johnnie walker

The Classicist: Is the Royal Warrant Losing Its Lustre?

A recent decision by two venerable British brands to drop the Royal Warrants from their packaging has occasioned some hand-wringing in the UK over whether the much-coveted distinction has lost its lustre. The Classicist calls it a tempest in a Royal Doulton teacup; read on to find out why. Only three royals are entitled to grant warrants – the Queen of England, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales – to firms who supply their royal requisites for at least five years, though most warrant holders have ties to Britain's royal family dating back several decades or more. Of course, Prince William will one day be granting his own.

Holders of the Royal Warrant include many of our favorite luxury brands – Asprey, Aston Martin, Bentley, Barbour, Burberry, Fortnum & Mason, Gieves & Hawkes, Holland & Holland, Hunter Boots, Jaguar, John Lobb, Johnnie Walker, Land Rover, Laphroaig, Lock & Co., Swaine Adeney Brigg, Smythson, Tanqueray and Turnbull & Asser – along with a host of lesser names, such as After Eight mints and Jacob's Cream Crackers. It is the latter two that have now decided to do without their warrants – though no insult is intended to the royal family, as it was when former Harrods owner Mohamed al Fayed burned his last year. That coupled with the results of a new survey showing that only 13% of respondents thought that warrants make any difference have called their usefulness into question, the London Guardian reports.

However, "It's hard to say that interest in royal warrants is conclusively on the wane," Vicky Bullen, chief executive of Coley Porter Bell, tells the paper, "because there is no existing data with which to make a comparison. However, consumers' apparent indifference to the royal warrants has surprised us. We can only surmise there could be a number of factors at play." Said factors, Bullen says, include "that we live in a less deferential society in which the royal family enjoys less prestige and political support." That of course is not exactly new, though the upcoming Royal Wedding may give them a boost. [cont'd]

Gallery: Holders of the Royal Warrant

Tags: Asprey, Aston Martin, Barbour, Bentley, British royalty, Burberry, Fortnum and Mason, Harrods, Holland Holland, Hunter Boots, Jaguar, John Lobb, Johnnie Walker, Land Rover, luxury brands, Mohamed al Fayed, Prince of Wales, Prince William, Queen of England, royal family, Royal Warrant, Royal Wedding, royalty, Smythson, Swaine Adeney Brigg, Tanqueray, UK

Continue reading “The Classicist: Is the Royal Warrant Losing Its Lustre?”

Johnnie Walker Gold Label Ice Pillar

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Johnnie Walker has unveiled a stylish new gift set for its Gold Label Scotch whisky designed to serve the exclusive spirit ice cold, stemming from the connoisseurs' practice of freezing their Gold Label to release its true character as the whisky warms in the mouth. Inspired by frosted gold leaves, the outer case of the Ice Pillar opens to reveal a stunning display piece that works as both a chiller and an ice bucket, conceived by top design firm QSLD Paris. Gold Label, the famed brand's Centenary Blend, is crafted from blend of 15 different whiskies, each aged at least 18 years. It's rich and mellow with a creamy, honeyed body and a slight caramel and vanilla nose. The gift set is available at select retailers nationwide at a suggested retail price of $97.

Tags: gift set, gifts, gold, Johnnie Walker, Johnnie Walker Gold Label, Scotch, Scotland, spirits, whiskey, whisky

Ethiopian Runner Haile Gebrselassie Inks Deal With Johnnie Walker

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Sports

Ethiopian runner and Olympic gold medal winner Haile Gebrselassie is the newest face of Johnnie Walker whisky. The elite runner is part of the Diageo brand's Keep Walking campaign. The ad says in part: "He used to run to class. Now he runs for gold." He is said to have earned approximately $100,000 for the one-year contract and will appear in print ads for the brand. He is the first African chosen to advertise Johnnie Walker.

The move has caused some controversy because Gebselassie is seen to be a role model by many young people in Ethiopia. His 90-second television ad will not be shown on Ethiopian Television because the country's laws prohibit ads for spirits. The advertisement is part of the Walk with Giants campaign which has featured Sir Richard Branson, F1 superstar Lewis Hamilton and Robert Carlyle.

Tags: elite runner, Haile Gebrselassie, johnnie walker, whiskey, whisky

Johnnie Walker XR 21-Year Old at Duty Free

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Diageo Global Travel and Middle East has launched a 21-year old Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky exclusively, for now, at Indira Gandhi International airport's newly opened Terminal 3.

