Scotch Review: Johnnie Walker Blenders' Batch Red Rye Finish

Yeah, I know it's been a while since my last post.  What can I say?  Part procrastination, and part I dunno.  Anyhow, I'm back and a big thank you to those readers who reached out to me via email since my last post in May asking if I was alright.  Don't worry, this kid is alright!  Ok, are you ready?  Let's go and check out Johnnie Walker Blenders' Batch Red Rye Finish!

Diageo, owners of the Johnnie Walker brand, are always rolling out brand extensions.  Some are a success, some are not (e.g. Explorers' Club).  Blenders' Batch is another attempt by this multinational, billion dollar plus, publicly traded company to inject some excitement and spontaneity in to their well established brand.  And, how they have done that is by taking blended Scotch spirit, aged exclusively in first-fill bourbon casks, and then 'finishing' (fancy word for transferring to another type of cask) the spirit in of all things ex-rye casks.  I must say I was intrigued.  Scotch whiskies are usually finished in port pipes, Sauternes, and even Barbaresco (a mysterious Italian red).  So, when I heard Diageo had come up with the idea of a finish in red rye casks, I was interested.  Intuitively, I thought rye casks could compliment blended Scotch spirit that had been raised in ex-bourbon casks.

Launch Date
2016

ABV
40%

Closure
Metal twist off cap

Format
750ml bottle

Age Statement
None

Production Notes
A blend of three grain whiskies along with malt whiskies from Cardhu and the now defunct Port Dundas.  As I mentioned above, the spirit was aged in first fill bourbon casks before being finished for up to six months in ex-rye casks.

Nose
Apples, cinnamon, a floral sweetness and some caramel.

Palate
Honey crisp apples, caramel crisp, apple crisp, a citric note of grapefruit and orange is present and of course some spiced rye appears.

Finish
Oak, vanilla, spiciness with herbs like mint and tarragon, a wee grainy with some slight smoke.

General Impressions
I was really surprised by this blend.  Frankly, quite impressed.  I particularly like the influence of the rye casks on the spirit.  The rye imparts spiced rhubarb and a dry note.  Really like this for the price.  I would imagine it would perform well in a cocktail too!

Worth a try!  I wouldn't hesitate to buy again when low on funds.

Here's my YouTube video review of this blend:  

Thanks for your patience and I will endeavour to post more regularly!

Best,

Jason Debly

Whisky Review: Johnnie Walker Green Label

Johnnie Walker Green Label

Category
Blended Malt.

Age Statement
15 years

ABV 
43%

Format
750 ml

Closure
Cork stopper.

Nose (undiluted)
Splendid!  Luxuriant!  Floral!  Bouquet of apple and cherrie blossoms.  Nice honey sweetness.

Palate (undiluted)
Honey, peanut brittle, marzipan and baklava with a swirl of peat, dark red sherry and a flourish of smoke. Delightful briny water and peat (Talisker and Caol Ila for sure!) flourishes against the honey background.

Finish (undiluted)
Long.  Lingering subtle waves of sweet peat that mingle with Swiss milk chocolate.  Nice accents of black pepper, Kosher salt and bergamot teas.

Green Label, a blend of four great single malts, is superior to a lot of 10 and 12 year old single malts out there on the market.  Do not fear the 'blended malt' moniker somehow being inferior to 'single malt.'  Cragganmore and Linkwood are honey and syrup like malts that pair with the peat, lemon zest and surf brine of Caol Ila and Talisker.  These are all great single malts on their own, and when combined together here, deliver a complex and delightful taste.

When they relaunched Green Label in 2016, the bottling I had was rather flat in taste.  Just a boring honey Speyside style.  Now, a year later, it appears the Master Blender and team have spiced things up with what I suspect is a lot more Talisker and Caol Ila in the mix.  Vast improvement.

Highly recommended!

Cheers!



Jason Debly

Finally! A Review of Johnnie Walker Green Label!

Finally, I have acquired a bottle of Johnnie Walker Green Label that has been temporarily re-launched in Canada and the United States.  Special thanks to Mike for asking his mother to pick me up a bottle while she was recently in Florida!

As you will recall, a couple of years ago Diageo decided to stop producing it for the Canadian and US markets.  However, it was still quietly sold in Korea and a couple other places around there because it had such a strong following.

So, why the re-introduction which may be temporary?  Here is my theory:  Maybe Diageo stopped selling it in Canada and the US because sales were weak.  It was priced around the entry level 12 year old single malts, and so consumers were opting for those products while operating under the mistaken assumption that a single malt is always of superior quality to a blended malt.  Or maybe Diageo thought with an expanding market in China, Russia, India and other countries that they could make more money simply selling the single malts individually that make up Green Label.  This  blended malt is composed of four single malts: Talisker, Cragganmore, Linkwood and Caol Ila.

