My colleague Jared Paul Stern already reported on the Johnnie Walker Black Centenary Edition but the company has other ways that they are celebrating 100 years of great whisky. Should you already have your bottle of the popular 12-year-old scotch, you can also pickup a complimentary, limited-edition anniversary rocks glass. Head to their website download a form, complete it and send it in to receive yours while supplies last.

The brand also held a series of unique blending events last month. Some bloggers received a package that contained several bottles of whisky, an empty bottle, a mixing flask, a glass funnel and a tasting glass to participate in the Johnnie Walker Black Label Centenary Journeyman Blending Event webcast on September 29. I got to have the in-person experience, taking part in a blending event held at the Montage Beverly Hills.

In my head I've always compared the difference between single malts and a blended scotch as the difference between an essential oil and a perfume. But while I've had the chance to dabble in blending essential oils to create a rudimentary scent (so much harder than it would seem), I hadn't, until recently had the chance to try my hand at blending whisky. But who could resist when the folks from Johnnie Walker fly in one of their master distillers, Andrew Ford, complete with swoonworthy Scottish accent and sit you down in front of an apothecary-like set of stoppered bottles?

Before the blending I talked with Ford a little about the challenges of predicting the future of whisky. He mentioned that the Johnnie Walker stocks span 7 million barrels which sounds like an awful lot. But because they Johnnie Walker Black is aged 12 years the challenges of guessing how much whisky you'll need 12 years in the future is no easy task. The whisky market has gone through a series of twists and turns in the past few years. First demand, spurred by the sudden rise in whisky drinking in Japan, India and other places, spiked to unprecedented levels. Then the global economic slowdown kicked in and pricey spirits took their licks along with other potent potables including champagne. Now what the future holds is anybody's guess. Another concern is climate change, not so much for the grains but with regards to water and the peat which grows in cooler and moist climates. The burning of peat is what gives some of the whiskies used in Johnnie Walker Black their distinctive smokiness.

In September, Johnnie Walker Black Label will release a special collector's edition bottle (right) honoring the famed Scotch's 100th anniversary.

Celebrating the brand's enduring achievements in blending, innovation, and quality, the limited edition black glass bottle contains the signature 12-year-old whisky and will retail for $50.

Black Label is blended in the same style as it has been in Scotland since 1909 when founder John Walker's grandsons, George and Alexander II, officially named their signature blend Black Label.

The collector's bottle also serves as a unique medium to tell the story of Black Label's rich history with a historic timeline featured on its back, charting the rise of the world famous Scotch.

Alexander was the one who decided to package the firm's famed whisky in square bottles to reduce the amount of breakages during shipment, and to use slanting labels to allow larger typesetting.

The last surviving descendant of Johnnie Walker is facing off with the international beverage consortium that owns the brand today over the closure of the eponymous whisky brand's historic distillery in Scotland. Diageo, which owns the Johnnie Walker brand, recently announced the closure of the facility at Kilmarnock, Scotland, as part of a comprehensive restructuring plan to help the company weather the economic storm. The closure of the Kilmarnock facility is expected to cost some 700 workers their jobs. But Betty Heath, 77, the great grand-daughter of the Johnnie Walker himself, has vowed to do all she can to help save those jobs.

"As I am the only surviving direct ancestor," pledged Heath, "I will fight in his name to do all I can to keep Johnnie Walker in Kilmarnock and to help save those workers' livelihoods." She called for a meeting with Diageo executives to discuss the matter, and while she may hold no control over her ancestor's namesake company, her involvement could prove enough of a public relations disaster for the beverage concern to pressure them to reconsider.

[Source: Scottish Daily Record]

In October British luggage designer Bill Amberg will launch a new limited edition line of leathergoods in collaboration with Johnnie Walker Blue Label. Johnnie Walker Blue Label by Bill Amberg Studio comprises collection of travel accessories for men that "celebrate the values of craftsmanship, quality and rarity shared by these two iconic brands." The collection centers on a beautifully crafted limited-edition bag, the Weekender (above) which is "bold and masculine in design, capturing the contemporary desire for discreet style and practicality." Made of the finest quality saddle leather in deep navy blue with a bespoke, numbered label, it features a removable carrier designed specifically to hold a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label Scotch Whisky which is included in the bag. Only 350 of the bags will be available worldwide, priced at about $2,000.

[via Acquire]

Even when dad's not available I like to spend Father's Day with the family – the Johnnie Walker family. They have a Scotch for every occasion, and, as it happens, every dad as well, with five varieties ranging in age, complexity and exclusivity. Having tried (and tried and tried) every blended Scotch on the market over the years, I long ago settled on JW as the best; judging by the Royal Warrant on the bottle, that famous souse the Queen of England agrees. For one thing, it's the only one that's got any real peat to it, and of course we've always been fond of the "Striding Man" on the bottle; We like to think he's striding off in search of a damn drink after a long day's foxhunting, hoping the family is lined up waiting at home. Let's meet 'em:

The classic Red Label (which dates from 1906) and Black Label (1909) are old standbys, of course. We like the former with soda and the latter on the rocks. Originally known as Extra Special Old Highland Whisky in the 1800s, Red Label ($23) is a combination of 30 spicy, smoky malts, such as Talisker, and lingering, lighter grains. It has notes of clove, butterscotch, spice and vanilla, with a robust, smoky character and a warm finish.

