, Nepal and Japan. Prices vary from city to city and are between ~£153-£225. The Paris edition is readily available at €225.00 (£180–200)

        Blue Label Guam Special Edition (July 2015) – initial limited run of only 600 bottles released on 28 July 2015. Cost was $247.99/bottle. Features original Blue label bottle with special island gold design on the front. Sold only in Guam, an unincorporated Territory of the United States with each bottle individually numbered.

        Blue Label Guam Special Edition (November 2015) –Because of its immediate success, the Johnnie Walker Blue Guam Special Edition bottle returned to Guam on popular demand in November, well in time for the forthcoming festive season.

         Blue Label Guam Special Edition (February 2017)- The third Guam edition was released in February 2017. These limited-edition bottles depict scenes of the Two Lovers legend designed by local artists and brothers Ron and Richard "Ric" Castro.

         Blue Label Warriors Collection Pack 2015 – A 3 x 750ml pack, Mexican artist Carlos Sego was commissioned to design this edition in homage to Mexican culture. The first special edition is exclusively for Mexico, 1200 bottles or 400 sets of 3 bottles. Each set consists of Johnnie Walker Blue Label Eagle Warrior; Jaguar Warrior; and Serpent Warrior and is priced at $15,000.

        Blue Label Warriors II 2016 edition – Mexican artist Gonzalo Lebrija was engaged to combine the design and the heritage of his country on a bottle of this Blue Label. Guerreros II (Warriors II), the name of this project, reflects the spirit of the Mexica warriors, especially Huitzilopochtli, the main deity of this culture. Available as of September 2016 only for the Mexican public, the production run will be 1,200 bottles in total.

         John Walker and Sons Private Collection Whisky – a set of annual, limited release whiskies of only 8,888 decanters per year from 29 casks at 70cl, 46.8% ABV.
         Private Collection 2014 Edition, a unique smoky blend, priced at ~£465
         Private Collection 2015 Edition, rare fruit character is priced at ~£470
         Private Collection 2016 Edition, lower 43% ABV honey notes, priced at ~£433
         Private Collection 2017 Edition, titled Mastery of Oak, is priced at ~£400. Only 5,588 decanters were marketed.

        Blue Label Striding City Edition – A new release of Johnnie Walker's Blue Label restricted to China, this collection featured four of China's major cities: Beijing, Guangdong, Shanghai and Fujian. Each city had between 850-1000 75cl bottles at 46% ABV. Prices are around the £375-400 mark.

        Blue Label Chinese Market-oriented Expressions – Johnnie Walker Blue Label launched the Eastern Legends Collection, consisting of three limited-edition series: Zodiac; Happiness, Wealth, and Longevity; and the Five Gods of Wealth to celebrate the Chinese New Year starting 2013–2014. All bottles are 750ml at 43% ABV, priced between $220–500.

       The Johnnie Walker Blue Label Zodiac Series: These expressions were the first to be brought out, in 2013. The limited-edition bottles depict the animals of the Chinese zodiac, decorated with the latter's four facets in gold graphics using European gold leaf techniques. Johnnie Walker has released different Chinese zodiac bottles every year. Bottles of The Johnnie Walker Blue Label Year of the Dragon, of The Snake, and of The Horse were released in 2013. The Johnnie Walker Blue Label Year of the Ram made its debut in 2015 to celebrate the Lunar New Year and The Year of the Monkey was marketed in 2016, followed by the Blue Label 2017- Year of the Rooster, a 70cl / 700ml / 40% ABV 2017 edition comprising 600 bottles ex Bourbon & Sherry Oak casks, which is a departure from the norm in respect of volume and strength of the Zodiac bottlings. Each bottle costs the equivalent of GBP 185 in Singapore.

        The Happiness, Wealth and Longevity followed in 2014.

        The Five Gods of Wealth was also released that year. Though targeted principally at China, a few bottles of all these expressions were/are available in select countries.

        Blue Label Striding Man 20cl Edition – A set 4 x 20cl 40% ABV bottles of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, showing the evolution of their Striding Man logo from 1908 to the most recent design in 2015, each with a different design of the Striding Man. This set is priced in the £185 region and features bottles created by hand by glass craftsmen. The Striding Man edition will be available in Johnnie Walker Houses worldwide, including Beijing, Chengdu, Seoul, Shanghai and Mumbai and Taoyan airport.

        Blue Label Striding Man 35cl Edition: The second set has 5 x 35cl 40% ABV bottles of Johnnie Walker Blue Label with the versions of the 'Striding Man' created between 1908 and 1999, individually numbered and containing a mixture of very rare whiskies.[193][194] This set also features bottles created by hand by glass craftsmen, comes with a gift display cabinet and is priced at €7260, VAT included.

         Blue Label Special Release – On 30 November 2017, Johnnie Walker released a blend using whiskies from closed distilleries, backed up with single malts from its numerous working distilleries. Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare is the first in a series of special releases to be made using whiskies from “ghost” distilleries that have long since closed. Each edition will have “one prominent rare whisky at its heart”. This particular release uses whiskies from eight distilleries in Diageo’s portfolio, including three “ghost” whiskies and is crafted around whisky from the Brora distillery, closed in 1983, but which will reopen by 2020. The other whiskies are from Royal Lochnagar, Clynelish, Glenkinchie, Glenlossie and Cameronbridge as well as the silent Cambus and Pittyvaich distilleries. Bottled at 46% ABV, it is available in limited quantities globally for ~£220 for a 70cl bottle.