So, why the change of heart?  Sales of single malt have been weak as of late.  Bourbon, Canadian and Irish whiskies are eroding market share once held by single malt Scotch.  Don't take my word for it.  Read about it here:

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/apr/01/scotch-whisky-exports-decline-sales

http://www.wsj.com/articles/scotch-whisky-gets-left-out-of-the-party-1427922058?mod=e2fb

So, if Cragganmore, Caol Ila and Talisker are not selling well in Ukraine, Russia and China, maybe its time to start blending them into Green Label to sell off the excess stocks of those wonderful malts?  I dunno why Green Label is really back, but in any event, here is my tasting note:

Price Point
This is priced around the same as many 12 year old single malts.

ABV
43%!  Nice to see that Diageo did not tinker with the ABV.  A higher than normal ABV allows the drinker to experiment with a little water in the dram.

Nose (undiluted)
Apple blossoms, citrus notes, oak, malty and milk chocolate notes.

Palate (undiluted)
Heavier body than I remember from a couple of years ago.  Really coats the palate.  Wild spiced honey up front with considerable sweetness.  Maybe a little too sweet for my liking.  Soon thereafter malty notes appear with faint sherry and a flourish of gentle peat.

Finish (undiluted)
Not what I would call a sherried dram by any means, but there is a faint sherry note on the finish and the taste of bright red raspberries.  Maybe some cherries too.  Part your lips and inhale and the smoke comes, mild cigar smoke.  Davidoff?  H. Upmann?  Dominican Republic?  You be the judge.

. . .

Years ago I enjoyed JWG with a little water.  Specifically, one teaspoon to a double pour (1.5 oz) made the dram flavors more complex, so I just had to try that again.

Nose (diluted)
Peat and sea air, damp Fall leaves, scent of gardening and getting caught in a light summer rainfall.

Palate (diluted)
The addition of a little water tones down the spiced honey and Graham cracker action, and in its place reveals some complexity. H2O definitely improves this whisky. It brings out to the forefront of the palate crystal clear spring water; takes the sweetness down a notch and in its place is some dray balsa wood with lime and blood orange flavors.  Key lime pie for sure.

Finish (diluted)
Part your lips and breathe and taste the smoke drying on your palate.  Oak, faint dry sherry and black pepper.

General Impressions
I have to be honest.  Johnnie Walker Green Label is not as good as I remember it.  It is a pleasant Scotch whisky priced on par with many 12 year old single malts.  Green Label is superior to some 12 year olds like Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, Aberlour, but not say Cragganmore or GlenDronach (both of which I prefer to GL).

Green Label is now sweeter than it used to be and still lacking some complexity that it used to have.  It is less peated and smokey on the finish.  Where there was once a zing of peat drying across the palate there is now some very nice, but less dry key lime pie.  I wonder if the Talisker and Caol Ila components are in a lesser proportion to the older JWG.  It tastes like that is the case.

I remember it being candle wax or Swiss cheese dry on the finish with a truly impressive complexity that made me think this could easily pass for a single malt in a blind tasting.

Not anymore.  It is a a little too sweet and needs the water to lessen that trait.  But, even with the water, it is not as complex as it once was.  I am sure of this.  I clearly remember what it tasted like before and my blog posts about how great it was were not hyperbole.  It truly was incredible.  The bottle I find in front of me is good, but not incredible.  It is fair value and in terms of flavor is good as a few 12 year old single malts like Auchentoshan, Glenfiddich and others.  But it no longer rivals 18 year old single malts as it once did.  I am a little disappointed.  If you are looking for a similar honeyed profile in a blended malt (no grain whisky) I highly recommend tracking down a bottle of 12 year old Poit Dhubh.  Really fantastic right now and tastes a lot like JWG used to.

The flavors now are dangerously akin to syrup you put on your morning waffles.  Too sweet my friend.

There will always be some variability from batch to batch that is bottled, but the JWG of a few years ago was a show stopper.  Glenfiddich 15 years Solera, Cragganmore 12 and others that it once stood shoulder to shoulder with are now taller.

Cheers!



