Black Label King George V

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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, which is 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, Bryan Donaghey, Diageo Managing Director for Global Supply Scotland, announced that Diageo 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)

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History

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 the High Street in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland. John managed the grocery, wine and spirits segment as a teenager in 1820. Fortunately for the whisky industry and for him, 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 three decades 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.

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. British Prime Minister Gladstone's Spirits Act of 1860 legalised the blending of grain whiskies with malt whiskies and ushered in the modern era of blended Scotch whisky. Andrew Usher of Edinburgh, Scotland, was the first to capitalise on blended Scotch whisky, a more accessible whisky that was lighter and sweeter in character, making it much more marketable to a wider audience, followed by the Walkers in due course.

Alexander Walker had 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 upwards 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 percent of the firm's income; by the time Alexander was ready to pass on the company to his own sons, that figure had increased to between 90 and 95 percent.

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, subsequent to 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. 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 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. 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 between 1915 and 1919 (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. 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 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. 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 on the bottles marketed today, a departure from the norm set in the 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. 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, closed doors in March 2012.

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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.

Standard blends

Special/Limited bottlings

1932-2000

• 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. The bottle has a cork foil top and the much sought after gold medallion metal front label. This bottling was discontinued in 1967. (US$1,500)
• Swing Superior - a limited edition variety based on the Swing blend, marked by its distinctive golden label. 75cl 43% ABV. Dates back to the 1980s.
• King George IV 1959 Old Scotch Whisky - A precursor to Johnnie Walker Blue Label King George V Edition of 2007 in a 750ml (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.
• 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 much sought after 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 - A historic edition of Johnnie Walker, 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 bottle, a white metal mounted Royal Brierley crystal decanter accompanied with metal stopper, certificate and a set of keys within the original carton. It is currently priced at £1,750

2001-2010

• 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)
• 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.
• 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).
• 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.

2011-2016

• 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. (2011/2012)
• 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.
• XR 21 - a 40% ABV (70 proof; 80 proof in the USA) 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.

One-Off Releases

• Deco - a limited number of 350ml bottles were produced in Art Deco-designed bottles, hence the name of this blend.
• 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 & gold decorative box. Available online only in the Philippines.
• 1820 Decanter - 70cl, 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 - 70cl, 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 75cl, 43% ABV whisky were produced. It is currently available for ~£ 900. The concept behind the design was based on the bottle that was given to staff when Hill Street first opened in September 1956.
• Green Label 48% - a 2015 limited edition of the Green Label released at a higher strength for the Taiwanese market.
• Island Green Label - a 1L 43% ABV (75 proof ; 86 proof in the USA ) 2016 travel edition Blended Malt released for the Southeast Asia market.The NAS maritime blended malt includes whisky from Clynelish, Glenkinchie and Cardhu and a greater proportion of malt from Caol Ila distillery on Islay.
• 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 11th 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. Judging by SWR 2009, this bottle is an illegal product today.
• 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 75cl 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 75cl, 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 75cl 43% ABV decanter.
• Old Harmony - Johnnie Walker Old Harmony is a 1980's exclusive for the Japanese market. The 75cl 43% ABV bottle is priced between £450-475.
• 15 Year Old Kilmarnock 400 Whisky - an extremely rare Gold Label blend, a 75cl/ 43% ABV(75 proof/86 proof in USA) 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 740 (US$ 970)].
• 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 ultra-premium blended whisky. A small but significant piece of whisky history.
• 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. Housed in a hand-made Victorian style writing case, the set comes complete with an antique nib pen, reminiscent of the era in which John Walker blended his whiskies. In addition, a replica of the original handwritten recipe book of Alexander Walker, John Walker's grandson, is included. 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 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.
• 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. 750ml / 48% ABV/$380