BESPOKE RELEASES: THE ARTISTS SERIES

        Blue Label Capsule Series by Tom Dixon – British designer Tom Dixon OBE created a Johnnie Walker Blue Label Capsule Series encompassing a limited edition bottle, bespoke ice bucket, coaster and bottle cap, launched at the 2017 Milan Design Week (04 Apr – 09 Apr 2017). It reached select markets across Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia in October 2017.

        Blue Label Street Art Limited Edition 2017 – Chinese New Year Street Art Johnnie Walker Blue Label limited edition designed by the Penang Street Art pioneer, Lithuanian street artist Ernest Zacharevic, in 75cl 40% ABV bottles. 6,000 bottles created, meant solely for Malaysia at prices between $225–240.

        Artist Series Tristan Eaton Editions – Johnnie Walker has collaborated with the acclaimed American street artist Tristan Eaton to create a wide and variegated series of limited edition collectible ‘Artist Series’ gift packs, reflecting the entire gamut of the brand’s flavours and aromas in a series of colourful bespoke paintings. Each of Johnnie Walker’s trademark whiskies has its own unique design, from Johnnie Walker Red Label all the way up to the Johnnie Walker Blue Label.

        Tristan Eaton Gift Packs with Tumblers – Each limited edition gift pack consists of one 70cl 40% ABV Tristan Eaton artistic carton and bottle, with tumblers embellished with the Striding Man logo. The tumblers are available with gift packs of Johnnie Walker Red Label, Black Label and Double Black Label. The Blue Label Crystal Glass Gift Pack has only one ornate crystal tumbler. The Green Label, Gold Label Reserve and Aged 18 (old Platinum Label) come without tumblers.

        Tristan Eaton Spray Cans – The Tristan Eaton limited editions also feature 70cl spray cans for the Red and Black Label brands.

        Blended Scotch Whisky with Gift Tin (Tristan Eaton Edition) – A limited edition presentation of Johnnie Walker standard brands, featuring a gift tin designed by street artist Tristan Eaton. The brands available are the Red Label, Black Label, Double Black Label and the Gold Reserve (70cl, 40% ABV).

        Blue Label Casks Edition-Joe Wilson Mumbai Bottle – Joe Wilson, the UK-based illustrator specialising in highly detailed, hand-drawn illustrations and print work was commissioned in 2015 to create the 'Mumbai' Bottle wrap design for exclusive limited edition bottles of Johnnie Walker Blue Label Casks Edition. Only available at Mumbai airport.

       Year of the Dragon – In the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac, 2012 marks the Year of the Dragon. In celebration of this year, Johnnie Walker commissioned Chris Martin to design a series of specially packaged Johnnie Walker Chinese Year of the Dragon boxes for the red, black and gold reserve labels.[203]

        Johnnie Walker Blue Label Pioneering Cities: Hong Kong Edition- Illustrated by Victo Ngai, this blend was created in 2017 to celebrate the 20 years of handover of Hong Kong. Every bottle is individually numbered starting with Hong Kong’s area code ‘852’ followed by a four-digit number (e.g., 852-0001). A total of 2400 bottles will be available only for the Hong Kong domestic market, priced around HK$1,898.00 (US$247.00)

       Johnnie Walker Black Label Shadow Edition By Mattia Biagi- A limited edition of the Black Label blend and a follow on from a white coloured edition in a duty free only series known as the "Shadow Series". Available in 750ml bottles, it costs $ 199.00.

        Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ernesto Maranje Miami Edition- In Dec 2017, Diageo Global Travel, the drinks group’s travel arm, opened a U.S. boutique in partnership with Duty Free Americas—in the Miami International Airport’s North Terminal Concourse D. The boutique carries expressions specific to the store, such as the Ernesto Maranje–designed Blue Label Miami Edition, to be sold only to outgoing international travellers. [206] This special collector’s edition is currently on display in the store and will be available for purchase from March 2018.

GAME OF THRONES SERIES

       Johnnie Walker The White Walker: Send a raven – Scotch has officially entered the realm. Johnnie Walker, inspired by the most enigmatic and feared characters on the hit HBO® show Game of Thrones - presented three limited-edition Scotch Whiskies, with the White Walker debuting in October 2018 as a whisky to be served after freezing in the ‘fridge for 20 minutes. The two new blends, inspired by the iconic and powerful houses of Westeros – House Stark and House Targarye and made in collaboration with HBO, and named with a nod to the Game of Thrones book series title, "A Song of Ice and Fire."

      Johnnie Walker A Song of Ice: Available in the US Aug 2019, globally in Oct 2019.
      Johnnie Walker A Song of Fire:Also available in the US Aug 2019 & globally Oct 2019.

CONSIGNED TO HISTORY

    The Commemorative 1920 Edition – Launched in 1920, which marked 100 years of the opening of John Walker's grocery in Kilmarnock. Only 540 bottles of this edition had been created, including irreplaceable whiskies from silent distilleries.

    Swing Superior – a limited edition variety based on the Swing blend, marked by its distinctive golden label. 75 cl 43% ABV. Dates back to the 1980s.[209]

    King George IV 1959 Old Scotch Whisky – A precursor to Johnnie Walker Blue Label King George V Edition of 2007 in a 750 ml (1 pint 6 fl oz) bottle at 75 proof 43% ABV, priced at ~£1,000 and distilled and matured in Scotland by the Distillers Agency Ltd., Edinburgh, Scotland.[210]

    Black Label: Anniversary Edition (1909–2009) – A special edition of the 12 year old Black Label blend from Johnnie Walker, presented in a black bottle. This was released to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its existence since its renaming in 1909. A 700ml / 40% ABV bottling, it cost £35.69/- when it was available.

    Blue Label "Heirloom" – Designed by Tarun Tahiliani, ensconced in a handcrafted leather case and embellished with Blue Sapphire Swarovski and 18k Gold electroplating, the case comes in very limited quantities. Priced at £350, India only.

