The nature of blended Scotch almost precludes having a sort of age statement. With fine single malts, it’s not uncommon to see a 21-year or even a 40-year; these whiskies, by definition, come from a single distillery and are much more about age and provenance than curation. However, Johnnie Walker, who invented the idea of blended Scotch back in the 1800s, has now taken it upon itself to slap an age statement on one of its blends. But not only that, this expression is 52 years old!

Breaking the Stigma of Blended Scotch

It’s easy to argue with the superiority of single malts over blended Scotch, but is that viewpoint truly accurate? In general, when comparing an 18-year-old Macallan to a cost-saving blended batch, then yes. But let’s really look at the origins of blended whisky. 

Long before you could acquire the world’s best single malts with the click of a button, blenders like Johnnie Walker would aggregate the best whiskies around to expertly craft a top-shelf spirit that locals desired, and eventually all of Scotland. When done well, the results of a blend are unlike anything you’ve ever tasted, owing to the unique combination of spirits from different distilleries. 

Johnnie Walker 52-Year Blended Scotch Whisky Basics

Paying homage to founders John and Alexander Walker and coming in a squared bottle that’s very different than the tall, slim vessels typical of the brand, this 52-year-old Scotch blends eight liquids from different distilleries with a combination of single malts and single grains. Coming from the Highland region of Scotland, the five single malts were sourced from four dormant distilleries — Glenury Royal, Glenlochy, Glen Albyn, and Brora — and Dalwhinnie, which is still in operation. The whiskies from these five distilleries contribute a range of flavors to the overall blend, such as berries, cured meat, cacao, blue cheese, and even a subtle smoke.

Rounding out the blend are three single grain whiskies from the Lowland distilleries. While Blair Athol is still in operation, Cambus and Carsebridge were mothballed back in 1993 and 1983, respectively. The expression receives notes of vanilla, butterscotch, orange peel, wood spice, and subtle tea leaves from these liquids.

It’s crucial to note that a 52-year-old age statement is a signifier only of the youngest liquid in the blend, although Johnnie Walker has not specified the age of the oldest whisky in this bottling. While this hasn’t been declared as the oldest Johnnie Walker expression ever, it’s certainly one of the oldest. There have been 50-year-old whiskies in the past, as well as an ’80s expression that contained whisky “up to” 60 years old.

Spec Sheet

Pricing & Availability

Limited to just 200 bottles, this 52-Year Blended Scotch Whisky can only be acquired directly through Diageo’s private sales team, but will likely pop up on the secondary market for significantly more than the £23,500 (~$29,852) retail price. Head over to Johnnie Walker’s website to learn more.