Tastes

Nose: Very smoky. Behind the smoke you can find fruit, toffee and vanilla, but the smoke tends to mask rather than support the other aromas. It is a more phenolic and tarry smoke than that found in other Johnnie Walker blends - initially I could have sworn it had some Laphroaig in the recipe. Palate: Just as smoky as the nose, but also quite sweet with fruity and cereal flavours supporting the peaty centre. Some cider apple notes and a light almost sweet citrus touch. Finish: Medium/short. The smoky and fruity notes gradually fade, and there is less of the sour note in the aftertaste than I usually sense with Johnnie Walker blends. This is to Green Label what Double Black is to Black Label - a re-balance of a winning formulation to bring a fashionable smokiness front and centre on the stage. This blend is, however, more overt about that goal and it is the smokiest whisky produced under the Johnnie Walker brand. It has a lighter profile than Green Label, which is more rounded and heftier in comparison, and it also lacks the finesse and balance of Green Label. That blend has a briny note that adds greatly to its charm but it is missing here, which can lead to Island Green seeming a little too sweet. That said it is a fine, high quality whisky and I can’t help but wonder if it would be more generally accepted if it had been branded something like “Johnnie Walker Bronze Label” instead of “Island Green”. On the whole I think it’s pretty much the equal quality-wise of the Gold Label but with a totally different character, of course. This is a Travel Retail Exclusive bottling, so the price I've quoted is the price at Sydney airport Duty Free. It can be found in some local retail shops, in which case the price varies from $120-160. “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)

Nose: Subtle, rich and sophisticated with sherry, vanilla, fruitiness, and smoke in a complex intertwined package. Palate: The arrival follows seamlessly on from the nose, showcasing all the same features, and is very soft and gentle with a velvety oily texture. The development does not bring out individual flavours as much as create a sense of layered, cohesive complexity and immense smoothness. Finale: Medium. Smooth and silky right to the finish with a very nicely textured grain whisky component that falls into the slightest hint of sourness at the very end. The outstanding impression I have is of silky smoothness. I can understand why this whisky divides opinions because it is extremely good at what it does, but smoothness is not at the top of the list of desirable traits for many whisky drinkers. It does have character, but big aromas and flavours are not the focus here. Blue Label is designed to be soft, gentle, polite and suave and a strong profile is dispensed with as conflicting with that goal. That can make it seem too restrained and lacking presence for some, however others would value the focus on silky-velvet accessibility. It is also popularly acknowledged, and marketed, as a prestige gift, particularly for the person who might not be a fan of whisky but is aware of its value. The focus on smoothness is an asset here as it makes the whisky more acceptable to a wide non-specialist audience than a smoky Islay whisky or a meaty Speysider. It's also this identity as primarily a commodity that is off-putting to many whisky drinkers. So - would I buy it? No, but only because it is so expensive that it is competing against some very fine single malts that I would buy in preference. I've given it 4 stars because it is unquestionably a superior blend, and if I had the disposable income to not notice the cost I'd possibly keep this on hand as my blend of choice. It really is very good. “Very Good” : 87/100 (4.25 stars)

Whisky 9 of the current batch of 12 affordable blends I'm rating. Nose: Some cereal, oak, and slight sherry notes but it's not impressive. An odd rubbery character. Palate: A hot alcohol arrival full of oak tannins, like overbrewed tea. No development to speak of at all. Finish: Sour, and unfortunately not short, with a lingering burn. Ah, Grant's Family Reserve - the blend I love to hate. I wish they really would reserve this stuff for the family and not release it to unsuspecting consumers. This was more than just not great - it was rough and actively unpleasant neat, and it's one of the worst widely known bottom-shelf blends. Drown it in a sweet mixer and it's almost acceptable but you still get that bitter and sour taste on the palate. My only recommendation for this is to avoid it. It is not the worst blended scotch you can buy but there are much better blends available, so why bother with it? "Poor" : 62/100 (1 star)