    Gold Label "Heirloom" – This Limited Edition Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve pack has also been designed by Tahiliani, priced at £75,India only.

    Green Label 180 Cask – a limited edition of the Green Label (created from 180 casks) released in 2009 for the Taiwanese market.

    Black Label: Keep Walking New Zealand – a special limited-edition of 17,500 packs to support fundraising efforts following the Christchurch earthquake in February 2011.

    Black Label: Project Black Inspiration – Facebook fans across Malaysia and Singapore had the chance to provide creative input to help shape a new bottle design in collaboration with international designer Mark Ong. Approximately 22,000 limited edition bottles featuring the final design were produced and sold exclusively in Malaysia and Singapore.

    Green Label 48% – a 2015 limited edition of the Green Label released at a higher strength for the Taiwanese market.

    JW&S Ltd. – The first and only nonconformal bottle and label combination produced by John Walker & Sons, with an abbreviation in place of the standard Johnnie Walker. This special bottle was created in 1956. The label on the Swing-style bottle just says 'JW&S Ltd. To commemorate the opening of the new premises of John Walker & Sons Ltd. at Hill Street, Kilmarnock on 11 September 1956' The reverse of the bottle bears the embossed Kilmarnock Burgh coat of arms. No capacity or strength stated. It has a stopper cork, a lead capsule embossed "Swing" on top and comes with a glass stopper. It was sold for £1020.

    Deco – a limited number of 350 ml bottles were produced in Art Deco–designed bottles, hence the name of this blend.

    Blue Label Mini Blended Scotch Whisky – a rare item that includes a hand-blown nosing glass and sealed tasting notes and booklet on blue label whisky, costing around US$250.

    Blue Label Singapore Airlines – A special release on 1 December 2015 of only 2,000 75cl bottles of The Cask Series made available exclusively at Singapore Airlines’ inflight retail store, KrisShop, for S$378 (US$270). The bottle is a rich shade of lapis lazuli and features the airline’s signature silver batik print.

    Blue Label Bruce Lee Game Changer Limited Edition – Martial arts star and teetotaller Bruce Lee has been resurrected, 41 years after he died, in CGI form to appear in a Johnnie Walker video ad, suggesting a change of game. The 1.75L bottle, released in China, is the largest bottle of Blue Label marketed so far. Strength is not known.

    Blue Label Jackie Chan Commemorative Edition – Another 1.75 L bottle of Blue Label, commemorating comic martial arts superstar Jackie Chan. Also released in China, its strength is not known.

    Blue Label with Bill Amberg Traveller Bag – A 70cl, 40% ABV Johnnie Walker Blue Label bottle with an attractive blue traveller bag made by British luggage maker Bill Amberg.

    Johnnie Walker Blue Label Gerald Scarfe Cask Edition - A holiday gift pack that came with a bottle of Blue Label and two luxury rocks glasses.

Marketing

Every type of Johnnie Walker scotch has had a label colour till 2017, except for the Swing label. The Platinum Label, bottles of which are still available around the globe, has been discontinued this summer and is being replaced by the Johnnie Walker Aged 18 Years blended Scotch whisky (See Blends above). The purpose is to supposedly denominate the different types of scotch and to position them to be used for different occasions. For example, Johnnie Walker Blue Label is rare and expensive, and so it is intended to be used for special occasions. A short video called 'Johnnie Walker Blue Label Presents Jude Law in "The Gentleman's Wager" [GR]' was uploaded on Jul 30, 2014 to promote JW Blue Label as rarer than rare, meant to be used by the glitterati on special occasions while also furthering the Keep Walking motto. A sequel followed in November 2015, consequent to Diageo's decision on a fresh marketing strategy and concomitant logo evolution, detailed infra.

A key feature of every bottle of Johnnie Walker scotch is the Striding Man logo. It was created in 1908 by cartoonist / illustrator Tom Browne to be a likeness of John Walker in traditional, upscale attire. Various other artists created this logo up to the 1950s, the same period in which the logo first came onto the bottle on a label. The logo was changed in 1999 to show the man walking forwards, which Diageo says symbolises forward thinking, the pursuit of excellence and readiness to enter the next millennium. Diageo has created a members club for Johnnie Walker drinkers, called The Striding Man Society.

Another key aspect of its marketing is the slanted label, which is angled at exactly 24 degrees. This was an advertising tool developed by Alexander Walker, who thought it would help his bottles stand out on the shelf. The slanted label also accommodates more text than would a traditionally oriented label.

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.                                                    
Johnnie Walker Black Label was promoted in the USA in a video titled "Keep Walking America", followed by another expanding on which brand to gift on occasions calling for a gift.

In 2013, ahead of the sixth season of Mad Men, the firm launched an ad campaign promoting Johnnie Walker Red Label, featuring Christina Hendricks.

Johnnie Walker also launched the international John Walker & Sons Voyager tour in order to market its higher variants in the Asia-Pacific, Europe and Caribbean markets. The Voyager tour was developed in order to promote the special edition Odyssey blend and pay tribute to the original trade routes and sea voyages by which Johnnie Walker was distributed throughout the world. The final leg of the tour was completed in 2014 visiting six Caribbean countries on board the Regina Yacht (featured in the major motion picture Skyfall).

The logo was modified again in February 2015. Designed by London-based Bloom in collaboration with illustrator Garry Redford, it features far more intricate detailing and set the scene for another change, this time in the tagline, to kick off in 50 countries in September 2015 its biggest brand campaign since 1999. The new tagline reads "Joy Will Take You Further Keep Walking." 