Jason Debly

P.S.  JWG is still a decent Scotch whisky that will serve as a fine gateway 'drug' to the Scotch whisky hobby.  Newbies will enjoy this very much.  The price is barely reasonable if you can buy it for $50.  It just lacks the over-the-top 'wow' factor.  The old JWG was drier on the finish, crisper leaving your palate feeling like a brilliantly weaved Persian rug.  You marveled at the complexity.  Now, JWG is much sweeter initially and through mid-palate.  The finish does dry somewhat, if water has been added, but not enough and noticeably less peat action.  It leaves your palate feeling like someone just laid some nice, pleasant, comfy, cushioned bedroom carpet.  Your toes feel good on it, but you don't feel special like when you walk over the Persian down in front of the fireplace.

An Impressive Johnnie Walker Advertisement: "The Next Step"

(please press play and then double click on video for full screen, and then double click once over in order to return to this post)

This advertisement resonates with me.

The voice-over is much like my own inner voice.  The video montage of one guy's life is startlingly like mine.

Life for many of us starts after getting out of college with that first big city job, working in a slate gray, fabric lined cubicle, stirring your Lipton Cup-a-Soup or instant noodles at lunch time.  From those humble beginnings, you might build a career, have a chance meeting on a busy city street with your future wife, get fired or downsized, get married, get promoted with the accompanying tintinnabulation of crystal whisky tumblers.   The closing scene where our main character, who is a reflection of us, leaves the corporate job and heads down the tarmac to an awaiting plane to pursue his true passion, may have not yet happened for us, but it is at the center of our souls.  The video closes with the narrator's words:

"Your entire life, all of it, leads to the next step: the chance to define yourself by where you are headed, instead of where you stand."

What a universal sentiment that pretty much sums up I and a lot of other working guys.  Are we satisfied with where we are?  Do we want to be defined by maybe the less than meaningful job, the morally challenged pinheads we sometimes encounter, the supervisor who has made a career out of being a tyrant of minutiae, and is totally incapable of seeing the big picture?  Hell no!  This ad is a message of hope for the dispossessed cubicle dwellers, who are capable of so much more.

. . .

Effective advertising should start by capturing your attention, and then establishing an emotional rapport.  In this ad, it is done by telling an all-to-familiar story of venturing into manhood (accompanied all the way by Johnnie Walker of course).   This promotional video avoids the mistakes of so many others by not trying to be all things to all people.  Instead, it targets a niche market (middle aged North American guys) and makes an irresistible pitch that appeals to this particular consumer on a sentimental level.

Well done Diageo!  This is more proof that Diageo are the undisputed geniuses of whisky marketing.  I know I am being pitched to, and I am helplessly charmed by it.

Cheers!


Jason Debly

Copyright © Jason Debly, 2009-2014. All rights reserved. Any and all use is prohibited without permission except for You Tube video posted publicly on  by JohnnieWalkerUS, controlled by Diageo.  I do not own any rights to the Johnnie Walker advertisement which is posted purely for the purposes of discussion, nostalgia and entertainment.

Chivas Regal 12 years old - Review

My first encounter with Chivas Regal 12 year old blended scotch whisky was in law school.

One time following a Christmas time exam that finished at noon, I and a couple of classmates piled into a taxi and dropped by a local bar on the ground floor of a hotel, Sheraton, at that time. The dimly lit bar would be mostly empty except for the odd business types eating club sandwhiches and maybe cougars travelling in packs of two, who were feasting on salads. Myself, a mature student, who left a career as an insurance adjuster to return to school, Gordon, a failed businessman who thought law would lead to days of wine and roses, John, a top student suffering soul searching angst about whether he should go to med school instead (wish I had that problem) and Brian, not really a friend, but like a bad penny, we just couldn’t shake, would tumble into the bar and attract stares of consternation from the aforementioned patrons and bar staff. Brian, I might add, was cruelly nicknamed Barney after the character on the “Simpsons” because he was disheveled, smelled bad and looked like a drunk who just woke up on a park bench or under a bridge.

In any case, we would drop into red leather wingback chairs, dark burnished wood panel walls behind us and stare out the massive windows at the winter river that was mostly frozen. To warm ourselves up, and defrost our minds from the frantic study leading up to the exam, we would order Rusty Nails. This drink was composed of 60/40 mix of Drambuie and Chivas Regal 12 years old plus a couple of ice cubes. What a nice drink! The Drambuie and Chivas melded into an incredible drink.

In those days, I did not enjoy scotch neat, matter of fact, I had no appreciation of scotch whatsoever. Two weeks ago, I found myself in the liquor store scanning a wall of scotch, thinking what will I review next? Chivas Regal 12 years old appeared and I remembered I liked it as an active ingredient in a Rusty Nail, but would it work on its own?

Nose (undiluted)
Citrus, apples, maybe damp leaves.

Palate (undiluted)
Smooth, sweet honey, applesauce and hazelnut. Mid-palate: creamy vanilla, ocean spray of sea salt and heather.

