Where is Johnnie Walker made?
There isn’t a straightforward answer to this question so we’ll start with a little explanation of how Scotch Whisky is classified. We’ve all seen terms like Single Malt Scotch Whisky or Blended Scotch whisky on the labels of whisky bottles but what do they actually mean?
Malt whisky is made from a base ingredient of malted barley, when you see the term Malt Whisky paired with the word “Single”, it means it is Malt Whisky from a single distillery. Add in the word Scotch and you know that it is malt whisky from a single distillery in Scotland.
When you see the term Blended Scotch Whisky - with you no use of the term “Malt” - the label is telling you that the whisky in the bottle is a mixture of malt whisky and whisky made from other grains which has been made in Scotland but at multiple distilleries.
Most of the common expressions of Johnnie Walker - Black Label, Red Label, Blue Label - have “Blended Scotch Whisky” on the label. So the short answer to the question “Where is Johnnie Walker made?” is Scotland. But you didn’t come here for that answer!
The question we should be asking is “at which distilleries is Johnnie Walker made?”
There are four key distilleries which contribute to Johnnie Walker and they are:
- Glenkinchie
- Clynelish
- Cardhu
- Caol Ila
In recent years the brand has opened a “home” at the Johnnie Walker Experience on Princes Street in Edinburgh. So perhaps that’s the true answer!