Black Label ($34) contains as many as 40 whiskies all aged in oak casks for at least 12 years, including Talisker and Cardhu. The result is a rich combination of dry smokiness, with malt and peat overtones balanced by hints of cedar and fruit, with trademark dark chocolate and vanilla notes.

On to more recent innovations: Green, Gold and Blue Label. Green Label ($60) is actually a blend of 15-year-old Island and Speyside malt whiskies. Notes of spice, green fruit and nutmeg, are accompanied by an aroma of green apples and pears with a hint of sandalwood.

Gold Label ($85) is crafted from blend of 15 different whiskies, each aged at least 18 years. It's a very mellow Scotch, with a creamy, honeyed body and a slight caramel and vanilla nose. Some folk like to freeze it for 24 hours to release its true character as the whisky warms in the mouth.

Finally Blue Label ($220) is the ultimate luxury blend. Many of the rare whiskies come from distilleries that no longer exist, hence the pricetag. The nose has hints of smoke, sherry and fruitcake, while the body is soft and mellow with sherry, honey and vanilla notes married with peat and dark chocolate. The bee's knees.

2009 is a special year for both Johnnie Walker Black and Selfridges who are both celebrating 100 year anniversaries. In order to mark this auspicious occasion Bloom has designed a limited edition bespoke Johnnie Walker Black bottle with a leather label in Selfridges' signature Pantone 109 yellow. Only one hundred such bottles, each individually numbered, will be available exclusively at Selfridges, perfectly priced at £100. Add this little something special to your liquor cabinet and I'm sure you can find something to toast to soon.

Last week I mentioned a production slowdown at a Johnnie Walker factory but it looks like the cost cutting at drinks giant Diageo is far more widespread. Diageo has announced that after a "global review" it will institute a reorganization that will cost 150 employees in North America their jobs. The changes will take place next month. To cut costs Diageo will merge its beer and wine organizations, Diageo-Guinness USA (DGUSA) and Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines (DC&E) into a "total beverage alcohol approach" according to an article in Wine Business. The jobs lost make up four percent of Diageo's 3,700-person North American work force.

Diageo is the company behind many of the most popular brands including Guinness, Johnnie Walker, Bailey's Irish Cream and Ciroc vodka (shown with celebrity spokesman Sean Coombs above). Liquor is traditionally one of the safe havens during a recession as people enjoy their liquor as much, if not more, in a down market.

So far in this economy, whisky has continued to thrive, boosted by growing sales in Asia. But the Glasgow Evening Times reports that spirits company Diageo will be giving around 650 workers at the Diageo Johnnie Walker packaging factory in Kilmarnock, Scotland a week off in March and a week off in April in order to halt production and save money. The workers will continue to be paid while production is halted. The plant is one of three operated in Scotland.

Earlier this month Diageo cut its profit forecast and announced a cost saving program. As Blogging Stocks mentioned, the company cut its full-year growth forecast to a range of four to six percent back from an earlier range of seven to nine percent amid fears that consumer confidence would continue to fall.

Some special books come with online access codes bringing additional insight into the topic, a beautiful handmade bookmark or an original signature of the author but the 'By Appointment Only' diary from Johnnie Walker Blue Label is more than just a place to log your writings -- it is a doorway to exclusive events and services. Included in this expensive holiday package are tickets to the Monaco Grand Prix 2009 and Johnnie Walker Golf Championships, a bespoke blending experience with a Johnnie Walker Master Blender creating your very own whisky, and access to a premiere concierge service offering more Johnnie Walker experiences at your fingertips.

The leather bound diary, of which there are only three, is priced at an impressive £95,000 and comes from luxury stationer Aspinal of London. There are an additional twenty diaries available for £2,000 with access to the services and events above as well -- the difference in price I am sure accounts for less luxurious accommodations or some other discrepancy in experience but nonetheless would make a spectacular gift.

Lovers of the Johnnie Walker Blue Label have a new way to satisfy their love of the top shelf whisky. The Johnnie Walker King George V Edition comes in a crystal decanter with an individually numbered certificate of authenticity. The whisky is made with the same techniques during the reign of King George V and features only whiskies from distilleries operating during that era. The blend includes the Port Ellen Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky from a distillery which no longer exists and whose preserved stock is expensive due to its scarcity . The crystal decanter comes in a silk-lined presentation box with a display holder for showing the bottle in whisky cabinets. The whisky sells for $400.

After visiting dozens of distilleries and refining his taste, John Glaser sat down in his home and began mixing whisky. Before he knew it, he decided to begin marketing his blends by buying special casks from Scottish distilleries and selling them under the brand name of Compass Box Crafted Whiskies. Picking some of the best aged grains, he has created whisky with outstanding profiles.  The Compass Box line includes blended Scotch in addition to various vatted malts. There are also limited edition whiskies such as Orangerie, the once a year orange and spice-infused whisky we mentioned back when it was available in December. Try The Peat Monster. It is a vatted malt made with Caol Ila and Ardmore malts, 92 proof at $45.