Johnnie Walker XR 21 YO is an exclusive blend inspired by the handwritten notes of Sir Alexander Walker, the grandson of founder Johnnie Walker. Sourced from the exclusive reserve of aged casks, including those of the now silent Brora distillery, the whisky has been allowed to age for twenty-one years, achieving a smooth, deep blend - the depth and intensity of aged oak, the subtle notes of vanilla, the sweet hint of golden honey and a very smooth finish. Each bottle is uniquely numbered and sells for $105.00 U.S.

Diageo is quiet for now about a broader release.

Tags: Brora scotch, Johnnie Walker, Johnnie Walker travel retail, Johnnie walker XR, whiskey, whisky

Diageo Inaugurates £40 Million Roseisle Mega-Distillery

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Some will lament it as the industrialization of scotch whisky production. Others will hail it as the answer to growing demand for scotch around the world. But whichever way you look at it, Diageo's enormous Roseisle distillery is now up and running.

Culling expertise from the 27 distilleries currently owned by the drinks consortium, Roseisle is the product of three years of construction. It cost Diageo £40 million to build, employs 25 workers and encompasses 3,000 square meters of space. On the premises Diageo expects to produce 10 million liters of whisky each year through fourteen new stills crafted by the coppersmiths at Abercrombie, Alloa.

The Speyside facility was built not to replace the individual distilleries under the Diageo umbrella, but to supplement them, in response to increased market demand which those distilleries have been struggling to meet. The spirits produced there will be used in Diageo's profile of blended whiskies, which include Johnnie Walker, J&B, Bell's and Black & White. No plans have been announced to ever bottle a single malt from Roseisle, but you never know what time may bring.

Source

Tags: bells, black white, diageo, distillery, jb, johnnie walker, roseisle, roseisle distillery, scotch, speyside, whisky

Johnnie Walker Double Black Going Global

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Spirits giant Diageo says it will launch its Johnnie Walker Double Black beyond the travel retail channel next year, broadening the Johnnie Walker lineup for consumers worldwide.

Double Black, which has extra smoky flavor than Johnnie Walker Black, was launched last January in six airport duty-free channels. It was well received, and was then made available globally in travel retail.

But response to Double Black, which costs about 20% more than Black, has been so positive that the company has geared up to distribute globally starting in March 2011.

The whisky was created by taking Black as a blueprint and adding heavily peated malts and aging some of the whisky in deeply charred oak casks. There is no age statement.

The move is being made to counter some of the growing interest in Islay single malts such as Ardbeg, Laphroaig and Lagavulin.

Tags: Ardbeg, Johnnie Walker, Johnnie Walkr Double Black, Lagavullin, Laphroaig, peated whiskies, whiskey, whisky

Spirits Giant Diageo Sees 10% Gains in Rebounding China Economy

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

While sales of spirits are limping along in North America and Europe, the economic comeback in Asia, especially China, will fuel growth of about 10% for drinks giant Diageo in the next year, according to company officials. That's a big change from the 1% growth rate in the year ending June 2010.

The London-based drinks company, which owns brands such as Johnnie Walker, Guinness and Tanqueray, makes 10.4% of its group sales in its Asia Pacific region and earns just 6.4% of group profits there, but it is reinvesting heavily for growth, especially in China.

Chinese sales alone grew over 10% in the first six months of 2010 and the company expects the same in the year ending in June 2011.

Twenty-million new Chinese consumers reach legal drinking age in China each year, fueling growth for entry-level Western brands, as well as locally produced white spirits. But the rising middle class in China is also fueling demand for branded blended whiskies like Walker, as well as single-malts.

Johnnie Walker is the number-two scotch in China after Pernod Ricard's Chivas Regal, while it expects its recently introduced Canadian Whisky Windsor brand to be No 4 this year just behind Pernod's Ballantine's.

Tags: Ballantines whisky, Chinese consumers, Chivas Regal, diageo, johnnie walker, whisky, Windsor Whisky

Controversial Cardhu Re-launches in U.S.

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

After several years of absence, Diageo's Cardhu 12-year old single-malt is returning to the U.S.

The Speyside single-malt, which is a key contributor to Johnnie Walker blended whisky, has been absent from the U.S. for many years, and was the subject of much controversy in 2003.