Finish (undiluted)
A little Oloroso sherry? I think so. Some peat/smoke, heather and sea salt linger nicely and dry across the palate in an expansive manner.

General Impressions
The taste starts out sweet but finishes dry. I am impressed!

Frankly, I had very low expectations. Anything so widely available can’t be that good I thought to myself. I was wrong. This blended scotch exhibits no bite, bitterness or rough edges. It is designed to be smooth and totally inoffensive. It succeeds in this aim.

I am also pleased by the lack of a certain graininess that is very common in many blended scotch whisky. By graininess, I mean an unadulterated alcohol/bitter flavor that I associated with cheap blends.

It is a 12 year old blended scotch whisky, and compared to other 12 year old blended scotches, it does very well. Matter of fact, it can hold its own against the gold standard of 12 year olds, Johnnie Walker Black Label. Chivas Regal 12 years is priced competitively too so you are getting good value for money. Unfortunately, when you upgrade to the 18 year old bottling of Chivas, you could buy many superior single malt blends for less.

The limitations to this scotch are if you compare it to single malt scotch whisky. Of course it will come up a bit short in such a comparison, but you are not making a fair comparison. General Motors manufactures Chevrolet and Cadillac, but comparisons are not helpful as you are not comparing apples to apples.

Nevertheless, I do prefer this to some single malts. Depending on my mood, I could enjoy this blend just as much as Glenfiddich 12yrs or Glenlivet 12 yrs. But, there are certainly single malts that are superior like Cragganmore, Dalwhinnie and others!

Chivas Regal 12 years old serves up a rich, smooth blended scotch that most certainly is dominated by Speyside single malts. At the core of this blend is Strathisla single malt. You probably never heard of Strathisla and that is due to the fact that the Chivas and Glenlivet Group (the corporate owners of Chivas Regal) do not promote the brand. The principal purpose of owning Strathisla is to cement a steady supply of the main single malt ingredient making up the Chivas Regal blends.

I am so impressed with Chivas Regal 12 years old that I will have to reconsider my review of the 18 year old bottling.  I truly think I prefer the 12 to the 18.  Here is my review of Chivas Regal 18 (click here). Too much money for a mediocre blended scotch whisky is what the 18 is.



Jason

Copyright © Jason Debly, 2009-2017. All rights reserved.

Johnnie Walker Ad, Beirut, Lebanon

I love this ad!

This photo was taken in Beirut, Lebanon a couple of years ago. Lebanon, as you probably know, is a country that has seen a lot war. The destruction of lives and buildings is inescapable anywhere you look in Lebanon. Nevertheless, the people are optimists and a local design company that did work for Diaego (the company that owns the Johnnie Walker brand) came up with this great ad. It tells the Lebanese, despite the fighting, wars, destruction, "Keep Walking."

This is pure genius advertising when you can convey a powerful message that is inextricably bound up with your product. No wonder Johnnie Walker is enormously popular in Lebanon. They should run this ad in Israel and any country touched by war or terrorism.

Cheers!


Jason Debly
© Jason Debly, 2009-2011. All rights reserved.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label

Johnnie Walker Blue Label is the most expensive and presumably finest of the Johnnie Walker blended scotch product line offered by the multinational company Diageo plc.

The price is high. For the same price, you could choose from a wide variety of 18 year old single malts at half the price. Moreover, at the price of a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue, you could have a 25 year old single malt like Highland Park. All of this leads up to the question of: "Is it worth it?" Not an easy question to answer. I will return to it at the end of this post.

Marketing/Packaging

The marketing folks at Diageo plc are geniuses. The packaging of Blue Label is impressive and no expense is spared. The blue/green glass bottle rests in a satin lined box complete with a booklet about the scotch. The booklet advises that this scotch was blended with the aim of recreating the flavor profile typical of the 19th century blends old Mr. Johnnie Walker would have created. The bottom line is the presentation is impressive.

No Age Stated

The marketing genius of Diageo is exemplified by their ability to command such a high price for a blended scotch that makes no age statement. The website (johnniewalker.com) and the packaging advises that the rarest of the whiskies owned by Diageo go into this blend. So rare and old that some whiskies used in the blend come from distilleries that are no longer in existence. The implication is clear that some of the whiskies in this blend are more than 18 years old. I have not read on the Walker website, but elsewhere I have read that the ingredient whiskies include malt whiskies that are upwards of 40 yrs old. Certainly a claim that I would like to verify at some point. In any case, for blended scotch whisky to have no age statement means the distiller is free from the constraints of only working with whiskies of a particular age. Aged whiskies are better than young ones but only up to a point, in my opinion.

