In Conversation with Frans Op den Kamp: The Joy of Collecting Johnnie Walker

For more than two decades, Frans Op den Kamp has been on the hunt for Johnnie Walker.

What began with an instinct for collecting grew into an extraordinary personal archive: more than 1,600 full-size bottles, over 600 miniatures and more than 1,000 pieces of advertising and memorabilia, spanning more than a century of Johnnie Walker history. 

From early 20th-century Old Highland Whisky bottlings to limited-edition Blue Labels, export releases and bottles acquired on his travels around the world, Frans’ collection has become one of the most comprehensive records of Johnnie Walker ever assembled by a private collector. 

This September, the collection will be offered through Whisky Auctioneer, giving collectors around the world the opportunity to own a piece of Frans’ journey. 

But behind the numbers is a story that is perhaps more interesting still: the story of what it means to spend decades collecting one brand, the excitement of finding something elusive, and the moment when a collection becomes something much larger than its individual bottles. 

A collector’s instinct 

Frans’ collecting story started long before whisky. 

I have always had an innate collector’s instinct – from childhood Smurfs to beer cans from around the world.

When he turned his attention to whisky, he initially explored a wide variety of single malts and blends. Johnnie Walker gradually stood apart. 

Its history was one attraction, but its global presence was equally important. Through his work, Frans travelled extensively, and wherever he went, he found the familiar Striding Man. 

Everywhere I travelled for work – from international airport lounges to remote bars or high-end restaurants – the iconic Striding Man was a constant presence, offering regional editions unavailable back home.

That sense of discovery became central to the collecting journey. Johnnie Walker was not simply one brand with a handful of familiar expressions; the further Frans looked, the more variations he found. 

His first Johnnie Walker dram was a classic Black Label shared with his family at Christmas in the early 1990s. Several years later, while living in London, the bottle that would begin the collection in earnest came home with him from a business trip to New York: a bottle of Blue Label purchased for $130 in 1999. 

When collecting becomes a pursuit 

Frans began collecting seriously around 1999–2000, initially driven by passion and curiosity rather than any grand ambition to create an archive. 

As I hunted down rarer bottles to fill historical gaps, understanding market values became second nature. 

Over time, however, the nature of the collection changed. Contemporary releases gave way to older bottlings, historic blends and increasingly difficult-to-find examples. Then came the memorabilia. 

As my historical appreciation deepened, I realized that understanding Johnnie Walker required looking back to its foundational era... acquiring turn-of-the-century bottlings alongside period advertising and memorabilia brought the brand’s narrative to life.

It was also around this time that Frans began to realise just how much knowledge he had accumulated. 
 

The turning point from passionate hobbyist to serious archivist came when fellow collectors and industry peers began reaching out to me for bottle dating, valuation, and provenance authentication. 

I had developed a specialised, encyclopaedic knowledge of the brand. It made me see the collection as a cohesive historical record. 

The joy of the hunt 

For collectors, the object itself is only part of the story. Often, it is the search that becomes the most memorable part. 

Frans’ travels proved invaluable. Working between the UK and US and visiting countries around the world gave him access to export bottlings that would have been difficult to find from home. 

Some of the most elusive finds were the limited Blue Label City editions – such as Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Mumbai – which were strictly duty-free releases capped at, in some cases, a miniscule 100 bottles per market. Sourcing them required precise timing and sheer luck.

Equally enjoyable was visiting several of the Johnnie Walker Houses in Asia when these were opening. I was able to acquire their beautiful ceramic bottles, which I think are some of the most beautiful bottles Johnnie Walker has ever produced. 

The stories behind individual bottles became increasingly important. One of the most difficult pieces to acquire was the Johnnie Walker Jenson Button Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Signature Blend, of which just 25 were produced. 

The bottle was originally released through the Shanghai Johnnie Walker House and came housed in a custom carbon-fibre case incorporating an authentic wheel nut from the 2011 Hungarian Grand Prix. 

Frans tells us how he missed the original release, “And I couldn’t afford it!” he laughs. Rather than abandoning the search, he waited. Years later, he finally secured the bottle through a private sale in London. 

More than bottles 

As the collection grew, Frans became increasingly interested in what the objects could reveal about Johnnie Walker and the world around it. 
 

The early 20th-century bottles of Old Highland Whisky - White, Red, and Black Label - are the definitive cornerstones of the collection. 

Sourcing authentic, well-preserved examples from this foundational era required immense patience. Uniting all three was definitely one of the holy grails of the collection.

Johnnie Walker’s advertising, packaging and memorabilia became an essential part of understanding the brand’s development, helping to document more than a century of blending, design and marketing. 

For Frans, that is particularly important because of Johnnie Walker’s place in the wider history of Scotch whisky. 

As the world’s pre-eminent Scotch blend, it played a defining role in shaping the global whisky trade. 

That perspective also led him to appreciate just how much of Johnnie Walker’s story can be found in objects that might initially seem secondary to the whisky. 

