J&B

J&B takes its name from Justerini & Brooks, a wine and spirits merchant with roots in 18th-century London. The firm later turned to blending Scotch whisky, and J&B became one of the best-known blends in the world, especially in southern Europe and the Americas.

J&B is a brand rather than a distillery. Its blends draw mainly on Speyside malt whiskies, with Knockando traditionally seen as an important part of the recipe, married with grain whisky. The house style is light, fresh and pale in colour, made to be easy to drink neat, on ice or with a mixer.

The brand belongs to Diageo, which blends and bottles it in Scotland. Ledaig, listed alongside it in our data, is a peated malt from Tobermory on the Isle of Mull and is not connected to J&B.

Buyers mostly meet the standard J&B blend, often in minis and litre bottles. Older expressions in our catalogue include the 12 Year Old Exception, the 15 Year Old Reserve and a 25 Year Old replica bottle, which turn up less often.