Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost & Rare Pittyvaich Blended Scotch Whisky

Johnnie Walker, one of the most widely distributed brands of blended Scotch whisky in the world, originated in the Scottish burgh of Kilmarnock in East Ayrshire. The story of the brand starts with John Walker, who started a profitable grocery business with the inheritance from his father. John Walker, himself a teetotaler, found his competitive edge in whiskies he blended himself, offering his customers a consistent product, unlike most other grocers, who usually sold a line of single malts that were never all that consistent. Whisky represented about eight percent of the sales when John’s son Alexander Walker took over the business after his father’s death in 1857, and when the company was passed on to the third generation, this share was already between 90 and 95 percent.

The legalization of the blending of grain and malt whiskies by the Spirits Act of 1860 marked the beginning of the modern blended Scotch whisky. Johnnie Walker’s first commercial blend, called Old Highland Whisky, was launched in 1867. Alexander Walker also introduced the brand’s signature square bottle and the distinctive slanted label. In 1893, the Walkers acquired the Cardhu distillery and kept expanding through the early 20th century by buying interests in a number of distilleries. This ensured the company a steady supply of whiskies for its blends. By 1909, John’s grandsons George and Alexander II had expanded the line, and were selling three blended whiskies.

In 1909, the company rebranded its whiskies, introducing the famous striding man logo and renaming the blends after the colors of their labels. By 1920, Johnnie Walker could be bought in 120 countries. The company joined Distillers Company in 1925, and, after its acquisition by Guinness, and Guinness’s subsequent merger with Grand Metropolitan, the brand is now owned by Diageo.

The Blue Label Ghost & Rare series of special releases features blends that are comprised of grain whiskies from long-defunct “ghost” Scotch whisky distilleries as well as some other super-rare whiskies. The Pittyvaich Blended Scotch Whisky is the 4th release in the series. Crafted by Master Blender Jim Beveridge, its focus is on Pittyvaich, a Speyside “ghost” distillery that was built in 1974 and torn down in 2002, operating only 18 years during this time. The rest of the whiskies in the blend feature 4 rare Speysiders: Mannochmore, Auchroisk, Cragganmore, and Strathmill, as well as some Royal Lochnagar Highland Scotch.

Grab a bottle of this limited-edition whisky today!