Johnnie Walker & Sons Odyssey Scotch Whisky

Johnnie Walker & Sons Odyssey Scotch Whisky

Upon his father's death in 1820, a young grocer named Johnnie Walker invested his 417 inheritance into a grocery and spirits shop on High Street in Scotland. While Walker himself was a teetotaller, he sold a popular single malt whisky under the name Walker's Kilmarnock Whisky (at the time, it was common for each store to have its own unique spirits). Walker's store was moderately successful, but by the time he retired in the 1850s, whisky sales represented just 8% of his business. In 1857, Alexander Walker John Walker's eldest son inherited the store and began improving its selection of single malt Scotch whiskies. Alexander had previously apprenticed with a tea merchant in Glasgow and there, had learned the art of blending tea. Under his stewardship, the House of Walker began blending whisky and bottling it in an iconic, square bottle adorned with a slanted label. John Walker & Sons Odyssey was crafted by Master Blender Jim Beveridge using a recipe developed by Alexander Walker himself. The whisky is made by blending together three, extraordinarily rare single malts and is the first ever triple malt Scotch whisky from the House of Walker. "I searched a number of distilleries in Scotland for the perfect three whiskies to blend for John Walker & Sons Odyssey," says Beveridge. "The extraordinary single malts I've chosen have the right provenance and pedigree to create the aromas, tastes, flavors and sensations that Sir Alexander was looking for when he created the original blend almost 80 years ago." Once the three malt whiskies were identified, they were married together in casks coopered from European oak. Then, the whisky was bottled in a nautical decanter made of crystal-grade glass symbolic of both the steadfastness and dynamic progression of the House of Walker. The bottle is able to rotate 360 degrees within its container and always rests in an upright position. "This introduction pays tribute to Sir Alexander Walker while embodying the brand's commitment to keep walking along its path of innovation and evolution." The whisky has hints of fresh citrus (particularly oranges), honeyed oak, cloves and ginger spices. The rich mouthfeel also has subtle touches of caramel and sea salt, and finishes with notes of nutmeg, toffee and Christmas cake. Pick up a bottle today!