2017--

• Blue Label Anniversary 60.5% - This special limited edition was created to commemorate the anniversary of John Walker's birthday, i.e., 25th 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%, so that the full power of the flavours can be experienced. This exclusive Blue Label comes in an exceptional Anniversary 70cl crystal decanter especially created for Johnnie Walker by Baccarat. The US variant (75cl) was at 59.9% ABV and priced at $3499.98/-
• 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.
• 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 probably familiar to John Walker in his lifetime, but are now silent, like Cambus and Glen Albyn. Just nine distilleries in total contribute exquisitely-made 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)
• 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$250,000 (£ 120,000) .
• Blue Label Winter Edition - Arriving just in time for Christmas, only 600 bottles of Johnnie Walker Blue Label Winter Edition are available to purchase in the UK. The 70cl 40% ABV blend is presented in a two-tone blue bottle with golden snowflake accents.
• Blue Label with Engraving and Free Hip Flask - You can make your Johnnie Walker Blue Label experience that little bit more special with a personalised bottle engraved with a name and short message. You are allowed two lines of engraving with each line containing up to 14 characters each. (Front Engraving) The 70cl 40% ABV bottle is priced at ~£132.50 ex VAT.
• Blue Label The Cask Series - A dedicated Travel Retail limited edition release in July 2012, the "Blue Label 'The Casks Edition'", is blended from a small selection of their finest casks that were hand picked by Walker's Master Blender, Jim Beveridge. It is offered in a 1L bottle at a 'natural strength' of 55.8% ABV. Priced at £232 (US$ 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" in Korean, a phrase which refers to a man of wealth, status and distinction, each of the 500 bottles comes in an elegant porcelain decanter that was exclusively produced for the South Korean market. The design is embellished with mother of pearl inserts.
• 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 beautiful gold-etched illustration inspired by the skylines of seven of the world's most famous cities. 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.
• 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 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 1.75L bottle of Blue Label, commemorating comic martial arts superstar Jackie Chan. Also released in China, its strength is not known.
• 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 iconic 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 70cl, 40% Blue Label bottle, splitting in half to form an ice bucket, whilst smartly holding 4 branded tumbler glasses, a pair of ice tongs and the bottle!

Serial Releases: The Series

• 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. Incredibly rare, this 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. This bottle features one of 6 different screenprinted 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.
• Blue Label Singapore Airlines - A special release on 01 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 prominently features the airline's signature silver batik print.
• Blue Label Alfred Dunhill Limited Edition - The 2015 Limited Edition Giftpack designed by Alfred Dunhill features a limited edition designed bottle 70/75cl costing £ 200 with both its interior and exterior evoking the contours of a map, bringing the two iconic brands' shared journey to life. The Blue Label signature blue colour packaging merges with Dunhill's signature 'Chassis' design and gunmetal finish. A 1L Travel Retail Exclusive Giftpack bottle was available at selected travel retail stores, with prices in the £ 190-240 range.
• 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 EUR225.00 (£180-200)
• 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.
• Blue Label Guam Special Edition (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. The middle of the label features the official Guam Seal which is a sling stone representing the indigenous Chamorro culture with a coconut tree and a flying Proa outrigger canoe inside the design. Given the rarity of the whisky blend, each bottle is individually numbered. 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. 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. Each set 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.
• 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.
• John Walker and Sons Private Collection Whisky - a set of annual, limited release whiskies which showcase the craftsmanship and innovation of John Walker & Sons blended Scotch Whisky. It consists of Private Collection 2014 Edition (unique smoky ~£450), Private Collection 2015 Edition(rare fruit~£500) and Private Collection 2016 Edition (fine honey~£500)
• Blue Label Striding City Edition - A new and elegant 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 will be 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 Zodiac expressions were the first to be brought out, in 2013. These 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 Happiness, Wealth and Longevity and The Five Gods of Wealth followed in 2014. 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 in 2016. Blue Label 2017- Year of the Rooster: A 70cl / 700ml / 40% ABV expression as a 2017 edition of 600 bottles ex Bourbon & Sherry Oak casks, 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. Though targeted principally at China, a few bottles of all Zodiac expressions were/are available in select countries.
• 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 a refreshing take from the distillery's unflagging pursuit of flavour and smoothness of blend, stretching Johnnie Walker's expert blenders for nigh on two centuries. The Blenders' Batch whiskies have been designed 'from the bar back' to ensure bartenders have the perfect blend at hand to serve discriminating customers. With six editions released over 2016-17, Diageo has revealed that there will be more such exotic releases every year, under Master Blender Jim Beveridge's overall guidance.
  • Blenders' Batch Red Rye Finish 2016. 70cl, 40% ABV, EUR20.00. 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, EUR 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 3 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.
• 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.
• The Commemorative 1920 Edition - Tribute to the milestone year of 1920, which marked 100 years of the opening of John Walker's grocery in Kilmarnock. Only 540 bottles of this edition have been created, including irreplaceable whiskies from silent distilleries.
• John Walker & Sons Private Collection 2017 - Another limited edition, showcasing the John Walker & Sons house blenders' style and skill through small batch, one-off blends of rare whiskies. 5,588 individually numbered decanters created at £500 / S$1200/- each.
• Blue Label Striding Man Edition Sets - Two separate sets of the same whisky were marketed, with four and five different capacity bottles respectively. 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 is priced in the £185 region. 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 some of the rarest whiskeys in the world. Both sets feature bottles created by hand by glass craftsmen. The latter set comes with a gift display cabinet and is priced at EUR 7260, VAT included.
• Black Label The Director's Cut - The recent (September 2017) release of 39,000 70cl 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.
• 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 Special Release - On 30 November 2017, Johnnie Walker released a blend using whiskies from closed distilleries, backed up with top-of-the-range single malts from its numerous working distilleries. Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare is the first in a series of special releases which will be made using whiskies from "ghost" distilleries that have long since closed. Each edition will have "one magnificent 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. Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare is bottled at 46% ABV and is available in limited quantities globally for about £220 for a 70cl bottle.

