Johnnie Walker just released Double Black, their first new blend in more than 12 years. We called their master blender to find out more.

by Matt Berical

Jim Beveridge has a great job. As Johnnie Walker’s master blender, he sniffs and sips scotch all day, ensuring the company’s whiskies maintain their signature flavor and quality. We spoke with him about the art of blending the new Double Black — and why he thinks single malts aren’t exciting.

How did you become a master blender?

My first job at Johnnie Walker was to understand the science and technology behind whiskey making, and how that impacts taste in particular. I spent a lot of time in our laboratory understanding different forms of whiskeys and how they are made. After years of learning the tricks, I moved onto the blending room and started combining casks.

What’s the trick to a proper blend?

The key to great blending is understanding the different flavors that come from malt and grain whiskeys, and to having them in your inventory so you can call upon them.

How many casks does Johnnie Walker have in their inventory at any given time?

Around seven million.

And how many of those are used in any one blend?

With Black Label and Double Black, we use approximately 35 different types of whisky from 200 casks.

Speaking of Double Black, how would you describe it?

We wanted to create another expression of Black Label, so we used that as our starting point. Since that blend already featured sweet notes of fresh fruit and vanilla, the most obvious way was to add an extra layer of smokiness.

As master blender, you spend a lot of your time sampling your product. What’s the best way to drink scotch?

At work, I drink it out of a nosing glass, which is a small, tulip-shaped glass with one part water and one part whiskey. But for pleasure, I love to drink my whiskey in a tumbler with just a few ice cubes. When the ice melts, it releases the different layers and flavors of the blend.

Johnnie Walker has never released a non-blended spirit. Why is that?

To each his own. But I think those who are wedded to single malts are really missing out. To me, blends are much more exciting. They bring out a greater diversity of flavors. I think there’s more complexity and subtlety in blends too, and that excites me. For example, I was sampling some malts recently, and the first thing I wanted to do was mix them. Sure, single malts offer great flavor, but it’s through blending and mixing that you get greater flavor.

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