Contaminated Whisky - your questions answered

Monday 10 March 2003

Read questions and answers on methanol contamination of whisky.

What whisky is affected?
What is the problem with the counterfeit Johnnie Walker?
What harm could it do someone to drink counterfeit Johnnie Walker?
What should I do if I think I have drunk some counterfeit Johnnie Walker?
Will the counterfeit Johnnie Walker smell or taste different from the genuine whisky?
How can I tell a counterfeit bottle from a genuine bottle of Johnnie Walker?
How can I tell a counterfeit bottle from a genuine bottle of Highland Pride Whisky?*
What should I do if I think I have some counterfeit Johnnie Walker at home?
What should I do if I have some counterfeit Highland Pride at home?
What should I do if I think I have any counterfeit Johnnie Walker or counterfeit Highland Pride in my shop?
Could I be served these spirits in a pub?
What action is the Agency taking?

What whisky is affected?

Counterfeit bottles have been found of Johnnie Walker Black Label Scotch Whisky.

Counterfeit labels for Highland Pride Finest Scotch Whisky have also been found, which suggests that there might be bottles of counterfeit Highland Pride on sale.

What is the problem with the counterfeit Johnnie Walker?

The counterfeit Johnnie Walker is contaminated with methanol, which could cause methanol poisoning.

What harm could it do someone to drink counterfeit Johnnie Walker?

If someone drinks some of the counterfeit Johnnie Walker, which is contaminated with methanol, they could get methanol poisoning, which has symptoms including severe stomach pain, drowsiness, dizziness and blurred vision leading to blindness.

What should I do if I think I have drunk some counterfeit Johnnie Walker?

If you think you might have drunk counterfeit Johnnie Walker in the past 24 hours, contact a doctor.

Will the counterfeit Johnnie Walker smell or taste different from the genuine whisky?

The counterfeit Johnnie Walker might smell or taste different. But people shouldn’t rely on this to work out whether a spirit is counterfeit. It’s very important for people to check the bottles and labels to make sure the whisky is genuine.

How can I tell a counterfeit bottle from a genuine bottle of Johnnie Walker?

The counterfeit bottles can be identified by the following features:

writing in Spanish on the rear label, which is not on the genuine bottles
a fake lot code, L04P24878342, printed on the rear of the front centre label
no neck label
no 'E mark' on their base between '700ml' and '73mm'

How can I tell a counterfeit bottle from a genuine bottle of Highland Pride Whisky?*

At the moment we're not sure whether counterfeit bottles of Highland Pride are on sale. But the counterfeit Highland Pride labels can be identified by the following features:

‘1 L’ and '40% vol’ on the front label, whereas the genuine label says '1 litre' and '43% vol.'
small numbers on both sides of the label, whereas the genuine bottles have numbers on just the right-hand side of the label
the words ‘Produced and bottled in Scotland’, whereas the genuine labels say ‘Bottled in Scotland'
barcode 5011311221171 – the genuine barcode will vary by customer, although the general trade litre bottle barcode currently ends with ‘42073’
self-adhesive labels – the genuine ones are not self-adhesive

*October 2011: the answer to this question has been updated since it was first published

What should I do if I think I have some counterfeit Johnnie Walker at home?

Do not drink any Johnnie Walker that you think might be counterfeit and contact your local authority to tell them about the whisky.

What should I do if I have some counterfeit Highland Pride at home?

We don’t have any evidence at present that counterfeit Highland Pride is harmful. But you should still contact your local authority if you think you have some of this whisky.

What should I do if I think I have any counterfeit Johnnie Walker or counterfeit Highland Pride in my shop?

You should take them off the shelves straight way and contact your local authority. Do not sell them.

Could I be served these spirits in a pub?

It’s possible that some counterfeit whisky might have been supplied to pubs, but there’s no evidence to suggest that this has happened.

What action is the Agency taking?

The Agency is strongly advising people not to drink any Johnnie Walker they think might be counterfeit. Local authorities have been alerted to ensure that neither counterfeit Johnnie Walker nor counterfeit Highland Pride is on sale in their area.

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