Henceforth, the logo will only be in gold, black, or white, and on top of 'fancy things'. Moreover, the reworked Striding Man has been moved from a label onto the bottle itself. Diageo explains its rationale: " ‘Joy Will Take You Further’ is an evolution of the brand’s famous ‘Keep Walking’ campaign, emphasizing its philosophy for over three lustrums that helped Johnnie Walker become the most valuable spirits brand in the world. It highlights the perception that joy can be a catalyst to the progress they seek, while encouraging the idea that finding joy in the journey is part of the recipe for success." Global brand ambassadors include Oscar-nominated actor Jude Law, mountaineer Romi Garduce and musician, actress, and blogger Saab Magalona from the Philippines, Formula One world champion and McLaren Honda driver Jenson Button, US rock band OK Go, Swedish and US electric car pioneer and racer Eva Hakansson, Mexican supermodel Montserrat Oliver, world-class bartender Emil Areng, Diageo’s Master Blender Jim Beveridge and Rio De Janeiro-based muralists Haas & Hahn.

An 11-minute video titled 'Johnnie Walker Blue Label presents Jude Law in "The Gentleman's Wager II"' was uploaded on Nov 5, 2015, as a sequel to the 2014 version, again promoting JW Blue Label as rarer than rare, but with a singular difference. It projected the ‘Joy Will Take You Further’ theme.

The Dailymotion video-sharing website hosts a 59-minute video on Scotch in which over eight minutes (32.50-41.00) are reserved for the Johnnie Walker brand, related facts and trivia from Diageo's archives.

JOHNNIE WALKER HOUSES

AN EXCLUSIVE EMBASSY FOR LUXURY SCOTCH WHISKY

Johnnie Walker believes that whisky is an art form. A Johnnie Walker House allows full appreciation some of the world’s finest whiskies in the company of fellow connoisseurs. Each is built on the theme of ‘Whisky Conversations’ and designed to project the history, provenance and pioneering spirit of the Johnnie Walker brand. Part gallery, part lifestyle space and part museum, it brings together luxury whisky innovation with art, design, fine-dining and culture.

Patrons of Johnnie Walker Houses enjoy exclusive personal service, meals and drinks, the famous Whisky Tasting Course, access to a Scotland trip concierge and the right to attend and host private luxurious events at flagship locations. Membership as a patron of Johnnie Walker House is by invitation only. 

Alternatively, register for Johnnie Walker House World of Privileges, a complimentary programme that comes with a personal subscription to the award winning Johnnie Walker House Edit magazine, VIP treatment at the Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland, invitations to select Johnnie Walker House events and priority listing on limited edition products.

There are eight Johnnie Walker House locations outside of Scotland: four flagships in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Seoul; and two retail boutiques at Taoyuan International Airport (Taiwan) and Mumbai International Airport (India) and a retail boutiques at both Changi (Singapore) and Schiphol Amsterdam Airports (Netherlands).

MUMBAI AIRPORT


This stunning retail boutique at Mumbai Airport encapsulates Johnnie Walker’s rich history and honours its long relationship with India through artistic wall installations and limited edition whiskies. Travellers who visit this Johnnie Walker House can enjoy whisky mentoring and a range of bespoke whiskies.

The Johnnie Walker House Art Collection – Mumbai Edition is exclusively available at Johnnie Walker House Mumbai. This very special bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label celebrates the opening of Johnnie Walker’s first retail showcase at Mumbai Airport. It shows a unique ‘willow pattern’ interpretation of the whisky’s original journey from Scotland to India in 1883. The British Raj was evidently fond of its Scotch.

CONTROVERSIES

2015 forged kosher certification allegations

Up until 2015 Johnnie Walker Black Label bottles had a Kosher sign, naming the OK Kosher organisation as one that provided kosher tests for the product. Israel Beer Breweries Ltd. Spirits (IBBLS) and Paneco groups export to or import into Israel the Johnnie Walker brand of Blended Scotch Whiskies.

At the bottom of the controversy is the whisky dispute between IBBLS, which is the official importer of Johnnie Walker, and its competitor Paneco. The former periodically takes inspectors from Israel to Scotland to check the whisky brand’s facilities to ensure compliance with the regulations for kosher status. Paneco is allegedly not doing such checks and claims that its imports are automatically kosher-compliant because the products are the same.

Following an inquiry by the Israeli Rabbinical authority, Rabbi Aharon Haskel from the OK organisation conducted an investigation and published that only IBBLS marks are genuine while the Paneco group did not get their certification. The Israeli Rabbinical authority released a statement that urged customers to verify the producer and stated that the Paneco group is suspected of certificate forgery. Paneco representatives stated that they do have a Kosher certificate (from the Israeli rabbinical authority) and asked the Israeli police to perform an investigation.[242] A representative told the International Business Times, "All products sold on Paneco.com are completely and solely original. The Johnnie Walker whisky products sold on the site are created by the primary manufacturer at the Diageo distillery in Scotland and is exactly the same product marketed by a competing company in Israel, which holds the kosher certification for the product."

Accolades

Johnnie Walker spirits have received strong scores at international spirit ratings competitions and from liquor review bodies. The Green Label received a string of three double gold medals from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition between 2005 and 2007. The Gold Label received double gold medals from the San Francisco competition in 2008 and 2009 and won a gold in 2010. 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). 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. Johnnie Walker was voted India's Most Trusted Premium Whisky Brand according to the Brand Trust Report 2014, a study conducted by Trust Research Advisory.

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Friday 5 June 2020

EXTRAORDINARY CHANGES IN DETAILS OF BLACK DOG SCOTCH WHISKIES

  BLACK DOG SCOTCH WHISKY

Was SIR Walter Samuel Millard A Hoax?

