Edinburgh in January carries a particular kind of crispness. The sky hangs low, the air bites a little, and the city seems perfectly content with its own sense of occasion. On the corner of Princes Street, that sense of grandeur becomes even more apparent as the Johnnie Walker Experience comes into view.
We were in the city for the OurWhisky Foundation graduation later that day, and a visit to the Johnnie Walker Experience felt like the right way to begin it. I was joined by Libby Barmby of The Glasgow Distillery, Victoria Charlton of Diageo, and Jade Cox, spirits reviewer and emerging distiller. Between us, we work across production, brand, and criticism. Whisky is not new to us. Still, there was something undeniably appealing about stepping into the home of one of Scotland’s most recognisable names, not as professionals analysing it, but simply as guests.
Entering a space that promised far more than a conventional distillery tour, I will admit I was skeptical. Johnnie Walker is one of the best-known brands in whisky, and through my job, I already know much of the story. I wanted to be impressed. And I was.
Six Flavours, No Intimidation
We were welcomed into the experience by Paula, whom I had the good fortune of seeing again at the OurWhisky Foundation graduation party later that night.
Before you even set foot inside the main experience, you are asked to complete a short taste quiz. It takes a matter of minutes and, crucially, it never once asks what kind of whisky you like.
Instead, the questions revolve around food and flavour. Do you like rosemary? How about chillis? Dried fruits? It is disarmingly simple. There is no jargon, no expectation that you understand whisky. For anyone new to whisky, it quietly removes the fear of getting it wrong. For those of us who spend our lives around the stuff, it offers something different. A small surrender of control.
At the end, you are assigned one of six flavour profiles: Fresh, Tropical, Fruity, Spicy, Smoky or Creamy. Each corresponds to a coloured wristband that you are given on arrival, and each of those colours maps to a specific expression within the Johnnie Walker range.
There was something clever about standing there, four people who work across different corners of the industry, comparing wristband colours like first-time whisky drinkers. It levelled the playing field. Expertise was irrelevant, and all that mattered was flavour.
My taste profile was ‘Creamy’, which corresponded to the Johnnie Walker 18 Year Old. Many a staff member quipped that I had “expensive taste”.
Brand Theatre, Done Properly
The experience begins in a foyer that feels deliberately grand. Polished surfaces, warm lighting, and presiding over it all, the gold Striding Man in full, gleaming confidence. It sets the tone immediately. This is not a warehouse tour or a technical deep dive. It is brand theatre, and it knows it.
We were guided upstairs by our tour guide, Xiao, and invited, gently, to leave our preconceptions at the door. Not just about Johnnie Walker, but about how whisky should be enjoyed. There was a subtle but consistent message from the outset. Drink it however you like. I was happy to see this, as I am a firm believer in drinking your whisky however you want.
Then the storytelling began.
Even knowing the broad arc of John Walker’s journey from grocer to global icon, I found myself unexpectedly absorbed. A staff member named Rhona took to a long stage set before us, delivering the origin story with choreography, props, projection, and impeccable timing. It could easily have tipped into cliché. Instead, it felt tight, confident and genuinely engaging. Her energy carried the room.
What struck me most was how immersive it felt without ever becoming overwhelming. The production values were high, but the story remained human. It was not a history lesson. It was a performance. And for a brand as ubiquitous as Johnnie Walker, that choice makes sense. When a name is that familiar, you have to give people a new way to experience it.
By the time we stood to move on, the tone had been set. This was not going to be a passive tasting. It was something far more interactive.
A Curated Johnnie Walker Highball
Next, we were led into a space that our guide described as a modern interpretation of John Walker’s original grocer’s shop, a nod to blending at the counter rather than in a laboratory. On the table in front of us sat trays of aromatics and garnishes. Behind us, rows of highball glasses were lined up with coloured bases that matched our wristbands.
Our guide explained which whiskies corresponded to our wristbands.
- Creamy, beige wristband – Johnnie Walker 18 Year Old
- Fresh, green wristband – Johnnie Walker Green Label
- Tropical, yellow wristband – Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve
- Spicy, red wristband – Johnnie Walker Red Label
- Fruity, pink wristband – Johnnie Walker Black Label
- Smoky, blue wristband – Johnnie Walker Double Black
One by one, we placed our glasses beneath a machine that recognised the colour of the base and dispensed the corresponding serve.
