Johnnie Walker Adds to its Ultra-Aged Whisky Resume A 52 Year Old

Johnnie Walker has announced the release of a new 52 year old blend composed of rare whisky stocks, including several casks from closed distilleries. Johnnie Walker master blender Dr. Emma Walker combined eight whiskies to create the blend in honor of founder John Walker and his son Alexander, the pioneers behind the iconic Johnnie Walker legacy, who both lived for 52 years.

The blend comprises six Highland single malts from Blair Athol, Brora, Dalwhinnie, Glen Albyn, Glenury Royal, and Glenlochy, and two Lowland single grain whiskies from Cambus and Carsebridge distilleries. Six of these distilleries operated during either John or Alexander Walker’s lifetimes, with only Dalwhinnie and Glenlochy opening in the decade after Alexander died in 1889. Every whisky was distilled in 1972 or earlier, making it one of the oldest ever age-stated Johnnie Walker releases. While it’s not trying to recreate any specific flavor from the past, the age and history of the components make it truly reflective of a different era of scotch whisky. Only Blair Athol and Dalwhinnie are not closed distilleries, while Brora reopened in 2021 after being closed since 1983. Carsebridge, Glen Albyn, and Glenlochy also closed in 1983, Glenury Royal closed in 1985, and Cambus was closed in 1993 and is now home to a Diageo cooperage. Both Brora (91 points) and Glenury Royal (93 points) featured in the Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare Series.

The new Johnnie Walker 52 year old adds to the resumé of high-end Johnnie Walker blends. Some of the rarest releases include the 96-point Johnnie Walker 48 year old Master of Flavour, a 2021 release of 288 bottles, which used whiskies from seven distilleries. It is rarely seen at auction, but a bottle sold at Bonhams, Hong Kong last month for a hammer price of $15,420. In 2018, 100 bottles of The John Walker Masters’ Edition 50 year old were released, a blend composed of whiskies from just six distilleries. The oldest release to date is the 93-point John Walker & Sons Diamond Jubilee, released in 2012, which was composed of 60 year old whiskies with just 60 bottles produced.

Johnnie Walker also has a tradition of releasing limited editions showcasing the mastery of blending using just a handful of whiskies. During the brand’s 200th anniversary, it released the 94-point Johnnie Walker Blue Label The Legendary Eight, another blend of just eight whiskies. The 93-point John Walker & Sons Odyssey used only three single malts, while the 93-point Johnnie Walker Master’s Cut crafted by Jim Beveridge contained whiskies from just two distilleries, namely Roseisle and Cameronbridge.

Johnnie Walker 52 year old Blended Scotch

ABV: 41.2%
Price: $25,000
Availability: 200 bottles. It can be purchased through the Diageo private client team, with limited availability at Justerini & Brooks, London, Johnnie Walker Princes Street, Edinburgh, and selected luxury retail outlets.