Johnnie Walker Aged 28 Years Bicentenary Blended Scotch Whisky (750ml)

Volume: 700ml          ABV: 43.8%          Age: 28 Years Old         Country: Scotland

This is one of four limited edition labels produced to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Johnnie Walker. The brand Johnnie Walker was first created in 1820 by John Walker, a green grocer from Kilmarnock in Scotland. The Excise Act was introduced in 1823 relaxing strict laws on distillation and reduced the heavy taxes on distillation and the sale of whisky. John Walker sold blended malt and grain whiskies from his grocery store and as he did not have a brand of his own started to use his own name on the labels selling the blended malt as ‘Walker’s Kilmarnock Whisky.

In 1860 the brand’s signature logo was introduced by Alexander Walker, a square bottle. This meant more bottles could fit into the same space and the bottles were less likely to break. The label was also introduced where it was applied at an angle of 24 degrees upwards left to right and allowed text to be made larger and more visible.

In 1893 the Cardhu Distillery was purchased and this meant a steady run of Johnnie Walker could be produced with thoughts and plans for expansion. The Walker brand purchased Coleburn Distillery, Clynelish Distillery, Dailuaine Distillery and Talisker Distillery. In 1923 Mortlach Distillery as purchased and shaped the Walker strategy.

In July 2009, the brand’s current owners, Diageo, decided to close all operations in Kilmarnock by 2012. This met with backlash from local people, local politicians, and then First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond.Despite petitions, public campaigns, and a large-scale march around Kilmarnock, Diageo proceeded with the closure. The Johnnie Walker plant in Kilmarnock closed its doors in March 2012 and the buildings were subsequently demolished a year later.

In July 2020 Johnnie Walker looked at plans to develop a new environmentally-friendly paper bottle set to debut in early 2021.

To celebrate the 200th Anniversary since John Walker established his whisky blending business in Kilmarnock the Johnnie Walker Aged 28 Years Bicentenary has been created. This whiskt draws on Master Blender Jim Beveridge and his vast experience in blending. Jim and his small team of expert blenders have a very large list of exceptional whiskies to choose from however draw their inspiration from John Walker’s store in Kilmarnock and thrilling flavours it presented. This whisky is full of complex rich layers crafted and shaped by imagination and expertise.

Using rare and exceptional whiskies from ghost distilleries such as Pittyvaich, Cambus and Port Ellen. Each whisky used no younger than 28 years old. This is a true representation of the flavours created in the 1820’s and moulded the Johnnie Walker name into the most sought after whiskies in the world.

With a bottling strength of 46% abv and a very limited release for worldwide distribution.

Our Tasting Notes

Nose: Ripe orchard fruits balanced with some warming spice. Dark fruits of raisin, sultana and fig, inspiring flavours of dark chocolate, gentle peat smoke and red berries.

Palate: Honeycomb and salted caramel, more of the dark dried fruits, chocolate covered sultanas, soft smoke and gentle spice.

Finish: The spice lingers with oak and some herbal notes.