Johnnie Walker

You would think that a Johnnie Walker tasting would be crazy expensive but $ 5 and an online reservation is all that they ask? Heck yes! I’m not even a whiskey girl but my roommate got invited so I went with him.
It’s been awhile since we went but I know that I enjoyed the food and probably grew some chest hairs after trying the whiskey/​scotches (I honestly don’t what the difference is. I’m sorry don’t kill me scotch drinkers!)
I’m not sure how often they do the tastings, or if it’s ongoing but if you get the chance then you HAVE to take it. A great evening full of booze and good food.

Johnnie Walker tasting event thanks to Sidney T. Crazy that there is such events like this. I arrived after 3 hours of traffic at Lot D of the Hollywood Bowl parking lot. Got my free valet parking lot and then a shuttle took us up the mansion to start our tasting adventure. Entered through the garage then climbed up the stairs to a room where we watched a 5 minute film on the history of Johnnie Walker.
After the film, we headed up one more flight of stairs to the tasting room where the host advised on the different ways to drink the popular Johnnie Walker whisky. Too strong for me, but my friends enjoyed the hell out of it. When the demonstration was over, we were free to roam around with our key card and got samples of black label, double black label, blue label, and red label located through the one side of the mansion. With our key cards, we could check-​in through Facebook and twitter which was really cool.
Don’t be fooled by the small samples they give you, as those 4 cups of samples is enough to make you drunk, I’m telling you. Again, Johnnie Walker is way over the alcohol tolerance I have, but the red label with ginger beer was my favorite of the night. Feel free to ask for water too if needed. Appetizers come from the kitchen next to the restroom but the moment it comes out, it’s gone. Don’t depend on having food here. Beautiful view from the mansion on top. Great staff members who are happy to answer all questions.
Can’t wait for the next Johnnie Walker event!

Anybody know of any tastings happening in the next few months around so-​cal? My friend and I are DYING to go and didn’t know of these til now :(

It was a first for me, I’ve taste tested, Johnnie Walker Black, Red, Gold & Blue, and I must say I am so impressed. The House Of Johnnie has a new fan… Two thumbs up Johnnie!

The Johnnie Walker tasting is a great time!
It doesn’t take all night. I was there about two hours, including waiting in line for a while. You have time to chat with whomever you came there with. Get to here some factoids from the host. AND get to taste and try some whiskey.
They also do private tastings. Which I think would be great for the start of a bachelor or bachelorette party.

Don’t miss out on the next tasting… whatever that alcohol may be. Very good times… Good evening

The Johnnie Walker tasting was phenomenal.
The event was held on the top floor of the Cooper Union building in the design space in downtown.
Our host of the evening was this guy right here:
The event cost $ 5 but it went to charity. If only all of my bar tabs went to charity, there would be world peace.
The event started out with a happy hour, lounge setting with one free JW cocktail and hors d’œuvres. There was a picture booth set up so you could take a picture with a Striding Man backdrop and post it to your facebook wall. I did so. It’s not selling out if it’s Johnnie Walker, I promise.
The event walked through the Johnnie Walker line up. It started with Black Label, JW’s standard bearer Scotch whisky. Our host talked about its history and its flavor. Next was Red Label, where we were instructed not only to taste it, but to mix it, as it was intended. The group had a local JW representative present us with Green Label, JW’s malt whisky, containing no grain. An excellent blend and a delight to taste, especially with someone there to explain the work and process behind it. Next was the penultimate Gold Label, which was brought out after being chilled. Smooth and complicated; a sheer delight on the palate. Finally, they brought out Blue Label in a small snifter. A phenomenal end to a night of whisky tasting. One of the best blended Scotchs out there.
If you have the opportunity, you MUST go!

