Buy Johnnie Walker Black Label at Boston Logan Airport

Johnnie Walker started at John Walker’s grocery. Most whiskies at the time were found in general groceries, meaning you could buy stuff like flour and hard liquor in the same trip. Johnnie Walker was no different, sold in its first years out of the family grocery store in Kilmarnock, a town in Scotland not too far from its western coast.

Johnnie Walker whisky began as a reaction to single malt. Single malt may be prized for good reason today, but back in the 19th century, consistency was more of a tricky issue. John Walker wanted a consistent Scotch and so he turned his store brand into a blend. (Just a quick reminder, single malts are the product of one distillery, blends are blends from many distilleries.)

The overall flavor profile is intriguingly contradictory. Johnnie Walker is a smooth whisky, no doubt, but that doesn’t mean it lacks staggeringly awesome/annoying/sit-down-for-a-long-thoughtful-sip complexity. In the 12 Year, for instance, you’ll get dark chewy toffee and spice on the nose but lighter hits of citrus, garden patch, and delicate grain once you knock it back.

The original bottles didn’t say “Johnnie Walker” or show someone strutting. Like many vintage whisky items, older Johnnie Walker bottles—full or empty—are on sale. One seller advertises a bottle that reads “John Walker and Sons,” plus some legal stuff etched into the bottle about how “federal law forbids sale or re-sale of this bottle.” Apparently that law no longer applies? Or the seller is just badass.

The “walker” on the label was originally a doodle. A very good doodle. Tom Browne was a renowned “illustrator of the time” and he drew a picture of the “Striding Man” during lunch one day. The Johnnie he drew has evolved into a sleek and mysterious dude, but back in the day he was a lot more colorful and friendly. (See the label in the top photo. It also kind of looks like he’s talking on a cellphone? Did the artist have ESP?)