He points to the Swing bottles as one example. Originally created with transatlantic cruise liners in mind during the 1930s, they demonstrate how the brand was thinking about international travel, luxury and new markets long before globalisation became part of everyday life. 

People with different passions other than whisky might see something interesting for themselves. For example, people interested in boating or cruises might well be fascinated by the history of the Swing bottles. 

A collection meant to be shared 

For all its archival significance, Frans’ collection was never intended to be something simply admired behind glass. 

My philosophy has always been that part of collecting something like this is tasting the whisky, not just viewing it on a shelf. 

Someone once gave him a simple collecting strategy: buy three bottles of every edition – one to drink, one to hold and one to sell. 

I managed to get two of many: one for the collection and one to enjoy. 

Sharing rare, historic drams with friends and walking them through the brand’s evolution has been one of the most rewarding parts of this journey. 

The collection itself became part of those experiences. It was housed at home throughout its life: first in a cellar in London, then in an office after Frans moved to California, and eventually in a dedicated space where the bottles and memorabilia could be properly displayed.

The space became something of an informal Johnnie Walker archive and tasting room, with Diageo representatives visiting to see the collection and whisky tastings taking place among the bottles. 

Having all the bottles and memorabilia around has enhanced the experience exponentially. 

A personal connection to Scotland 

Although the collection was built from California, its subject has always connected Frans back to Scotland. 

I have spent a great deal of time in Scotland and always enjoyed myself immensely, from Hogmanay celebrations to touring the Highlands and Edinburgh. 

My latest visit was in fact on a whisky trip, blending my own bespoke whisky with friends which was hugely memorable and allowed us to experience firsthand the craftsmanship behind Scotch whisky.

That sense of connection has become part of what it means to be a custodian of Johnnie Walker’s history. For more than 20 years, that has meant not only finding bottles, but researching them, preserving them and understanding where they fit into the wider story. 

The bottle that started it all 

Despite the scale and historical depth of the collection, Frans’ favourite Johnnie Walker expression remains one that has been with him almost from the beginning: Blue Label. 

When it debuted, it redefined luxury blended Scotch. 

I was introduced to it by a person who is now one of my greatest friends in a bar in New York. I had never really had whisky as a pre-dinner drink before but he encouraged me to try this as the “ultimate” neat cocktail. It made an immediate impression and I have never looked back since…

Over the years, collecting Blue Label also allowed Frans to watch the expression evolve. 

It was interesting to be able to track this particular blend in terms of design changes, not only from the very first expressions and renaming from Oldest to Blue, but then to see the incredible amount of limited edition bottles that would be produced to highlight some very memorable occasions and cities. 

Knowing when the journey is complete 

After more than two decades, Frans eventually reached a point where he felt he had achieved what he set out to do. 

Parting with a collection is never easy but I felt I had achieved my goals in terms of collecting Johnnie Walker bottles and memorabilia.

This collection showcases 100 years of Johnnie Walker from the Old Highland bottlings through contemporary limited editions and it was time to share it with a wider audience. On top of that eventually there was a premium on space at home! This will allow me to enjoy some of the whisky I’m not selling.

Whisky Auctioneer was the natural choice for the next stage of the collection, giving it the opportunity to reach collectors around the world. 

The idea is that anyone around the world could find a bottle they might be interested in in this auction and purchase it for sentimental, historical or geographical reasons. Perhaps indeed even Diageo will acquire some for their archives!

For Frans, the auction is not simply about selling the collection. It is about allowing the story to continue. 

I hope seeing it unified that collectors will appreciate the depth and breadth of the collection and the time that it took to assemble it. 

In general, I hope people gain a renewed appreciation for the art of blending and its central role in Scotch whisky history, especially in an era dominated by single malts. 

The end of one collection, not the end of whisky 

Frans considers the sale to be the definitive conclusion of his whisky-collecting journey. Not, however, his whisky appreciation. 

Having inherited the collector’s gene from my father, I will always appreciate the hunt.

For now, he is looking forward to enjoying good drams with friends and seeing what his children might choose to collect. 
 

His advice to anyone starting their own collecting journey is straightforward: 

Focus and specialize. Picking a single brand, era, or thematic focus allows you to build genuine expertise, curate a meaningful story, and manage your budget! 

After more than two decades, thousands of bottles and countless hours spent researching, travelling and searching, the achievement is not simply that he managed to assemble one of the most comprehensive Johnnie Walker collections ever offered at auction. It is the depth of knowledge, persistence and personal experience that went into building it.

Some were found through travel. Some took years to track down. Some were opened and shared with friends. Others helped fill a crucial gap in the history of the brand. Together, they became something greater than the sum of their parts: a record of Johnnie Walker seen through the eyes of one passionate collector. 

Now, as the collection leaves Frans’ home and enters the auction, that story will begin to be divided among collectors around the world. Perhaps that is the most fitting ending.