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Marketing

Every type of Johnnie Walker scotch has had a label colour till this year (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.

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. 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."

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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.

photo src: www.johnniewalker.com

Sponsorships

Apart from being the official whisky of Formula One, they are also currently a sponsor of F1 team Force India. In the not-so-recent past, Johnnie Walker sponsored the Johnnie Walker Classic, an Asia-Pacific golf tournament, up to 2009 and the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, a golf tournament in Scotland up to 2013. Though scheduled to host this championship in 2015, skipping 2014 as the Diageo-owned 850 acre golf course, laid around their Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire, Scotland, was used for the Ryder Cup of 2014, Diageo backed out and sold the Gleneagles Hotel and Golf Course mid-2015 to focus on its core business.

photo src: www.mypark.scot

Cultural figures

Vanity Fair writer Christopher Hitchens was partial to Johnnie Walker Black Label, and referred to it as "Mr Walker's Amber Restorative". He preferred to take it mixed with Perrier water and no ice and names several interesting personae in a video clip. In the 1995 Oliver Stone film, "Nixon", actor Anthony Hopkins, who portrays former U.S. president Richard Nixon, can be clearly seen drinking Johnnie Walker Black Label, with the bottle visible in the background in several scenes. It is glimpsed in a futuristic bottle in the 1982 science fiction film Blade Runner set in 2019. It features in another unusual bottle in the just released (Oct. 2017) futuristic sci-fi thriller Blade Runner 2049, a sequel to the 1982 film. See Special/Limited bottlings above. Johnnie Walker Blue Label was a favourite of the late US president Richard Nixon, who used to enjoy it with ginger ale and a wedge of lime. A number of singers and songwriters have referenced Johnnie Walker in their works, including Elliot Smith, George Thorogood, Hard Kaur, Brand New, Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine, Lady Gaga, Leonard Cohen, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Lee Ann Womack, Sticky Fingaz, NOFX, Rory Gallagher, Asleep at the Wheel, Inspectah Deck, George Jones, Amanda Marshall, Jimmy Buffett, Elliott Smith, Ben Folds, Trent Willmon, Clutch, The Band, Van Morrison, Mashina, Covenant, Marius Müller-Westernhagen, The Streets, King Tee, Vampire Weekend, Prodigy of Mobb Deep, Placebo, Joel Plaskett, and ZZ Top.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label - Robert Burns: A very rare and elegant special edition of Johnnie Walker Blue Label commemorating Rabbie Burns. The front of the bottle has been engraved with Burns' song 'Rantin' Rovin' Robin'. On 27 April 2006, a dinner was held in honour of Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns. The RSVP invitation was in the form of this Johnnie Walker Blue Label bottle, presented with a small set of flowers along with a copy of The Dumfries Weekly Journal dating back to July 26th 1796 the day after Robert Burn's funeral.

Johnnie Walker whisky appears in fiction often. A striking example--in which the whisky was an unusually notable part of the story--is Haruki Murakami's novel Kafka on the Shore where a character appears named Johnnie Walker, his attire based on the red jacket, boots, cane, bow-tie and hat worn by the character in the product's logo. Johnnie Walker is extremely popular in Japan. This character is also a reference to real-life Joni Waka, the director of A.R.T. (Artist Residency Tokyo). Late Indian actor Badruddin Jamaluddin Kazi (11 November 1920 - 29 July 2003) took Johnny Walker as his screen name, after performing in the role of a drunk man. In the episode "Zip Zip Zip" of the American television series "How I Met Your Mother" Robin orders a Johnnie Walker Blue neat, at the cigar bar with Barney.

Heavy Metal band Black Label Society was named after Johnnie Walker Black Label whisky, due to Zakk Wylde's fondness of the drink. Johnnie Walker appears in the Fictional Movie "The Man From Earth" where the characters sit around and toast to a bottle of Johnnie Walker Green Label.

Source of the article : Wikipedia