Diageo’s Black Dog 12 YO and 8 YO Blended Scotch Whiskies

Black Dog Deluxe Gold and Centenary Black Reserve Scotch Whiskies

Black Dog is a brand of Scotch whisky that is bottled and marketed in India by United Spirits Limited (USL), a subsidiary of Diageo PLC. In 2013, Black Dog was reported to be the world's fastest growing Scotch whisky by volume, according to International Wine and Spirits Research (IWSR), with the highest consumption reported in India. The whiskies used in the blend come from Scotland. Black Dog Scotch Whisky sold in India is bottled in Parmori District Nasik in Maharashtra, by importing the undiluted spirits from Scotland, a strategy that avoids the 150% import duties on liquor entering India that is bottled prior to import, while paying only about 30% when bottled in India. The Black Dog Centenary Black Reserve is a well matured and blended 8 year old and the Deluxe Gold Reserve was a decent 12 year old Scotch whisky.

Sir Walter Millard features prominently on both items

Originally, the print on the carton and the bottle labels, as can be seen above for the Deluxe Gold Reserve, both began, ”Sir Walter Millard travelled to Scotland in 1883 in search of an impeccable Scotch whisky. His search ended in a blend created by James Mackinlay from Leath. Being a keen angler, Sir Walter Millard named the whisky Black Dog in honour of his favourite salmon fishing fly used in the Spey and Tay rivers of Scotland since the early 19th century. Thus was born the Black Dog Scotch Whisky.” This was followed by details of the nose, palate, finish and other regulation attributes, which is the norm for most brands of alcohol. The very same tale featured on the 8 YO as well. The story of this Sir Walter Millard fishing for salmon in the Spey and Tay rivers in the Scottish Highlands (Speyside) did not ring true.

A study shows that these are patently false claims. Walter Samuel Millard (1864–1952) was born in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire in 1864, the seventh son of Rev. J.H. Millard, and was a 19 year old stripling in 1883. To claim that an unknown lad of 19 could be an expert in assessing an international class blended whisky created for export to the Indian subcontinent and other British Colonies in proximity as well as fishing flies in well known rivers of Scotland is a distortion of the truth. There is no record of his ever being knighted either.   

The entire lot of Black Dog whiskies were suddenly taken out of the Indian market in 2017-18, for rewording and to possibly preclude uncomfortable questions about Mr Millard. Today, on return to the market, there is no such fulsome and repeated mention of Sir Walter Millard. Pray why would such a “prominent” name, which had featured for decades, be removed?

This brand of whisky reappeared only in 2018-19, in a radically different avatar and with the notation on the bottle labels and cardboard carton changed considerably. The Black Dog Deluxe Gold Reserve became the Black Dog Triple Gold Reserve. The notation on the Black Dog Centenary Black Reserve also changed almost totally. How and why did this change come about?

No mention of Sir Walter Millard?

In the 19th century, the sun never set over the British Empire, so vast was its spread. Since the only mode of international cross-continental travel was by sea, the Empire invariably faced logistic and infrastructural problems as sea routes were subject to unpredictable weather conditions enroute. While a great many problems could be resolved by local provisioning, the high and mighty faced problems in supplies which could only be brought from back home, e.g., wine, alcohol and tobacco.

Herbert Musgrave Phipson (1850–1936), was a British wine merchant and naturalist who lived in Bombay (now Mumbai), India, from 1878 to 1905. He had come to India in 1878 as a partner in the firm of J. A. Forbes & Co., Bombay. In 1883, he established his own company, Phipson & Co. Wine Merchants and employed a Briton from Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, Walter Samuel Millard (1864–1952), an educated young bachelor who would soon become fairly knowledgeable about liquor, which could be traced back to his in-laws to be. Records show that Millard first set foot in India in early 1884. Phipson also served as the Honorary Secretary of the Bombay Natural History Society and the Editor of its Journal for twenty years – as the sole editor for fifteen years till 1901 and then joint editor with Millard, who succeeded him as Hon'y Sec'y in 1906, when Phipson returned home due to his wife's continued sickness. There is no record in the UK of Walter Samuel Millard ever being knighted. This was a hoax played on the gullible customer. However, his services to the Society supra and other causes, as also to the British Armed Forces as a provender of high quality perishables, is indisputable.

Phipson and Co. expanded quickly and had outlets all over Asia, in present day Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Burma, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and more, which required a lot of shuttling to and fro. Unfortunately for them, wine and alcohol seemed to be in short supply, mainly because they were sourced from home.

In 1883, Phipson was in England to place bulk orders for his trade and also set up both contacts and contracts with stockists of Red, White and Rose Wines, Port, Sherry, Gin, Brandy, Cognac and Whisky. Whisky could only be procured from Scotland. He was hard pressed for time to find a Whisky to suit the hot and dusty Indian and other Asian countries. Phipson then employed Walter Samuel Millard (1864–1952), a 19-year old educated bachelor presumably fairly knowledged about liquor to do the concomitant legwork. Both Millard and Phipson were pure Britishers, with nary a Scottish connection. This implied that the 19 year old Millard had to travel to Scotland, scout the numerous districts,  distilleries and agents and make an informed decision.

Phipson detailed him to go to Speyside and look up distilleries and then fetch up at Mackinlay's in Leith, Edinburgh and get him to produce and/or provide a good blended whisky that would suit conditions in Asia. By then, MacKinley’s name and fame had started to circulate, to peak with his 15-YO blends that he would supply Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton between 1898 and 1907. He was known in Scotland as the 'Royalty of Whisky'. Three bottles of 15-year bottled-in-1898 Mackinlay's Scotch Whisky were found in 2010 among three crates of Scotch and two of brandy buried beneath a basic hut Shackleton had used during his dramatic failed 1907-09 Nimrod excursion to the Antarctic. Millard met Mackinlay's daughter at Leith, and was betrothed to her as a young 19-year old youth. Phipson was still in England when the Bombay Natural History Society(BNHS) was founded on 15 September 1883. Upon his return to Bombay, he immediately joined BNHS.

