Dispelling a Blue Rumor: Johnnie Walker Blue Discontinued?

For a while, the rumor has been going around that Johnnie Walker Blue Label - the top of their line - is "about to be discontinued" for reasons unknown. There is nothing to this story. The origins of the tale are shrouded in mystery - except for the fact that "Johnnie Blue" is maddeningly hard to find.

So what is this mysterious Blue Label?

If, to you, "fine whiskey" means "single-malt Scotch," then you may be one of the rare Johnnie Blue detractors. But if you can appreciate a fine blend, you may be in for a treat. The flavor is complex, yet smooth, and has been described as having notes of tobacco, peat (somewhat similar to bittersweet chocolate), and even some fruitiness.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label is a blend created to celebrate the 200^th anniversary of the distillery. The company decided to bring back the old-time flavor of early19^th-century whiskeys by blending aged whiskeys with younger malts and grains.

Because it is a blend, there is no indication of age on the label. Don't let that put you off; just because a whiskey isn't a decade old doesn't mean it's rotgut. According to Johnnie Walker representatives, Johnnie Walker Blue Label contains at least 16 aged whiskeys and single-malt blends. How old is the youngest whiskey in the recipe? No one knows.

It is probably the limited availability of Johnnie Walker Blue that has given rise to the rumor that it is about to be or has been discontinued. But Johnnie Walker Blue is really a "limited edition" whiskey: sold at $200/bottle in a numbered, silk-lined box. You're not going to find that on the liquor shelf of your local drugstore!

Furthermore, it is not unheard of for individual whiskeys that go into the blend to be unavailable from time to time, due to their popularity. If you want a bottle of one of those single whiskeys, you're out of luck - but a blended whiskey, even a fine one like Johnnie Walker Blue, can be adjusted - carefully! - to use available stock. In fact, John Walker, founder of the company, is one of the originators of the art of blending.

Besides, once the whiskey is blended, it must age and mellow. This takes time.

And just think - as the younger whiskeys age, they become the "elders" of the blend, to be accompanied by "new kids on the block," excellent whiskeys all. The making of fine Scotch whiskey is not going to disappear any time soon. The supply of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, rare though it is, is assured.