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Johnnie Walker is a brand of Scotch Whisky owned by Diageo and originated in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland.

It is the most widely distributed brand of blended Scotch whisky in the world. It is sold in almost every country, with yearly sales of over 130 million bottles.

In 2011, the brand sold over 1 million cases in the USA, Brazil and Thailand. It sold more than 500,000 cases in Mexico and Australia.

= History =
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 Ayrshire, Scotland. The brand became popular, but after Walker's death in 1857 it was his son Alexander Walker and grandson Alexander Walker II who were largely responsible for establishing the whisky as a popular brand. 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.

Prior to 1860, it was illegal to sell blended whisky. During that time John Walker sold a number of whiskies—notably his own Walker's Kilmarnock. In 1865, John's son Alexander produced their first blend, Walker's Old Highland.

Alexander Walker introduced the iconic square bottle in 1870. This meant fewer broken bottles and more bottles fitting the same space. The other identifying characteristic of the bottle is the label, which is applied at an angle of 24 degrees. The angled label means the text on the label could be made larger and more visible.

From 1906 to 1909, John's grandsons George and Alexander II expanded the line and introduced the colour names. In 1908, when James Stevenson was the Managing Director, there was a re-branding of sorts. The whisky was renamed from Walker's Kilmarnock Whiskies to Johnnie Walker Whisky. In addition, the slogan, "Born 1820—Still going Strong!" was created, along with the Striding Man logo, a figure used in their advertisements to this day,created by illustrator Tom Browne, in honour of the founder, and given the same name.

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. Distillers was acquired by Guinness in 1986, and Guinness merged with Grand Metropolitan to form Diageo in 1997.

Johnnie Walker is no longer blended in Kilmarnock, and has not been for many years. The bonded warehouses and company offices (now local authority) can still be seen in Strand Street and John Finnie Street.

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. Under a restructuring programme across Scotland, production would be moved from the brand's original home to Diageo plants in Leven, Fife, and Shieldhall, Glasgow.

News of the planned closure had widespread media attention and condemnation. Following the decision, a public campaign was waged to try to persuade Diageo to reverse this decision. However 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 its doors in March 2012.

= Production =

    * Red Label: an 80 proof (40% ABV) blend of 35 grain and malt whiskies. It is intended for making mixed drinks. According to William Manchester this was the favourite Scotch of Winston Churchill, who mixed it with soda. Red Label has been reported to be former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney's drink of choice.
    * Black Label: an 80 proof (40% ABV) blend of about 40 whiskies, each aged at least 12 years.
    * Double Black Label: A new addition, the whisky was created taking Black Label as a blueprint and adding heavily peated malts and some aged in deeply charred oak casks.
    * Green Label: a blended malt (a blend of only single-malts) using predominantly four malts "drawn from the four corners of Scotland"—the intent of the blend is to deliver depth, substance, and intensity. Each of the malts (Talisker, Linkwood, Cragganmore, Caol Ila, and others) is selected by the blender for balance and each malt whisky is matured for a minimum of 15 years. Green Label was expected to be discontinued as of December 2011, but production continues though it is becoming increasingly difficult to find.
    * Gold Label: an 80 proof (40% ABV) blend of over 15 single malts. It was derived from Alexander Walker II's blending notes for a whisky to commemorate Johnnie Walker's centenary. His original efforts were thwarted by a shortage of these malts following World War I. Gold Label is commonly bottled at 15 or 18 years, or without an age statement as Gold Label Reserve. Gold Label has been replaced, without an age statement, as "Golden Label Reserve" as of 2013.
    * Platinum Label: an 80 proof (40% ABV) private blend—aged 18 years to replace the original Gold Label in the Asian market, and sold alongside Gold Label Reserve. It is also available in Australia, Brazil, Canada and South Africa and Israel.
    * Blue Label: Johnnie Walker's premium 80-86 proof (40-43% ABV) blend with no age statement. Johnnie Walker Blue Label, also known as Max Walker, 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 Scotches on the market, with prices in the range of US $200–$300.

= The Taste =
* Nose: Honey and heather with thick caramel notes and a subtle nutmeg spice. Dried meadow flowers and a hint of fresh banana.

* Palate: Smooth and succulent with a honeyed sweetness that's typical of Johnnie Walker. There's more to this though, the floral elements are quite prominent and there's a spiced sweet vanilla note too.

* Finish: Long, sweet and toffee-like.

* Overall: A typically easy drinking blend from Johnnie Walker, this will not disappoint fans of the style.

= Sources =
www.wikipedia.org

www.masterofmalt.com