Bottle of J&B whisky on outside table with two cocktails and a plate of olives

Our Brands: J&B

Inspired by an Italian, created in London and distilled in Scotland; J&B is unlike any other Scotch whisky.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

HISTORY & HERITAGE

In 1749, Italian Master Distiller, Giacamo Justerini (the “J” in J&B) came to London and was introduced to his future business partner, George Johnson.

Two generations later, Alfred Brooks bought the company and changed its name to Justerini & Brooks – or J&B.

In 1918, Eddie Tatham, who was a family friend of James Anderson (a board fellow of J&B), joined the company and was soon offered the position of director. Tatham visited the USA during Prohibition and came up with the idea of creating J&B Rare, with the American audience in mind for when Prohibition came to an end.

From here, Tatham met a blender called Charlie Julian who was known for his great nose, refined palate and instinctive knowledge of consumer demands. Together, Tatham and Julian began the blending process for J&B Rare which resulted in a complex blend of 42 malt and grain whiskies.

By 1963, J&B Rare was selling a million cases a year in the USA.

Today, J&B celebrates over 250 years of history and is popular with guests all around the world.

Bottle of J&B beside two tumblers of whisky

Flavour Profile

J&B Rare has a fruity, fresh quality that makes it an ideal whisky for mixing. Its blend of 42 whiskies is perfectly balanced, with no individual flavour outweighing the others. It’s one of the finest whiskies for mixing and one of the biggest blended whiskies in the world.

Interesting Facts

The American Importer ABE Rosenberg got J&B Rare into movies before the term 'Product Placement' was invented.
At first, J&B Rare was only sold to the finest bars, clibs and restaurants. This old marketing trick was called "The Tip of the Trade".
Today, every year 72 million bottles of J&B Rare are sold worldwide every year, a testament to the brand's popularity. That's more than two sold every second.