In 1875, Charles registered the brand Mackinlays Vatted Old
Benvorlich Scotch whisky and opened offices in London, first on Queen Victoria Street then at Crutched Friar. Mackinlays Vatted Old Benvorlich was thus introduced to London. He purchased Corbett Borthwicks Warehouse, East Old Dock, Leith, later that year and used it as his blending headquarters.

James, son of Charles Mackinlay, established in 1815 (see label), was a second generation whisky blender from the Leith family who produced a large number of brands of different ages, like Mackinlay's 'Fine Old Scotch Whisky' as three to seven year olds were known and 'Rare Old Scotch Whisky', the term for eight year olds. He was also a supplier of raw single malt whiskies to other whisky brands that were sprouting all over, once the ban on blending grain and malt whiskies was removed for distillers in 1860 and for grocers in 1863. Millard toured the smallish Speyside region as ordered, taking extensive notes of as many popular brands he could find. He then left for Edinburgh, for Mackinlay's establishment. As stated earlier, he met and fell in love with Mackinlay's daughter there, whom he was to ultimately wed in 1889, the year the finest 12 YO expression of Black Dog was released.

The Black Dog Fishing Fly

Together with James, Millard discovered the blend he was looking for. Its unique taste, delicate aroma and smooth effect on the palate were the aspects that appealed the most and brought an interim end to Millard's quest, since time was of the essence and he needed to get back to India. British export rules did not allow the carrying of unnamed and unregistered bottles/containers of alcohol, so the whisky selected had to be named, registered and put on the ship's cargo manifest as such. The prevailing blanket ban on export of Scotch whisky in wooden containers (read oak barrels) was not in force then and it is not clear whether the Whisky was transported in barrels, a format favoured by most other blenders, allowing the whisky in the oak casks to absorb maritime air while in transit, or in bottles. Millard may have named it after himself, probably for want of a better option, while Mackinlay helped him register it. There is no evidence to support either hypothesis, though Millard did escort that consignment. There is no record of any whisky named Millard's Black Dog either.

Phipson's actual reaction to this fait accompli is not recorded. There is an interesting anecdote as to the origin of this brand's final label. Being a keen 'Angler' and considering his love for his favourite sport, Millard named the Scotch after his favourite fishing fly - the Black Dog - allowed, in all probability as a quid pro quo by Phipson. This unsubstantiated tidbit notwithstanding, there is  a simpler and less fairy-tale like school of thought. It is quite probable that James Mackinlay, already a big name in Scotch Whisky blending, was titling his collection of brands after an array of fishing flies and that Millard selected a regal-sounding existing brand, Black Dog. Again, this is unsubstantiated as all MacKinlay's blends are examined in detail in a separate post. All said and done, Millard had just signed a contract for it and was, temporarily, the Boss.The bare truth is that Millard was nothing more than a young and educated representative of Phipson in 1883, destined to rise to fame for his long future association with the Bombay Natural History Society, and possibly, the success of his mascot, Black Dog.  

This Scotch, supposedly 'Millard's Black Dog', was only eight years old, a 'Rare Scotch', and in all possibility, a Blended Scotch whisky. Millard wanted MacKinlay to try the various whiskies- both single grain and single malts- he had described in his notes. He thus brought about, by default, the most  important quality required of a blender of Scotch Whisky, viz., to give the spirit an extended period of time to blend/marry and mature in a wooden cask! MacKinlay was to set up the Glen Mhor Distillery at Inverness in the Highlands in 1892, with an extension in Leith, 160 miles away into the mid-Speyside region to facilitate blending. 

Millard loaded a shipful of 'his' Black Dog whisky, and set course for India with more to follow. Competition was building up; a plethora of brands were also roving overseas in search of markets. While Mackinlay kept up the supply of Black Dog Rare Whisky, he was also carrying out experiments in his own backyard by adding similarly aged whiskies based on his knowledge and Millard's notes and testing them out. 12 year old Scotch whiskies were now emerging, though the 'Premium Extra Special' whiskies were expensive. Millard returned in 1889 for his much-awaited wedding and, when there, found a delightful new expression that would take centre-stage globally.

If on track, the new 12 YO Black Dog would have to be renamed, since the original, which was to be gradually and unobtrusively withdrawn, was already a global brand. This saw the emergence of the (blended at Mackinlay) Phipson Black Dog, an exquisite 12 YO Blended Scotch, in a totally differently shaped dark brown bottle, which became a bestseller overnight in Scotland, sufficient cause for jacking up the price, first internationally, then locally.  

There is yet another school of thought, which, on reflection and ratiocination, seems most likely. Phipson was in England in early 1883, in pursuit of essentials to set up his wine shop. He had heard of James MacKinlay, aka 'The Royalty of Blenders' and wanted to commission him to produce a rare/fine Scotch Whisky to suit Asia and other tropical British colonies. He employed Walter, a well educated young lad of 19 for this task. Millard was to scour Speyside for good whiskies, meet up with and assist James in conjuring up a magical potion, while he got back to India, knowing that this would be a time consuming task. Millard did as ordered, while also courting James' daughter, who he married in 1889, the year James put together the majestic deluxe 12 YO blend. Millard and James were successful in creating a rare 8 YO blend, which Millard, short of time and ideas, named Millard's Black Dog on James' advice. As stated earlier, Phipson Black Dog was to follow and make history. This theory supports the fact that Millard first set foot in India in 1884, escorting the consignment of the whisky in question. Was it named Millard Black Dog? There is no direct evidence for or against this point.  