Whisky 10 of the batch of 12 affordable blends I'm currently rating. Nose: Malt and cereal aromas, an orchard fruit note and some light floral vanilla tones with a fleeting whiff of honey. You can smell the grain whisky but it's not metallic or raw. It's simple but clean and well balanced and a little reminiscent of Irish whiskey. Palate: The arrival is fast and leads straight into an equally fast development with mild spice, malty sweetness and a hint of fruit and cereal. The texture is on the thin side, and you can tell this is being blended down to a price point, but to give it its due it's not unpalatable and is free of overt sourness or bitterness. Finish: Medium/short. It dies away without much fuss, but there is the slightest hint of metallic saccharine sweetness in the tail. There's not much more I can say about this. Based on other comments and its reputation in general I was expecting a softer and more rounded dram. The palate is the let-down and at this price point there are better blends. It works better as a mixer with sweet soft drinks than neat. "Adequate" : 74/100 (2.25 stars)

Whisky number 8 of the recent batch of 12 affordable blends I’m rating. Nose: Mild sherry backed up by reasonable oak, very noticeable grain component, a little malt, slight citrus and vanilla. Basically it has the aromas that a workhorse grain whisky can pull out of refill casks. It has a reasonably enveloping nose that reminds me a bit of JW Red Label, but it is warmer and softer. Palate: A little bit of a let-down after the promising nose. Light cereal, malt, nuttiness, vanilla and some "fruit" of undetermined origin, but it's a little thin. Finish: Medium with a tendency to turn sour/bitter/metallic as it fades. Not a notable blended scotch until you add a dash of water and it suddenly blooms. The nose is reduced in intensity while the overall character stays the same, but the palate is much improved. Light honey sweetness is unlocked and the finish is also better, with the metallic/sourness morphing into a firm (but tired) oak influence. It also works well with cola or soda but not quite as well with dry ginger. Not what I'd call a great dram, but treated the right way it's OK. "Adequate" : 74/100 (2.25 stars)

Whisky number 7 in my current batch of 12 blends. Nose: Sherry, predominantly. Some hints of a light fruitiness and a distant briny note. Palate: Rather flat and vacant on the whole. Some cereal notes - I'd say malt if I was being generous. Again a hint of brine and some restrained fruit. Finish: Short, with a slight touch of tannic bitterness. Relatively uninteresting and of best use as a mixer. Dilution brings out a light apple note and some further sweetness on the palate, but it's restrained. There's not anything actively unpleasant about it - there's just not a lot at all and it is not quite as good as Bell's Original or Cutty Sark. The equal most generic whisky of the affordable blends so far, along with J&B Rare, but not afflicted with the sour notes that haunt Famous Grouse and Grant's Family Reserve. "Adequate" : 70/100 (2 stars)

Whisky number 6 from the batch of 12 blends I'm currently rating - and this one is quite something. Nose: Big rich sherry, malt and oak - an enveloping blanket of aromas worthy of a sherry-rich Speyside single malt. Vanilla and toffee, deep floral notes (violets, damask rose) but they are subtle and add depth without making it a sweetly floral nose. Palate: After the weight and power of the nose, the palate was a surprise - just as impressive, but juicy, chewy and almost crisp with a bright, clean arrival. I was expecting thick and sweet, but not a bit of it. The grain component is magnificently used here, keeping everything lean and poised. This is how to make a blend! There is a solid alcohol heft (50% ABV) but it's not a crude punch or hot attack. Very nice sherry and oak flavours, dark fruits, orchard fruits, dark cherries, treacle, plum pudding. Finish: Medium/long. It fades out slowly on a slightly spicy, but very juicy, sherry and dark chocolate note that leaves the mouth watering. I tasted this neat to start with, then added about 5ml of water to what was about 20 ml left in the glass. This did not change the profile much but toned things down a bit and allowed some more subtle levels of the previously mentioned aromas and flavours to emerge. It did bring out some dark marmalade in the development and let the grain whisky come more to the front. This is a rich, round, full, top-shelf scotch blend that could pass for a malt blend. Very nice indeed, and an order of magnitude better than any of the other blends I've been rating recently. To be fair it is 2-3 times the price of the others but at AUD$90 it is good value and equal to, or better than, any other blend at that price point (and a fair few malt blends and single malts as well). A lovely dram. "Good" : 83/100 (3.5 stars)

