Johnny Walker

Most whiskeys taste the same to me, but I attended a scotch tasting last weekend despite my immature palette.  And I really did learn a thing or two about the differences of each label (black, red, gold, green, and blue.)  I liked the green label best, even better than the exorbitantly priced blue label.  I was intrigued to learn the history of the bottle and label designs as well.  Johnny Walker whiskeys have been sold in those iconic square bottles since 1860 because they are less likely to break when being shipped.  In the 1930s, Alexander Walker created Swing - a gold colored whiskey that comes in a bottle shaped to swing back and forth to accommodate the rocking of the sea, balancing on a convex base.  Alexander Walker (Johnny Walker's son) registered the renowned slanted label in 1877.  Although  a simple alteration, this made the brand stand out against the competition at this time and promoted buyers to distinguish the blends from one another by the color of the label.  The Striding Man (shown left) was one of the first globally established advertising icons.  He represents the Walker spirit of progress and forward thinking.