The «House of Walker Experience» truly was an awesome experience. All it took to get in was an online reservation and a $ 5 donation to charity at the door. As you enter, you get a token good for one cocktail at the bar. I went for the Old Fashioned, and while it wasn’t the best Old Fashioned I’ve had, it was surprisingly the strongest. There was a table laid out with hummus and cheese, but the real treat (food-​wise) was the appetizers being passed out by the servers. The mini-​burgers, mini shrimp quesadillas and chicken skewers were all delicious. After about half an hour, we were ushered into the tasting hall, which was swankily decorated with white couches facing a center square. Each spot had a glass of ice water, an eyedropper, a strawberry and small dish of pepper, a Johnnie Walker lapel pin and business card holder, and 3 shot glasses of whisky. The presentation started out with a cool single shot video talking all about the history of the company. (It was called «The Man Who Walked Around The World», and you can find it on YouTube.) Then the host came out and guided us through the tastings. He was actually very entertaining; enthusiastically playing to the crowd. Each tasting was preceded by a short video montage of the whisky we were about to try. First came the Black Label, which we had with and without water. Next came the Red Label, which was conveniently masked by the strawberries and pepper (weird, I know…) which we had right before it. The Gold Label came out next, and was distributed by the promotional girls. It came chilled, making it a little thicker and deliciously smooth. After the Gold, we smelled the Green Label by rubbing it into our hands and tasted the remainder. Finally, we got to the portion of the night that everyone had been waiting for; Blue Label! Once again, the girls brought out the samples, this time served in a small snifter. The Blue Label lives up to its reputation. It’s so sublimely smooth that you barely realize you’re drinking alcohol. The evening ended with a short and entertaining question and answer period. Overall, the event was very well thought out and put together. The only slightly cheesy thing was the repeated mentions of Facebook, Twitter, and FourSquare. Still, the event fulfilled it’s purpose… I went out and bought a bottle of Gold Label the next day!

This thing was awesome. I really enjoyed it. Let me give you a play by play of how it went down. all they ask for is a 5 $ donation.
I got there at 6:45 and waited on line for about 15 mins, then we were let inside the lounge area. They served decent hors d’œuvre’s (small «kobe» sliders, grilled cheese, shrimp quesadilla, and cheese and crackers and stuff). They also gave a free cocktail from their small menu of johnny walker mixed drinks. it was legit.
Then they let you inside the main room. Its very chic. Big screens on all 4 sides and long white bench/​sofas. In front of you are the cups with the tasters of scotch neatly presented.
Before the host came out, they played a 5 min short movie featuring some famous scottish actor giving you a run rhough of the history of the company as he walks along a misty trail though the highlands of what is presumably scotland. the actor was robert carlyle i think. It was cool, very interesting and well produced/​directed.
The event is hosted by a guy who they call a whisky master or something like that. He MC’d the evening and he was excellent. Very cool without being a tool at all. He directs the tasting of the whiskys as the screens around you add images to the dialogue. It was cool.
The last two whiskys they presented were brought out by models on trays (nice touch)…they were the gold and the blue johnny walkers. I’ve had both before, and they are nice although not my first choice.
I went to this thing because it looked interesting, and im glad i went. It was neat. i learned a lot about the brand and was impressed by how well arranged and choreographed the whole thing was.
i would describe this event as interactive advertising. my perception fo their brand is far higher now than it was before. they definitely hired a legit advertisting agency on this one. nice job.

MUST TRY!!!
$ 5 donation and sample each of the whiskey. But, first they feed you appetizers and let you mingle with the guests, then they take you to another modern lighted room where they give you a little history on Johnnie Walker. It’s very fascinating. I would definitely try it again if I had the chance!

Tasting, drinking, eating, $ 5…say no more, I’m there!
I hadn’t been to a Johnnie Walker event in several years. I recall that, back then, at least three cocktails were served before the tasting tutorial. Then the drunks in attendance were expected to pay attention and learn about the complexities of whiskey. All of that has changed slightly. Only one cocktail is served now, more food is offered, and the guy in the kilt is gone.
I really enjoyed the tasting seminar. The speaker has an excellent sense of humor and is magnetic. He was able to keep his audience’s attention. Since I was sober this time, I learned a little something about Johnnie Walker. We were able to sample the Black, Red, Green, Gold, and Blue labels. I’m not really a whiskey drinker, but I really enjoyed the Blue Label.
If you’re looking for an educational experience while getting your eat and drink on, then the House of Walker Experience is perfect for you.

mmmm delicious! I went to the Johnny Walker tasting 3 years ago & have been waiting to go again ever since! They hook you up with delicious appetizers before the tasting and then you go into a swanky lounge area for a presentation of JW.

