Close-Up with Stephen Wilson, Diageo’s Master of Malt

Part I of an Interview with Diageo’s Top Malt Whisky Man

By Kurt Maitland

Stephen Wilson and Kurt Maitland
(Credit: Kurt Maitland)

Diageo is one of the world’s biggest players in alcoholic beverages. In the scotch sector alone, the company owns famed blended brands like Johnnie Walker and VAT 69, and renowned single malts such as Knockando and Talisker, and those brands and many more are the perview of Stephen Wilson. I had the pleasure of meeting with Mr. Wilson, Diageo’s Master of Malt, at one of the House of Walker Events in NYC.  Stephen took time out of his busy schedule to talk to me about Johnnie Walker, and his larger role as the Diageo’s Master of Malt.

Part I of this interview will focus on Diageo’s flagship, Johnnie Walker. On Monday, Part II will explore the wider range of scotch brands under the Diageo banner.

Johnnie Walker Double Black at the House of Walker
(Credit: Kurt Maitland)

KM – So what prompted the creation of Johnnie Walker’s Double Black?

SW – The real thing behind it, when you look at what Johnnie Walker is all about, the heart and soul of what Johnnie Walker, is that pioneering spirit of innovation and that goes back to when John opened that little grocery store in the 1820s. I think Jim Beveridge, when he created Double Black, the idea was to really compliment the current styles of the Johnnie Walker portfolio but also bring in that pioneering spirit of innovation at the same time so that you are taking an iconic whiskey like Black Label and you are amplifying those flavors so that it is going to give those folks who are already enjoying JW Black a chance to explore bigger and bolder flavors while maintaining that “Johnnie Walker” house style.

KM – Is there any thought of doing something similar with let’s say JW Red or JW Gold?

Johnnie Walker Red, the entry-level classic
(Credit: Wikimedia Commons)

SW – With that I wouldn’t say yes or no, I would simply say that the great thing about Jim and his team is that they are constantly being innovative. They are constantly blending and constantly exploring new whiskeys so I think for right now Double Black is what we’ll see but you never know.

KM – Since there is definitely a color hierarchy with the different brands of Johnnie Walker, should I assume that the Double Black slots in right after Black, then Green, Gold, etc with Johnnie Walker Blue being the pinnacle of the Johnnie Walker Experience?

SW – That’s correct. When you look at the current US lineup you have Red, Black, Double Black, Green, Gold, and Blue. That would be the Johnnie Walker family in the US as it stands now.

KM – So I was wondering about the Platinum Series. I have heard of it but I have not had the opportunity to taste it.

The top rung of the regular line: Johnnie Walker Blue
(Credit: Kurt Maitland)

SW – Platinum is the one of the newest members of the Johnnie Walker family. Right now it’s available globally in duty free markets (Editor’s Note: Between taking and publishing this interview, Platinum was released in the United States, and I have seen it in distribution in Europe beyond Duty Free stores). I can tell you, as I’ve done some work on it globally and it really, again when you talk about that Walker style and you look at all of the Walker whiskeys – they are all these unique personalities but they all have that House [of Walker] style that we have talked about. The Platinum really holds true to that craftsmanship and that tradition of great blending. The flavor profile is wonderful. Jim and the team have done a great job with it.

KM – Are there emerging markets where Johnnie Walker is being introduced or the footprint has grown – like Asia?

SW – When you look at Johnnie Walker on a global scale there are definitely some very key markets for Johnnie Walker. At the end of the day what has always impressed me is that as we sit here and chat, Walker is being enjoyed in 180 countries around the world and that number continues to grow. A lot of that has to do with the work that our team does to share whiskey with folks.

~Jump to Part II of this Interview~