Faced with a shortage of Cardhu, created by increased popularity in several European countries, Diageo ceased selling a single-malt and launched a vatted malt expression it called "Cardhu Pure Malt." The bottle was very similar to the Cardhu Single Malt, and the liquor giant drew the wrath of whisky writers, enthusiasts and even the Scotch Whisky Association.

For a whisky to be called "single-malt," all the whisky in the bottle must have come from a single distillery. The Cardhu "vatted malt" was made up of whiskies from more than one distillery. "Pure Malt" was not a recognized designation at the time, and it was pretty clear that Diageo was being too cute by half in trying to meet demand for Cardhu among single-malt drinkers, as well as for Johnnie Walker. It was viewed as a deliberate attempt by Diageo to mislead the pubic about the Cardhu product.

Cardhu corrected its ways and re-launched Cardhu single-malt in 2005. The 12-year old it sells today, and is rolling out to U.S. shelves, will have a suggested retail price of $42.99.

Cardhu is a Speyside distillery near Archiestown, Morayshire, Scotland, founded by the whisky smuggler John Cumming in 1824.

Tags: Cardhu, Johnnie Walker, single-malt whisky, vatted whisky, whisky

Crown Royal Launches Premium "Black"

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Crown Royal Canadian Whisky has just released a new expression, Crown Royal Black. Darker in color and deeper in body, the Canadian whisky is bended at 90 proof and takes aging from charred oak barrels, which gives it both the added depth and color.

The price is about $30 per bottle, which represents a slight premium over the flagship Crown Royal expression. In my opinion, Crown Royal, owned by spirits giant Diageo, could get a bit more for Crown Royal Black. Canadian Whisky, however, struggles to earn higher prices for its spirits because of sub-par marketing around the whole industry in Canada. I would not chalk this problem up to Diageo, but rather Canada and the industry as a whole.

I tasted Black alongside the flagship, and if I had my way the new Black would become the new flagship product. While Crown Royal has always been a nice smooth blend, I have long felt that it suffers a bit in the marketplace for over familiarity and questionable merchandising. It's hard to put my finger on it, but when I see mini bottles of Crown Royal dumped into a fishbowl at the counter at a liquor store, I don't think premium. And that is an all-too frequent sight. I do like the velvet bag, though.

So, this is good news for whisky drinkers, or course. I think the Crown Royal Black product tastes more like a $40 whisky, but it is selling for about $30. The taste notes of maple and caramel are deeper, and longer without turning the expression into something a whole lot different from the signature Crown Royal taste and finish. A nice job was done here of making the good things in Crown Royal better and more distinct. It was overdue, as well, since many brands like Johnnie Walker and Jameson's have long been in the "Black" premium expression business.

Tags: Canadian Whisky, CanadianWhisky, Crown Royal, Crown Royal Black, CrownRoyal, CrownRoyalBlack, Johnnie Walker, JohnnieWalker, spirits, whisky

Get A Free Johnnie Walker Tasting Glass

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

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.

Source

Tags: johnnie walker, johnnie walker black, JohnnieWalker, JohnnieWalkerBlack, scotch, whisky

Continue reading “Get A Free Johnnie Walker Tasting Glass ”

Johnnie Walker Black Label 100th Anniversary Bottle

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

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.

Tags: Johnnie Walker, Johnnie Walker Black, JohnnieWalker, JohnnieWalkerBlack, limited edition, LimitedEdition, Scotch, Scotland, whisky

Johnnie Walker's Descendant Calls on Diageo to Keep Plant Open

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

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]

Source

Tags: betty heath, BettyHeath, diageo, johnnie walker, JohnnieWalker, scotch, scotch whisky, ScotchWhisky, scotland, whisky

Johnnie Walker Blue Label Luggage by Bill Amberg

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Men's Style

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]

Tags: Bill Amberg, BillAmberg, Johnnie Walker, Johnnie Walker Blue Label, JohnnieWalker, JohnnieWalkerBlueLabel, luggage, Scotch, whisky

Celebrating Father's Day With Johnnie Walker

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

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.

Tags: Fathers Day, FathersDay, Johnnie Walker, JohnnieWalker, Queen of England, QueenOfEngland, Royal Warrant, RoyalWarrant, Scotch, Talisker, whiskey, whisky

Johnnie Walker Black Label Celebrates with Selfridges

by Laura Malesich (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

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.

Source

Tags: bloom, johnnie walker, johnnie walker black, JohnnieWalker, JohnnieWalkerBlack, selfridges, selfridgesandco