Serving Suggestion

This scotch is so smooth that there is no need to add ice or water to soften any rough edges. There are no rough edges. Even if you always drink your whisky with ice or water, I encourage you to at least try this neat. Pour a double into a whisky glass or crystal tumbler and take a small sip. A tiny sip. Once swallowed and the taste no longer lingers, have a sip of water to clean your palate.

Nose

Pull the cork stopper on this bottle, have a pour and nose your glass. You will enjoy scents of perfume, peat, smoke and fresh bread. Very nice. I compare this to the Gold Label and to my surprise, the Gold Label is considerably nicer on the nose. Mind you, in my opinion, the Gold Label has the finest nose of any scotch I have ever tried.

Setting

Your taste experience can be affected by what you ate at your last meal and how long ago that meal took place. My recommendation is that you try this scotch three or four hours after dinner, in a quiet place with a fireplace, a nice window to look out and consider the flavors offered up by this dram. I would not recommend eating anything with this fine scotch as the flavors of the food may conflict or dull the palate from the full flavor range offered by this wonderful dram. All you need is a quiet place, some privacy, a tall glass of cold water and a tumbler or whisky glass of this whisky.

Palate (undiluted)

I take a little sip and am surprised by how weighty this scotch is in the mouth. A medium to full body that rolls on the tongue while it is being savored. The initial flavor is very soft peat. I am surprised how much peat the flavor profile delivers. Smooth, rich, corona cigar smoke, a spice box with ginger follows against a malty background.

Finish (undiluted)

The sign of a great scotch is how long it lingers upon the palate once it is gone. Blue Label does not disappoint. Flavors of smoke, very restrained peat, malt, fresh chopped mint leaves, and faint peppercorns linger. Maybe a little echo of English Stilton cheese at the very end. The length of flavor is moderate.

What happens if we add a splash of water?
Add water and you will enjoy more complexity of flavors. Having sampled this both undiluted and with a little water, my preference will depend on my mood. The water (a little! like a teaspoon at the most to a shot) livens the flavors. You will taste more peat, carmelized onion and pepper. On the downside, the water takes away some sophistication. I know the last sentence borders on the meaningless, but that's the best I can do.

General Impressions

It's a decent scotch whisky that will not offend. 'Smooth' and 'rich,'  are words that come to mind when I think about it. No flavors are too strong, bitter or burn, even when consumed neat. I enjoyed this spirit, but have to say that I am not obsessed with it or its biggest fan. A word of caution here. I prefer scotch that is more honey, caramel, chocolate, nutty in flavor. In a word, I am a fan of the stereotypical Speyside scotches (Cragganmore, Glenfiddich, etc.). I am by nature, not an Ardbeg fanatic. For those of you who do not know Ardbeg, it's a peat bomb. Johnnie Walker Blue has an Islay component that dominates the Speyside whiskies that are also a present, but the domination is done in the most elegant way possible.

Is It Worth the Price?
In order to answer this question you have to first determine what it is being compared to? Ultra premium blended scotch whisky or single malt?

Compared to other very high end blended scotch whisky, 'no,' it is not worth the price. The peer group for ultra-premium blends includes: Royal Salute, Ballantines 17 yr old and Chivas Regal 18yrs and 25 yrs. Johnnie Walker Blue is a weak player in this group, probably the weakest.  Chivas 18yrs and Royal Salute are both priced lower but offer up superior, more fragrant flavors than the Blue Label. At this level of likes and dislikes it's fairly subjective. If you like peat and smoke to dominate the flavor profile, Blue Label might be your choice, as it is stronger than the others. However, if you like the classic Speyside flavors of honey, cinammon and caramel, you should opt for Chivas 18, 25 and Royal Salute.

If you compare Blue Label to single malt scotch, it is definitely not worth the money.  There are several single malts which present greater complexity of flavors at half the price! Which ones? Lagavulin 16 yrs, Glenlivet 18 yrs (add a little water), Cragganmore 12 yrs (add a little water), Dalwhinnie and Highland Park 15 or 18 yrs (great neat or with the addition of a splash of water) to name just a few. All of the aforementioned single malts are at a minimum 50% cheaper and offer a more intricate and pleasing flavor profile. If you visit the Johnnie Walker website, Blue Label is promoted on the basis of the "layers and layers of flavor . . ." (at the time of writing this post this was in the website. However, Diaego is constantly updating the site and so this comment about 'layers' may disappear in the future.) And this is where it fails when compared to the previously mentioned single malts. The single malts weave a tapestry of flavor that Blue Label cannot hold a candle to.