My Creamy serve was built around Johnnie Walker 18 Year Old, lengthened with soda and finished with a gentle dusting of nutmeg. The aroma lifted first. Soft spice, a touch of sweetness, something rounded and comforting. Around the table, serves varied. Victoria’s serve grabbed my attention: Johnnie Walker Double Black, soda, and a sundried tomato.
What I appreciated most was how effortlessly it worked. No one had to decide what to order. The system had quietly done the work for us, and in doing so, it encouraged conversation. It was whisky presented as something social and adaptable, not precious.
For a group that spends much of its time discussing the nuances of whisky making, it was refreshing to simply enjoy the drink in front of us.
Immersion Without the Lecture
From there, the experience shifts again. The next series of rooms immerses you in the production and flavours of Johnnie Walker.
Distillation and blending are explained visually. You move through spaces where oak, maturation and house style are brought to life through set pieces and shifting imagery. There are nods to the single malts that underpin the blends, including Glenkinchie and Cardhu, but the emphasis is not on dissecting mash bills or fermentation times. It is about character.
One moment in particular stands out. Our guide released small bubbles into the air that, when popped, carried aromas associated with different distilleries. It was playful and faintly surreal, yet effective.
What impressed me was the restraint. It would have been easy to overwhelm visitors with technical detail. Instead, the focus remained on accessibility. The mechanics were there if you wanted them, but the experience never lost sight of its wider audience.
The Final Bar
The last room was the perfect culmination of the experience.
You step into a softly lit bar space that manages to be both opulent and modern. A central bar anchors the room, with seating arranged around the edges so that groups can settle in and take stock of what they have just experienced.
Here, we were invited to enjoy two further serves aligned with our flavour profiles. Neat pours were available for those who wanted them, but the emphasis remained on versatility. My Creamy pathway continued, this time in the form of an Old Fashioned and a different creamy highball made with cold brew coffee.
We weren’t rushed out of the room for the next group to arrive, either. We were allowed to sit, sip, and talk about the experience.
It felt fitting, sitting there with Libby, Victoria and Jade. Between us are different perspectives on the industry, yet the experience had reduced it to something much simpler. Flavour. In that final room, the Johnnie Walker Experience stops being a tour and becomes a social space, which may well be the point all along.
Why The Johnnie Walker Experience Works
It would be easy to dismiss something like the Johnnie Walker Experience as brand spectacle. In truth, it is precisely that, but done with care and intelligence.
What makes it effective is its refusal to intimidate. At no point are you made to feel that whisky must be approached in a particular way. The messaging is consistent from the opening moments. Drink it how you like. Prefer it with soda, in a cocktail, or neat. All are valid. For a category that can still feel heavy with tradition, the non-judgemental approach can work wonders for new drinkers.
For enthusiasts, there is enough substance to remain engaged. The references to blending, to oak, to the component malts such as Glenkinchie and Cardhu, are not superficial. They are simply presented differently. The theatre draws you in, but the foundations are solid.
For newcomers, the taste quiz and personalised serves remove the most common barrier, which is uncertainty. You are guided without being lectured. Before you realise it, you have moved through multiple spaces without once checking the time.
It is not a distillery tour, but something else entirely. And in a city that offers no shortage of traditional whisky experiences, that distinction feels deliberate.
Back Out Into the Night
By the time we stepped back onto Princes Street, Edinburgh was edging into evening and the cold had crept in again.
From there we headed to Keller Taproom for the OurWhisky Foundation graduation, sponsored by Compass Box and Champagne Piaff. The mood shifted from theatre to celebration. Glasses were raised, certificates presented, and the room buzzed with the kind of energy that only comes when people feel part of something bigger.
Book Your Johnnie Walker Experience
The signature tour at the Johnnie Walker Experience can be booked via the Johnnie Walker website for £30 per person.
More premium experiences start from £75 per head.
The Johnnie Walker Experience is located at 145 Princes St., Edinburgh EH2 4BL. It is one of the most popular whisky visitor experiences in Scotland, having welcomed its 1 millionth visitor in October 2024, just three years after opening.
Read the full article at The Johnnie Walker Experience in Edinburgh Is More Theatre Than Tour
