The origins of the Johnnie Walker and Sons brands date back to 1820 when John Walker, a Scottish greengrocer from Kilmarnock, began selling whisky in his store. Although he established the brand, it was his descendants who built the business’ renown and, more specifically, the now-so iconic stocky square bottle and its label placed at a 24° angle. Since being bought by DCL (the predecessor of Diageo) in 1925, Johnnie Walker has continued to develop its range of products, all blends of malts from Scotland’s leading distilleries (Cardhu, Caol Ila, Talisker, etc.).

A prestigious Johnnie Walker bottling, Blue Label is one of the most stunning expressions of this blend. Created in 1992, it was designed to recreate the taste of the first blends of the 19th century. Some of the whiskies it contains—chosen from the vaults of Diageo’’s many distilleries—are said to be over 50 years old. This particular bottle is a special edition released in 2016, the Year of the Monkey in the Chinese zodiac.