How It’s Made: Johnnie Walker Black Label

How It’s Made: Johnnie Walker Black Label

johnny walker kitEver wonder how blended Scotch whisky is made? Well tomorrow I get the opportunity to find out firsthand by blending my own. Johnnie Walker sent this awesome kit (see right, click for large version) full of single malt and grain whiskeys, and during an hour-long session we’ll be blending our own Black Label under the tutelage of the company’s master distillers.

We’re blending this afternoon. Will report back when we’re finished and let you know how my whisky turned out!

UPDATE: Wow, that was fun and informative, and getting to taste six different malt whiskys from six different parts of Scotland (plus a grain whisky), side by side, was quite eye-opening. Real Black Label is blended from about 40 different whiskys, but even working with these seven to concoct my own spirit.

The blend I eventually used looks like this:

25% grain whisky
10% Lowland malt
10% Speyside malt
20% sherry cask malt
25% Highland malt
10% island malt

I skipped adding the heavily peaty Islay malt for my blend. Results? Perfectly palatable but surprisingly light considering how much Highland and sherry cask malt made up the blend. Typical blended whiskys have more than 50% grain whisky in the mix, but frankly I could have done with none at all.

Thanks to Johnnie Walker for an extremely informative, fun, and — as you can see from the photo below — involved experience.

makin whisky,jpg

Christopher Null is the founder and editor in chief of Drinkhacker. A veteran writer and journalist, he also operates Null Media, a bespoke content creation company. As well, he is the author of two novels, Half Mast and The Cul-de-sac.

12 Comments

  1. jenish on November 8, 2009 at 11:42 am

    as i m from india nd had been taking black label many atimes but most of the time i have got duplicate of it can u suggest me how can i make out weather it is original or duplicate……plz reply…
    thks a lot…..

  2. IBRahim on January 6, 2010 at 1:12 pm

    Dear Sir,

    I think that black label made from onion, and sperto, and alcohool,IF I SAW JOHNY WALKER I WILL FUCK HIM THAT SON OF A BITCH ASS HOLE MOTHER FUCKER BBYE

  3. Trevor Dunn on March 3, 2010 at 11:34 am

    Hi
    Is there anyway i can get a set like this? Of the black label miniature and then the malt?
    thank you

    • eric lahl on May 16, 2018 at 3:22 pm

      yes I have one that is for sale. never used



  4. tinker-bell53 on June 14, 2010 at 3:03 pm

    Well thats some good stuff..my boyfriends name is johnny walker and he told me hes gonna try that before he dies..amd i thing its a perfect bday present?? but what i dont know is what label to buy him?

  5. Christopher Null on June 14, 2010 at 3:22 pm

    tinker-bell – sorry, this was a one-time event and is not part of a retail kit you can buy

  6. ruou mini on July 19, 2010 at 1:10 pm

    Hi.

    I want to buy this collection.

    You do know where to sell? How much is it.

    Help me?

    Thanks

  7. Anonymous on June 6, 2012 at 2:41 pm

    HELP ME AAHHH

  8. Eric on January 2, 2014 at 5:57 pm

    If anyone is still reading this thread and still wants to buy one of these kits, I have one available. Feel free to email me at elahl@optimum.net.

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