Note outline of logo of the erstwhile fly  Source: Noel Moitra

A study of the labels reveals that the Black Dog was a 12 YO Scotch Whisky, specially blended and bottled for the sole proprietors, Phipson & Co., Limited, 750 ML and 43% Alcohol by volume. Metrication was introduced in India in Dec 1956, effective 01 Jan 1958, whereas the UK went metric only in 1965. This bottle is therefore of a 1958 or 1965 vintage. Moreover, Phipson & Co., was established in 1883. This leads to the same question-was there ever a Millard's Black Dog Scotch Whisky? Or was this an elaborate USL hoax?

This would mean that the USL/Diageo story about Sir Walter Millard and his favourite fishing fly is a myth. This Scotch Whisky could have been named after Millard for only six years, 1883-89, if at all. He was a callow stripling then, certainly not knighted and in no position to be a great angler with a string of fishing flies. The rivers mentioned, Spey and Tay, are in the Speyside region of Scotland and far from accessible from distant Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, Great Britain. This is yet another false claim that compounds the myth.

Where did the Phipson bottle shown come from? From my memorabilia. No bottle bearing the name Millard Black Dog has yet been found. Or was this a scam buried in posterity, with nobody having the time to check the veracity of any claim of over a hundred and forty years ago?

                                         

That said, this 12 YO premium whisky had beaten Walker's Very Special Old Highland by a margin of 20 years; Johnnie Walker's 12 YO Black Label hit the market in that new avatar only in 1909, when a decision was made to simplify the names of its rather pompous but anachronous brands. It was well appreciated, but found inferior to Black Dog, even after it undercut the latter's price. Black Dog was the premium whisky served on board Air India's international flights, and one of the leading brands of Scotch whisky on board passenger ships and Indian Navy warships. Surprisingly, this whisky was not available anywhere west of the Middle East, suggesting transfer of each and every single one of these bottles to India and her neighbours and that Phipson held sway only in and around the Middle East and Indian subcontinent.


Painstakingly conjured up over a period of twelve long years, Black Dog Scotch instantly became the favorite of connoisseurs all over the world after making a dramatic debut as an eight-year old in 1883, and re-emerging as a different Premium 12 YO blend six years later. This was hardly surprising, considering that each Black Dog Scotch was a masterful blend of fine taste and exquisite artistry. The label clearly states 'Since 1883'.

A newspaper cutting supposedly bolstering the Millard story. It is an obvious fraud: In 1883, Walter Samuel Millard was a 19-year old civilian stripling, and certainly not knighted; Sep 17, 1883 was a Tuesday, not Saturday; the word aficionado entered the English dictionary with a different connotation in the mid-19th century; the spellings of honour/flavour are wrong. I must thank Callum McKean, of the News Reference Team, The British Library, London, who searched through the British Newspaper Archive, a database of digitised local and regional newspapers which is especially comprehensive for the late nineteenth century. He was unable to locate this article. It appeared to him that this is a modern mock-up image as the typeface, wording and layout of the newspaper pictured were not consistent with any late nineteenth century newspapers of which he was aware. (This could perhaps explain the spelling mistakes, wrong selection of word and why the date and day of publication were mismatched too)NM.

Today, Phipson's Black Dog has become a collector's item. My coursemates and I imbibed this and many other premium brands while celebrating our commissioning into the Indian Air Force 1971. I kept my eyes and ears open for any future mention of this brand, and found many old 12-bottle cases of Phipson Black Dog 12 YO in the Indian Navy Duty Free Canteen. I managed a bottle or two, to my good luck, off sympathetic coursemates.

When the British started to leave India in 1942, Phipson and Co. battled hard to stay on, well beyond 1947 when India gained Independence. Walter Millard died in England in 1952. Carew and Co., a smaller liquor dealer, and Phipson & Co. were partly taken over in 1963-64 and merged with itself by McDowell & Co, owned by United Breweries Group (UB), an Indian alcoholic beverages company. in 2002, the company acquired Phipson Distillery marking the demise of Phipson Black Dog. In 2006, McDowell & Co Ltd, Herbertsons Limited, Triumph Distillers and Vintners Private Limited, Baramati Grape Industries India Limited, Shaw Wallace Distilleries Limited and four other companies were merged to form United Spirits Limited, the world's second-largest spirits company by volume. It is now a subsidiary of Diageo, and headquartered in Bangalore. USL exports its products to over 37 countries. 

USL also owned Whyte & Mackay and as Phipson Black Dog died with the taking over of the company, it turned to Richard Paterson, Master Blender at W&M to recreate The Black Dog. This acquisition of Scottish major Whyte & Mackay, with one of the largest inventories of aged malts and grain whisky reserves saw USL bolstering Black Dog with better aged variants to prop up premium appeal. USL started premiumising Black Dog. Rather than just placing the product on retail shelves, the company took an account management approach and created a huge buzz around the brand. But Phipson Black Dog rules the roost.

Four versions of the five current generation Black Dog Scotch Whisky exist today, with one premium version sold out. The 18 and 25 YO versions will not last much longer, as of today.

Current Editions:

Black Dog Centenary Black Reserve Scotch Whisky


Black Dog Centenary Reserve is a rich and rare blended Scotch whisky loaded with exceptional character. It is blended well with a multitude of malt and grain spirits chosen from various regions of Scotland. On completing 8 years in barrels, it is exported to India for bottling and sale. A few barrels are bottled for the local market as well. The whisky had a distinctive briny note, picked up in transit from Scotland to India. In 2008, a new law was passed by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) banning of Scotch whisky in wooden casks. The original proposal of mandating export of Scotch whisky only in properly labelled bottles was opposed in strength and defeated by distillers.