Bottle number 5 from the batch of 12 blends I'm currently reviewing. Nose: Sherry and oak, slightly burnt brown sugar, dried fruit peel, raisins, sultanas, leather, pipe tobacco (unburnt). A little woody and earthy but very clean. A funky note that's hard to pin down but it's a very understated nose. Palate: Soft arrival, sweet but not dense or syrupy. Quite light in fact. Some malt and cereal notes - toasted grains and a hint of coconut, barley sugar and sweet juicy lemon. Finish: The developed palate flows into a sweet, soft finish with everything that has gone beforehand gracefully fading. No bitterness, no sour notes. The very faintest possible suggestion of smoke. This is a very understated old-fashioned style of blend that focuses on being smooth and easy to drink neat or with a dash of soda water. It will taste odd to most modern palates as contemporary blends, whether cheap or boutique, have stronger and more focused profiles. In comparison this seems vague, weak and poorly structured. The texture is lean and it's not a characterful blend. This is a whisky made for slow and constant sipping all afternoon while listening to the radio. It’s not meant to grab your attention or be challenging – quite the opposite. It’s the whisky equivalent of an old sweater you love wearing and can’t bear to part with even though it's tatty and out of fashion. It's in the same price band as Dewar's 12 year and cheaper malts like Glen Moray, and many people would understandably prefer those alternatives. It's certainly worth 2 stars, but I have something of a fondness for it so I'm ramping it up a little bit to 2.5. “Average” : 77/100 (2.5 stars)

Whisky number 4 of the current batch of blends I'm rating. Nose: A firm grain whisky aroma with malt, cereal and some light oaky notes. Also some vanilla. There is a certain fullness to the nose that rounds off the grain aspect very nicely. Palate: The arrival is spicy-sweet and has a nice mouthfeel. The development brings out almost tingly lemon peel and ginger spice flavours, mixed with honey and some soft fruits (pears? Nashi fruit?, apples?). The interplay between these characteristics is interesting - they compete so the spice notes become almost hot and bitter but then relax at the last moment to give way to the soft honey and fruit. Finish: Not particularly long, but longer than I expected - the spicy character lengthens it. I didn't notice any particularly intrusive bitter or metallic notes. A drop of water opens it up a little, but where this really shines is in combination with cola. It's a mixer and proud of it. Put a good size ice cube in an old-fashioned tumbler and add enough White Label to just float the ice, then fill with your preferred cola soft drink, and enjoy. Refreshing, soft, relaxing, flavourful and hard to fault in that context. This is definitely one of the better bottom/middle shelf blends. "Average" : 78/100 (2.75 stars)

Review Update: 18 February 2024 It’s 7 years since I last reviewed Cutty Sark here and I’ve just killed off a bottle. I always have an affordable blended scotch in the cabinet for mixed drinks, scotch ‘n soda and so on and I rotate through the available cheap blends available at our local liquor shops. This time it was Cutty Sark’s turn again. Sadly, in comparison to my impressions from 2017 this whisky has noticeably slipped in stature. The nose is less agreeable having only mild cereal and ethanol in evidence. There is still a light fruity quality to the cereal notes but it has lost its sweetness. On the palate it is even less impressive with only a rather industrial cereal presence and a good deal of bitter tannin from what must have been very old multi-refill casks. The finish is as fast as lightning, and it burns in the same manner. It’s more or less undrinkable neat, but if used in very small quantities with soda, cola or dry ginger ale it’s OK and you still get a hint of the old sweet citrus notes, but if you use too much the inherent bitter metallic personality shows up. Not a recommended buy at the moment, and I’m dropping my rating by half a star. “Adequate” : 70/100 (2 stars) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Original Review from 22 August 2017 Whisky number 3 from my recent purchase of 12 affordable blends. Nose: Fruity sweet with some cereal and honey notes. It's light and fresh but the sweet character gives it body - it's certainly not a dry scotch profile. I'd risk a guess that the oak used for this still had a spark of life left as it's not overly bitter or tannic, at least in comparison to some blends at this price point. Palate: Also lightly sweet but not as fruity as the nose - more like barley sugar with a creamy cereal quality and a slight oilyness. It's a nice mouthfeel, particularly for a lower-priced blend. There's a nutty hint and a little caramel. Finish: Very Short. Cereal flavours and a slight sweet hot spice, but this scotch has no persistence at all. On the whole it's pleasant and compared with other blends in the price range it represents reasonable value. It is a good mixer with dilution bringing out even more sweetness and even the faintest smoky flavour. It makes a very nice highball but is easily overpowered by cola or dry ginger. The profile reminded me a little of Ballantine's Finest but Cutty Sark has a sweeter character, particularly when diluted, and a bit less body. The dry glass has an unusual floral-charcoal aroma, but it is very light. "Average" : 75/100 (2.5 stars)