But if it fails the value for money test when compared to ultra-premium blended scotch whisky and single malts (which is kind of like comparing apples to oranges) then why does it enjoy such great success in terms of sales? Marketing.  Masterful marketing.  I think for many people, purchasing Johnnie Walker Blue Label is about making a statement:

"I am rich!"

"I spent a lot of money on your gift."

"I have a fat wallet and a very limited knowledge of scotch."

I have no understanding of the phrase 'value for money.'"

Conclusion
Price and value for money considerations aside, if you are looking for a smooth, inoffensive ultra-premium scotch, Johnnie Walker Blue Label will not disappoint, but it will not impress much either.


Cheers!

PS:  An updated review on Johnnie Blue is available by clicking here.

© Jason Debly, 2009-2011. All rights reserved.

Review: Johnnie Walker Gold Label - An 18 yr old Premium Scotch Blend

Note:  The Johnnie Walker Gold Label 18 year age statement has been discontinued by Diageo (owner of the Johnnie Walker brand).  The 18 year age statement has been dropped and now the label of its replacement reads "Gold Label Reserve."  The following review pertains to the 18 year age statement bottling that has been discontinued.  If you find this discontinued bottling, buy it, as the replacement falls far short.  My Gold Label Reserve review can be accessed by clicking here.

Product Line Overview

The Johnnie Walker product line is easy to understand. Certain labels denote the level of quality of the relevant blended whisky. Red Label is the entry level offering, drunk by itself is a pleasant endeavour, and so, very suitable for adding soda or making mixed drinks. At the opposite end of the spectrum is the Blue Label, a blend of scotch whiskies up to 40 yrs of age, sourcing single malts of distilleries that are no longer in operation. In between these two extremes are: Black, Green and Gold labels. As you can see, the Gold Label falls just before the zenith of scotch blends, Johnnie Walker Blue Label. So, the question that arises: Is Gold Label that good? And the answer is . . . yes, it is. Very good indeed.

It was introduced into the market place in 1995. Little advertising on TV and in magazines in the US. Advertising is considerable in the Far East where Johnnie Walker enjoys a huge following. China, Japan, Singapore, Thailand are filled with ads of this scotch.

In North America, the price of Gold Label, I think causes consumers to opt for single malt over it. In any case, despite the lack of profile and advertising in North America, it is well worth discovering.

Gold Label Composition

The Gold Label is made up of a combination of grain and single malt whiskies having a minimum age of 18yrs in casks, prior to actual bottling. Remember scotch, unlike wine, does not improve with age once bottled. At the core of this blend are a number of single malts that are purported to be quite scarce. Specifically, Clynelish which is distilled from spring water that supposedly runs through veins of gold. I am frankly a little sceptical, and do not think that water passing by or through veins of gold will actually impart a distinctive flavor. Anyway, the bottom line is tha this blend is made up of high quality and obscure single malts. Diageo (the company that owns Johnnie Walker) is very guarded as to the contents of this blend. In my humble opinon, there are two reasons: first, they want to minimize competition; and secondly, there may be more grain whisky than people would expect, that if divulged might negatively impact sales.

Nose

I could nose this scotch for hours. There is so much there and you just know they spent a bloody fortune trying to get the scents just right. I am a guy who is not particularly concerned with interior decor or the color of my socks in relation to my suit, but this scotch, I am fascinated by the scents it gives. Its like sniffing a rose, and coming back over and over. Even my wife sniffed it and was shocked it was scotch. There is a lot going on, specifically, the scent of fresh bread, roses, and other flowers that frankly smell nice, but don't have a clue to identify. If this is a gift, your recipient will be impressed upon nosing this blend.

Suggested Serving

This is not to be drank with anything more than a drop or two of distilled water or a single ice cube. If you consult the Johnnie Walker US website, you will be advised to try the Gold Label by freezing a shot in a glass in your freezer for 24 hours. Dont worry, due to the alcohol content, it doesnt freeze, but it does thicken. A sip of this scotch that has been subjected to your freezer for 24 hrs results is a scotch that upon sipping, in a chilled tumbler, provides a concentrated dram of honey and heather. I tried freezing a shot in a tumbler and then sipping and must say I was impressed. I chased a sip with some milk chocolate and was in awe. It transforms from a scotch to a dessert liqueur almost.

Palate
This is a gentle, soft introduction to a sophisticated honeyed dram. The honey is presented libereally on the palate, but mixed in with notes of heather, rich cream, spicy cinnamon, zing of candy cane, faint reverberations of peat and whisps of smoke. A wrapping of flavors that can be truly called complex. There is no burn or roughness here. You know upon your first sip that you are experiencing a high quality blend of spice, honey, smoke and peat in a flavor wrapping like no other.

