Johnnie Walker Black Label
Some of today’s advertising concepts that are used in the promotion of Johnnie Walker scotch whisky date back to the first real marketing efforts of the John Walker & Sons Co. That being the iconic square bottle fashioned in 1860 that was originally to facilitate quantity packaging for shipment. The bottle is similar to the well-known Jack Daniels Whisky square bottles and black label. Then, the company employed their first wholesale international sales reps. they were basically ships captains who sailed the world with their cargo of Walker’s Old Highland Whisky, as brand ambassadors.
Starting around 1906. John Walker’s grandsons George and Alexander II and James Stevenson, the Managing Director, started to expand their whisky product line with some renaming. Walker’s Kilmarnock Whiskies became Johnnie Walker Whisky. The slogan, “Born 1820 – Still going Strong!” was instituted into the labels boilerplate, along with the creation of the Striding Man figure, made to honor the founder. The brothers, George and Alexander, had marketing insight ahead of their time and they understood the importance of producing an easily recognizable brand. They hit upon the distinctively slanted black label as the key, and three years later in 1909 the words “BLACK LABEL” appeared on the bottle for the very first time at a 24 degree angle.
Johnnie Walker Black Label became simply “Black Label” in 1909. In 2009, the year of its 100th Anniversary celebration, Johnnie Walker Black Label is regarded by experts as the ultimate deluxe Scotch whisky, and is firmly the benchmark by which all other whiskys are measured.
The name Johnnie Walker is certainly one of the best known in the world of Scotch. With the square bottle and colored labels distinguishing the blends and the complex flavors have all combined over the years to make this Scotch one of the best selling in the world. The key to Johnnie Walker’s success is the art of blending fine whisky for a reasonable price.
Johnnie Walker Black Label is the most complex of the Walker & Sons scotch whisky portfolio and includes around 40 whiskeys in its blend each aged at least 12 years. Most of these are single malts with a few being exclusively produced for the Black label blend. The blended whiskys used represent the vast range of Scotch regions, from the mellow lowland malts to the robust island malts and the ember-like Islay malts.
The problem many drinkers have with Scotch malt whisky is that they can very easily become too peaty, or smoky. Unfortunately, that smokiness is the defining characteristic of this style of whisky and that is why a blended Scotch such as Black Label also adds grain whiskeys into the blend. This softens the peaty and smoky Scotch experience, bringing about a more drinkable and sweeter blend of Scotch. For those who enjoy a balance of the too – sweet and peat – Johnnie Walker Black Label is a great place to start. With its origins in the 1870s Old Special Whisky, Black Label retains the authenticity of its creator and currently outsells every other deluxe blended Scotch whisky around the globe. Johnnie Walker Black Label has stood the test of time is a testament to the pioneering spirit and the skills of the House of Walker.