Iconic blended whisky brand Johnnie Walker releases new four new limited-edition spirits to celebrate its 200th anniversary.
How time flies. Did you know it was 200 years ago that John Walker first opened his small grocery store in rural Scotland? Skip forward two centuries and you have one of the biggest names in the global whisky game to to mark this impressive milestone, the company has produced four new limited-edition releases that celebrate the brand’s rich history and its restless pursuit of flavour .
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Kick off with the Johnnie Walker Blue Label 200th Anniversary Limited Edition Design, the perfect gift for the whisky enthusiast in your life. This exclusive release celebrates 200 years since John Walker began taking the first steps on the Johnnie Walker journey, opening his store in Kilmarnock (at the tender age of 15 no less), and slowly evolving it into a wine and spirit merchant.
The bespoke illustration on the pack design pays homage to some
of the great cities and countries that have been part of our story over the past 200 years. Just one in 10,000 casks from the company’s reserves of maturing Scotch whisky make the Blue Label cut, ensuring a whisky that’s velvety smooth and vibrant, with a rolling wave of rich spices giving way to a deep surge of vanilla sweetness and honey, caramel and, hazelnuts, and a long smoky finish.
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The Johnnie Walker Blue Label Legendary Eight takes things a step further. Crafted from just eight legendary distilleries, each of which existed when John Walker made the first steps on his journey 200 years ago, this exceptional release is a smooth, mellow Scotch made using some of the
rarest whiskies from across the untamed wilds of Scotland, including
exceptionally rare whiskies from “ghost” distilleries.
The eight selected expressions are from Oban, Blair Athol, Lagavulin, Teaninich, Brora, Cambus, Port Dundas, and Carsebridge and the resulting liquid delivers a wonderful sweetness that envelops the taste buds, through which notes of stone fruits, stewing apples, and cocoa emerge, followed by sweet toffee, brown sugar, and vanilla notes and a wisp of smoke.
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Inspired by the founder’s entrepreneurial spirit, the new John Walker & Sons Celebratory Blend pays homage to Walker’s visionary blending – to create a consistent dram at a time when few whiskies labels tasted the same twice – as well as to the release of Old Highland Whisky in the 1860s, the first commercial blend to be exported from Scotland to the four corners of the world.
This exclusive release marks the inspirational moment in Johnnie Walker history that sparked iconic entrepreneurial innovations such as the brand’s slanted label and square bottle and comes in a special edition box that opens up to reveal a rare photo of John Walker’s grocery store in Kilmarnock. Crafted using only whiskies from distilleries that were open before or during the 1860s, this blend is bottled at 51% ABV, reflective of many Scotch whiskies prior to the early 1900s. Expect notes of sweet dried raisins, subtle spice, and marzipan on the nose, followed by hints of roasted nuts, icing sugar sweetness, and gentle peat on the palate, with a soft pepper finish.
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Finally, the John Walker & Sons Bicentenary Blend is an exclusive whisky that takes whiskophiles on a sensorial journey through the fragrant aisles of Walker’s original store. Master Blender Jim Beveridge and his small team of expert whisky makers drew inspiration from the flavours listed on an original stock inventory and have meticulously crafted a complex and richly layered spirit using rare and exceptional whiskies, all aged for at least 28 years, including whiskies from long-closed “ghost” distilleries including Pittyvaich, Cambus and the soon to be reopened Port Ellen.
Experience walking the aisles of John Walker’s store, as layers of spice reveal themselves before mingling with sweet honey and rich molasses inspired by the rows of tempting jars. Waves of sultanas, cocoa beans, and herbal notes are carried on wisps of soft smoke leading you further into the grocery store with every sip. A sweet spice lingers as the door closes behind you.
Now that’s the kind of history we can all enjoy.
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