Knockando

In 1749, the young Italian Giacomo Justerini came from Bologna to London for love – he followed opera singer Margarita Bellino, who, however, did not return his feelings. Heartbroken, he returned to Italy in 1760, but not before founding a wine and liqueur trading business with George Johnson, which soon rose to become supplier to King George III thanks to a family recipe.

"Johnson and Justerini" became "Justerini & Brooks" – J&B for short – in 1831. Since the founding of the Knockando distillery in 1898, its malt has been the heart of the globally successful blend "J&B Rare". With Knockando 12 Year Old, you will find the core bottling of this Speyside malt, closely interwoven with J&B, in our selection.

How did a broken heart lead to a whisky empire?

In 1749, Giacomo Justerini travelled to London chasing the Italian opera singer Margarita Bellino, with whom he was hopelessly in love. His feelings went unreturned, and in 1760 he returned to Bologna disappointed – but not before founding a wine and liqueur import business with George Johnson, which quickly became a favoured supplier to British high society, including King George III, thanks to a liqueur recipe from his uncle. "Johnson and Justerini" – whose range had included Scotch whisky since 1779 – finally became "Justerini & Brooks", J&B for short, in 1831.

Why is Knockando inseparable from J&B?

The Knockando distillery was founded in 1898 by John Tytler Thomson and built to designs by the famous architect Charles Doig – the first Speyside distillery with electric lighting. Just ten months after opening, it had to close again due to the industry downturn of the time. In 1904, the London gin firm W. & A. Gilbey took over the site. In 1962, Gilbey merged with United Wine Traders to form International Distillers & Vintners (IDV), which also owned Justerini & Brooks – ever since, Knockando has been the spiritual home of the J&B blend. Through the merger of Grand Metropolitan with Guinness, the distillery now belongs to Diageo and is part of the extended Classic Malts range.

The most popular bottling at a glance

1. Knockando 12 Year Old
The distillery's official core bottling.
Taste: Fine, soft, and fruity with delicate nuttiness.
Serving suggestion: An elegant introduction to the mild Speyside style.

Facts and figures

Address: Knockando, Morayshire. Founded: 1898 by John Tytler Thomson. Architect: Charles Doig. Owner: Diageo. Notable: the heart of the J&B Rare blend.