JW Blue label… A master creation of all Scotch but wonders can be followed by the aroma… enjoyed a single on the rocks.
JW Blue Label… Type whisky AKA Scotch
Manufacturer: Diageo
Country of origin: United Kingdom

I went to the 2008 tastings once again at the Henson Studios and for five bucks, it’s a great deal to sample the entire Johnnie Walker portfolio. There have been some changes for the worse though as I did talk to someone who attended the previous year’s event. For starters, in the ‘green’ room you only get one coin to sample one of three different drink selections. I tried the Red Margarita which was really strange as it didn’t taste like a margarita. Not even close. I’d fix this later as you’ll find out. Next the apps consists mainly of breads (great pretzel rolls) and veggies and occasionally a tray of hot apps passed around by servers. At least the seafood ceviche was outstanding. Wonder if it came from the Studios’ Backstage Café around the corner. Inside, we got to the show with a dozen big screens projecting various visual images (from 2005) and then we got to taste the various scotches from the ‘cheapie’ Black and Red to the exclusive $ 600 a bottle Blue. Then there was the part I came in. Yes, me. I was asked to be one of two contestants to make a drink using Red using our choice of Margarita Mix, Lime Juice, Cola and Energy Drink (no brands, please). I was kind of kicking myself for not bringing a vial of my clients’ Artista Energy syrup or I could’ve really had fun with this. Instead, I made a much improved version of the Margarita I called the MargaRedBull. Even though I was up against a gal from Pasadena who was celebrating her b-​day, I won the challenge. See what living in New Orleans does to you? You become a mixologist! Great event and since I doubt I’ll be able to buy the Blue anytime soon, I’m sure to come back to the 2009 event. At least Green is 45 bucks a bottle at Costco.

I agree with everything Marcelle said… I went to this tasting too and for the price… man, it was fun and worth it.
Yeah…the Blue IS good but there’s scotch out there that’ll blow that away.
Highlights of the tasting:
–being able to order any mixed drink prior to the event in their little «green» room… a waiting room of sorts. I had Red and Ginger… good stuff.
–rubbing a drop of the Green in my palm and smelling the notes after. Never thought to do that to enjoy the aroma of the scotch prior to tasting…
–being able to try ALL of the JW’s…interesting to do them all at once to really see the difference.
I’ve been to a couple of these and unfortunately the last one I got all mixed up on the directions and we went to the wrong place. Oops. I’d suggest it to any novice curious about the world of scotch… go to the Johnny Walker website and sign up (free!) as a member… they’ll usually let you know via email when they’ll have a tasting in your hood.

A night of blended scotch at the home of the Muppets.
For $ 5 and an online RSVP, this event was well worth the price of admission. Now, to be clear, I’m a single malt girl, however I was curious about the Johnnie Walker blended whiskeys I’ve seen around. Especially the Blue Label.
First let me set the stage. After arriving, I filled out a short questionnaire taken by a woman wearing a computer around her neck like a cigarette girl. How many scotches have you had in the past four weeks? Probably 25 – 30 I say. She laughs at the number. «Well, I guess it was just New Year’s,» she jokes. Yeah, right, special occasion, not drinking problem.
Then, we go inside where we’re given a free drink at the bar. I get the «rocks» — Black Label (about 3 – 4 ounces) over ice. They also had mixed drinks, but I wanted to taste the scotch. Ten minutes later, and feeling a little loopy, I headed to the snack table. Lots of cheese and fruit: Brie, Gouda, blue cheese, some kind of crumbly cheese, nuts, figs, and grapes. The best snack was these nut-​like things that were soaked in some sort of honey or syrup. Delicious! Everything went really well together.
During this time, the caterers kept coming out with trays of yummy hors d’ourves like mini grilled cheese sandwiches and mini Kobe beef burgers the size of a ping pong ball. These got gobbled up so quickly that the servers never made it more than a few steps into the bar.
From there we moved to the tasting room. This was set up with about 12 gigantic screens that wrapped around the entire room. Clean white benches formed a square in concentric rows. In front of each bench was a table with three glasses of scotch. The lights dimmed and the show began. From every angle were images of men in expensive suits, yachts, women in bikini’s, sports cars, and diamonds. Totally aimed for the male audience even though a good 40% of us were women. Then the MC came out and started his shtick.
One by one, he went through the labels: black, gold, red, green and blue. Here’s what I wrote in my notes about these:
red — rubbing alcohol
black — decent. little rough. slightly peaty
gold — syrupy but would be good with a little ice
green — like Glenfiddich
blue — not as good as the green
Here’s the thing: none were even as good as 12 year Glenlivet. However, if you like blends then you might not agree with that statement.
They saved the Blue Label until the end, but I wish they hadn’t. I was really disappointed with it. Not a very complex flavor, it was dominated by a tanginess and left a bad after taste. Good thing I got to find that out for free, because the stuff runs about $ 150 a bottle.
All in all, though, it was a great evening. The food, music, and surroundings were well planned out and went well together. They host these events from time to time, and I recommend checking it out if you can.