Finish
If you tried it after being in the freezer for 24hrs, the flavors will linger much longer than if served neat at room temperature. Frozen, you will swallow, and minutes later you will still be able to taste the honey, heather, peat and smoke in that unique envelope of single malts and blends. The warming affect of your mouth upon the chilled scotch is truly very pleasing and unique.

Served neat, the flavor remains upon being swallowed, but does not linger as long as when served frozen and in a chilled tumbler. I realize that it is outrageous to serve scotch after having been in a freezer for 24 hours but it does work in this case.

General Impressions

Johnnie Walker Gold Label is to be served on special occasions for people who will appreciate a complex, honeyed, refined and very smooth dram. If you graduate from university and your parents choosing to serve this, they are on the mark. If you are in the bar at 2 am and contemplating taking a leak in the dumpster outside with your college buddies, you have missed the mark by a wide margin.'Smooth' and 'honey' in a complex wrapping of flavor is what I think of when considering this scotch. The only negative comment I have is with respect to the tail end of the tasting or finish. I pick up some heather or mint that is a little off. It annoys me a bit, but I am being very fussy and only a couple of my connosieur friends agree with me on this point.

Cheers!

Jason Debly

P.S. A frequent question I get is what is the difference between Gold Label Reserve that is replacing Gold Label 18 year age statement bottling?

Here is an explanation from Diageo's Nick Morgan:

"The existing Johnnie Walker Gold Label 18-year-old and Johnnie Walker Green Label will begin to be phased out in the U.S. market during the summer of next year (the phase-outs will begin this summer in most other global markets). In their place, Diageo will introduce two new labels that have tested successfully in Asia—Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve (selling for around $63 a 750-ml.) and Johnnie Walker Platinum 18-year-old (around $110).

Diageo’s head of whisky outreach Nick Morgan told Shanken News Daily the revamp was meant to spread out the Johnnie Walker portfolio’s pricing in order to better motivate consumers to move up the brand ladder. “As we reviewed the brand offering, we found that the range wasn’t meeting consumer needs and providing the best consumer journey through the range as far as taste profiles and price points,” Morgan said. “Another reason for this change is to try and have, as far as is possible, a consistent range of prices and options for consumers wherever they go in the world—which, to be honest, we haven’t had heretofore.”

The new Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve is based on the same Clynelish single malt as Gold Label 18-year-old, but it has a less peaty profile and will sell for around $20 less. Removing the age statement from the Gold offering also enables Diageo greater flexibility in crafting the blend. Platinum 18-year-old, meanwhile, has a more intense, peaty Speyside character. The two new variants will sit between Black Label (around $40) and Blue Label (around $210) in the portfolio. “You can see how the ladder then stretches out,” Morgan said."

© Jason Debly, 2009 - 2012. All rights reserved.

Johnnie Walker Black Label - 12 yr old Blended Scotch Whisky

Johnnie Walker is, without a doubt, the most famous spirits brand in the world.  When people think "scotch" they invariably say "Johnnie Walker."  This is understandable in light of the fact that Johnnie Walker Red Label is the most widely available blended scotch whisky in the world.  It is virtually available in every country with the exception of North Korea and Saudi Arabia.  Well, actually it is reported the Saudi royal family are quite fond of it, but more about that later.

Now the question emerges . . . if it is so readily available, how good is it? Recently, critics had been whining about Johnnie Walker products as being not great or boring. You have to take such comments in perspective. This whining is similar to the complaints in the wine world with respect to Robert Mondavi wines. 

For the past 5-10yrs the wine critics have been beating up on Mondavi wines, but guess what? Mondavi also has monster market share and still produces a great value for money. I think there is a little bit of envy or resentment that a good product is readily available everywhere, and I think critics delight in finding some obscure winery operating in the foothills of Chile with an output of a 1,000 cases and declaring to the world that it is the best in its class. In such an environment it has been "fashionable" for critics to knock Mondavi wines and similarly scotch critics to bash the Johnnie Walker product line.  

The Johnnie Walker brand is produced by Diageo, a multinational company that produces a number of blended scotch whiskies (and at the same time owns a great stable of single malt distilleries).  Anyhow, blenders have closely guarded recipes and naturally the more expensive the single malts and grain whisky used, the higher the price. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that Johnnie Walker Red Label, a blend with no age specified with respect to the component scotches used is the least expensive and the least interesting, but still easy going on the palate. The next step up is the Black Label. It is a big step up from the Red Label. This is due in part to a different recipe blend and the component whiskies. 40 different malt and grain whiskies of at least 12 yrs are used. The core of this spirit is the single malt: Talisker.

