This bottle is an extremely valuable vintage bottle of the globally beloved Johnnie Walker Black Label, produced between the late 1960s and early 1970s. Based on its import history in Japan, it is believed to have been primarily distributed in the early 1970s.
The bottle retains the traditional square shape of Johnnie Walker and features a gold neck label indicating a premium grade. It was bottled to the old international standards of the time, with a volume of 4/5 quart (approximately 757ml) and an alcohol content of 86.8 proof (43.4%), which was the US export standard. The main label reads "IMPORTED BY BARCLAY & COMPANY, INC., NAHA, OKINAWA," a reference to the importer during Okinawa's time under US administration, further highlighting the bottle's historical rarity.
Black Label from this era boasts a higher alcohol content than current products, combined with the quality of the original whiskeys of the time, resulting in a fuller, more mellow flavor. Its constituent whiskeys are praised for their deeper, richer maturity and smokiness. The aroma blends the rich sweetness of ripe dried fruit and sherry with the deep, robust peat aroma characteristic of Johnnie Walker. The palate is mellow, yet powerful with the 43.4% alcohol content, offering complex flavors of smoke, vanilla, and aged fruit that linger for a long time.
As this is an old bottle, there may be some signs of a drop in the liquid level, a damaged label, or aging of the outer box. Please check the condition before purchasing this historically valuable masterpiece.
