Ahead of the Jamaica Food & Drink Festival 2019, Johnnie

Walker held an exclusive tasting event on Monday, October 14, at The Porch, St

Andrew, to preview what they will be offering at the week-long festival.

The night featured a delectable menu of finger foods served up by

the venue’s chef, paired with Johnnie Walker’s finest whiskies under the

guidance of Arturo Savage, Johnnie Walker Reserve Brand Ambassador. The event,

titled Johnnie Walker Presents: A Journey to Scotland, had Savage verbally walk

guests through the history of the brand, and whisky drinking and tasting

etiquette.

History of the brand

“The very first whisky launched by Johnnie Walker was in 1867,

and the name of that whisky was Walker Old Highland Scotch Whisky, then they

hired a marketer who said let it be Black Label, so began Johnnie Walker Black

Label,” Savage explained.

He went on to concentrate on the three whiskies the brand would

be highlighting over the length of the Jamaica Food & Drink Festival – Johnnie

Walker Black Label, Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve and Johnnie Walker 18

Year Old. According to Savage, Black Label is the flagship because it reveals

the character of the brand, depth of flavour, complexity, richness and

smokiness.

Smokiness

“Many people ask where does this richness and smokiness come from? Basically, it’s about the malts used in the blends. In Johnnie Walker, we have malts from the region of the islands in Scotland. They tend to be smoky, very powerful. Then we have single malts aged in European oak casks,” he said.

Malts in oak casks deliver sweetness, richness and a more rounded

flavour to the whisky blend that is Black Label. Gold Reserve was designed

specifically for whisky drinkers who do not want the traditional smoky flavour

of the other Johnnie Walker blends.

“They’re looking for more lightness and more friendly flavours.

Gold Reserve isn’t a light whisky. I’m just saying that this is very delicate

and a masterpiece of blending sweet flavours. It’s a flavour profile of the 21st

century at the house of Johnnie Walker,” Savage said.

Masterpiece

Johnnie Walker 18 Year Old is one of the most successful whiskies

for the brand.

“It’s really a masterpiece of the art of blending. It’s about

blending whiskies, all of them aged in American oak casks,” he said.

This gives Johnnie Walker 18 Year Old a more coconut and almond

flavour, making it a rounded and creamy tasting whisky with no hint of the

smokiness of the other two.

Along with sampling each whisky by itself, guests could indulge

in mixes featuring the three.

The Jamaica Food & Drink Festival starts on October 26 and ends on November 3.

— Written by Nichola Beckford