Brand

Johnnie Walker whiskies

Johnnie Walker is the world’s best-selling Scotch whisky and one of the most recognisable brands of any drink. It was born in a grocer’s shop in Kilmarnock, in south-west Scotland, in the first half of the 19th century, and today belongs to Diageo. Its square bottle, its slanted label and the Striding Man are part of advertising history. Its range, organised by colour, goes from blends for mixing to great luxury ones.

Created
1820
Owner
Diageo
Origin
Scotland
In the catalogue
8 whiskies

History, style and where to startJohnnie Walker official website

8 whiskies

Guide to Johnnie Walker

History

John Walker opened his shop in Kilmarnock in 1820 and began selling whisky blends to achieve a consistent flavour. His son Alexander created a blend of his own bearing his name and adopted the square bottle, which made it possible to transport more bottles with fewer breakages, and the slanted label, which was easier to read. At the beginning of the 20th century the house renamed its blends Red Label and Black Label and introduced the Striding Man. Over time Johnnie Walker became part of the Distillers Company and then Diageo. Today it has a large visitor centre in Edinburgh and others at distilleries such as Cardhu.

House style

Johnnie Walker’s style combines malts from all over Scotland with grain whisky. One constant is a touch of smoke, which comes from malts such as Caol Ila or Talisker, over a sweet Speyside base, with Cardhu at its heart. Red Label is light and spicy; Black Label, rounded, with dried fruit and gentle smoke. The higher versions gain depth, honey and complexity.

Average flavour profile of its 8 whiskies in the catalogue

Sweet
2.6
Fresh fruit
2.2
Ripe and dried fruit
1.3
Floral and herbal
1.1
Cereal and malt
1.6
Vanilla and creamy
1.9
Oak
1.7
Spicy
1.6
Toasted
1.4
Smoky
1.3
Maritime
0.6
Body and intensity
2.3

Where to start

Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 Year Old is the great classic and a good starting point for drinking neat. If smoke appeals to you, Double Black is smokier. Green Label 15 Year Old, made only from malts, shows the most complex side. Red Label is the one for mixed drinks, and Blue Label, the one for big occasions.

This text was generated and translated by AI and may contain errors. Founding year, owner and official website come partly from Wikidata.

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The colours of this page are inspired by the look of Johnnie Walker. WhiskyMatch is independent and has no connection with the brand.