Black Dog Triple Gold Reserve Scotch Whisky

The latest offering from the brand is Black Dog Triple Gold Reserve. In the triple maturation process, Grain and 32 odd Malt whiskies (the descriptive panel says 25) are matured separately in American Bourbon Casks and then blended together and matured again in Oloroso Sherry Butts for an extra long period of time to give the blend a distinctive flavour and a delicate finish. This gives this scotch a very fine finish, and is a tangible improvement of the 12 YO Black Dog Deluxe Gold Reserve. Its effect on the market is yet to be assessed, what with Whyte and Mackay and its massive inventory being sold yet again, this time to Philippines-based Emperador Inc.  These whiskies come from four regions of Scotland - Speyside, Islay, Highlands and Lowlands, each matured for a minimum period of 12 years creating a bouquet that captures all the flavours of Scotland, giving the blend its very distinctive flavour and taste. Over 80% of its output is bottled in India, the balance going into travel packs in Duty Free shops and other markets. There is a distinct difference between the two, possibly caused by the effect of maritime air on the barrels as they travel to hot and dusty India, where the angel is far more demanding-up to a 12% cut. Sadly, this version is but a pale shadow of the Black Dog 12 YO of yesteryear. 

Whyte & Mackay use a different source of water, have different stills and can NEVER replicate Mackinlay's whiskies. That said, Johnny Walker Black Label started to use peated Caol Ila 12 YO, Talisker 12, along with Cardhu, Oban, Glenkinchie,  Dalwhinnie, Dailuaine, Linkwood, Clynelish and Cragganmore among others, changing the flavour profile markedly and elevating this brand to No.1 in the Blended Scotch 12 YO range, from which it was displaced in India by Chivas Regal, The Famous Grouse 12 YO, which was discontinued for a few years but is freely available now. Teacher's 50, Ballantine's 12 YO, Dewar's 12 YO and Buchanan's 12 YO are currently vying for top honours in this category. Grand Old Parr is not easily available in India. Incidentally, The Famous Grouse Malt Whisky is also a great 12 YO Blended Malt whisky.

                                                                     New avatar of The Famous Grouse 12 YO Blended Scotch
                            
                                                                            The Famous Grouse 12 YO Blended Malt
                                             

Black Dog Reserve Scotch Whisky


Black Dog 18 years old Scotch Whisky is known as Black Dog Reserve Scotch. It is matured for a minimum of 18 years in oak casks. Master blenders carefully put together a fine blend of Aged Malt and Grain Whiskies to make this an exceptional Scotch whisky. Black Dog Reserve Scotch has won Gold award at the MUNDUS Vini International Spirit Awards held at Germany in 2011. This is the third Gold award won by this 18 year old Whisky, making it one of the top five of the world’s best tasting 18 year old blended Scotch whiskies. I can vouch for it, as it melts into your tongue like honey. It is as good as The Glen Ord Singleton 18 YO, which helps form the body of JW Blue Label, an NAS blend. 

Black Dog Quintessence Scotch Whisky

The Black Dog Quintessence is a 21 year old blend. It is pure liquid gold as it is handcrafted to meticulous perfection by Black Dog’s master blenders. Only 25 of the finest single malts and grain whiskies have been drawn from the Highland region of Scotland, in particular from Speyside to provide that special key – “finesse”. Like a loving partnership each individual part has made its own inimitable contribution. Balance and harmony prevails throughout this noble elegant spirit. After a long 20 year maturation in Bourbon barrels, the final year is spent in the finest Oloroso sherry butts. These aren't just any sherry butts; they are specially selected from Spain’s noblest Bodegas of Gonzalez Byass in Jerez de la Frontera; these Matusalem butts provide the perfect platform to marry and mould Black Dog 21 years old Blended Scotch Whisky.  This whisky has been sold out, more's the pity. I did manage to taste it at The Patio in 2013 and can still recall that dram.

The Black Dog Deluxe Gold Reserve 12 YO is available at most duty free shops at close to US$ 37.00 per 750 CL. These are all Bottled In Scotland whiskies but are rapidly fading out. They are far too expensive. In the free market in India, The Black Dog Deluxe Gold Reserve 12 YO Bottled In India is readily available at the INR equivalent of US$ 16-22.The rush for this brand at this price by people who don't care where it was bottled is unbelievable. 

Black Dog's scorching growth contrasts with overall blended scotch sales coming under pressure globally for different reasons. In India, the red-tape festooned bureaucracy has barred the sale of imported Scotch whisky to just the Defence Forces for reasons unknown. The only other blended scotch brands to report five year double-digit growth are Black & White (19.8%), Old Parr (14.8%), Passport (13.7%) and VAT 69 (10%) among a list of the world's 50 top scotch brands compiled by International Wine & Spirit Research

Photo Credits: Kerman Moitra

References:

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Black-Dog-is-worlds-fastest-growing-scotch/articleshow/25669983.cms

https://www.howold.co/person/herbert-musgrave-phipson

https://www.liquisearch.com/herbert_musgrave_phipson

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Samuel_Millard

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Musgrave_Phipson

https://www.wikizero.com/en/Black_Dog_(whisky)

https://www.sommelierindia.com/usl_launches_black_dog_21_year/

https://www.facebook.com/loversblackdog/?__tn__=-UC*F

https://noelonwhisky.blogspot.com/2017/02/shackletons-scotch-monopoly.html

 https://familypedia.wikia.org/wiki/Huntingdon

https://www.diageoindia.com/brands/brand-profiles/black-dog-gold-reserve/