Black Label has been around a long time. It was first marketed by the son of Johnnie Walker. The son, Alexander Walker started selling it around 1865 under the label "Walkers Old Highland" until 1906 when it changed to "Extra Special Old Highland". That branding remained until 1909 when the "Black Label" title was introduced and has remained ever since.

Suggested Serving
This is a blended scotch that can be drank neat. It is not "rough" or "burning" like some poor quality scotch. 

Tasted neat, it will present the full flavors detailed below. However, if this is your first venture into the scotch world, try a single large ice cube and pour just enough such that 50% of the cube is covered. Let it sit a couple minutes and the melting ice will smooth any remaining edges or gentle bite that you do not enjoy or are unaccustomed to. Lately, I prefer a shot with a teaspoon of water. Just perfectly takes away a slight graininess that is evident when consumed neat. The addition of water makes it more complex! Try it.

Nose

If you have added an ice cube to this blended scotch, it will dull the aromas that it would normally offer up had it been poured neat. If ice has been added, it is hard to pick up any scent other than some faint peat notes. Poured neat is another story. Neat: A beautiful nose of vanilla, followed by gentle peat, sea salt air (as if I was standing at a cliff, facing the coast of the Atlantic ocean with its salty waters crashing upon the rocks below), and then finally floral in nature with a hint of fresh orange rinds.

Palate

The taste experience commences with smooth, sweet cinnamon, caramel, toasted almonds, brown sugar, malt (think Cheerios breakfast cereal), some spiciness, but not to the point of pepper, which evaporates quickly into clouds of subtle peat and smoke.

Finish

Very restrained peat with a flourish of smoke and grains of sea salt round out this scotch tasting experience. The flavor does not linger long though if you have added ice. Where no ice is added, you will enjoy some lingering sea salt, restrained black licorice, peat and smoke enveloping the palate in a silky, luxuriant finish. No burn and only the slightest of heat (in a good way) upon swallowing, as this is very, very smooth!

General Impressions

Johnnie Walker Black provides a very enjoyable scotch drinking experience. The flavor profile is sweet, but balanced by the peat and smoke, such that the sweetness does not dominate, as it does in other blends (ie. Ballantines Finest). Therefore, it is fair to say that this scotch is perfectly balanced. Nothing is out of place. 

It has been said by commentators and repeated on the Johnnie Walker web site that the Black Label is a standard that all other blends are measured against. And this is true to some degree in an informal sense. At least this is the view of serious scotch drinkers. The chief reason why is because it is (as I mentioned previously) virtually available everywhere and very good. So, when drinking other blends it is natural to consider whether or not they measure up to Black Label. Moreover, consider the comments of the scotch authority, Jim Murray:

"Each day I have some 6,000 whiskies to choose from for a social dram if I want one. And at least once a week I will sample a Black Label. While the single malt revolution continues unabated, it is a shame that whisky lovers do not use this as a yardstick. They will find that very few malts can match this for complexity. This is the Savoy, the Everest of Deluxe Whiskies: there is not a blender who would not give their right arm - or even their left one - for the recipe of this supreme whisky. The trouble is, even if they had it, they would then struggle to find the stock. It represents the best value for money of any whisky in the world."

Well worth the money. A deluxe blend that should be a part of any persons scotch collection. Smooth enough to be enjoyed by the novice, yet sophisticated enough not to offend the connoisseur! Indeed there are a few 12 yr old single malts that are not as good. While the price point is a little higher than most 12 year old blends, it is worth it. I am also impressed by the quality control. The consistency of flavor from batch to batch is probably the best in the industry. I highly recommend this as a suitable gift for the person you know enjoys whisky but unsure which one. Finally, the author, William Manchester, in his biography of Winston Churchill reports that this was the old man's favorite, but the ringing endorsement I always get a kick out of was from Christopher Hitchens:

"The best blended Scotch in the history of the world - which was also the favourite drink of the Iraqi Baath Party, as it still is of the Palestinian Authority and the Libyan dictatorship and large branches of the Saudi Arabian royal family - is Johnnie Walker Black. Breakfast of champions, accept no substitute." 

Cheers!

Jason Debly

© Jason Debly, 2009-2014. All rights reserved except for photograph of Johnnie Walker Black Label appearing at the top of this post.  The photograph was taken by James Calvey and it is used here with his permission.  No reproduction of his photograph is permitted without his consent.  Mr. Calvey is the holder of all copyright to said photo.  Check out more of his great work at his Flickr account.