J&B Legend 21 Year

Rating: 19/23 This is it: my 2000th alcohol reviewed! This one seems perfectly fitting because it was released to celebrate the new millennium (which I presume is why they went with a 21 year age statement). This is to my knowledge also the only 21 year old that J&B has ever released. It's now actually spent longer in this bottle than it did in a barrel, so that's another interesting point that makes it suitable for a special occasion like this. I've never had J&B before and I'm sure it's normally pretty bad, but I really hope that this one turns out to be great for this milestone occasion. N: I sniffed the cork coming out of the bottle and whoa - what decadence! Nectar sweetness with richness and depth. In my glass, I get more grass and grain with some oiliness. There's a touch of well-roasted meatiness, but not too much. It's a good balance with nice maturity. Wisps of ashy smoke and barbecue. White and black pepper. Faint anise. A little alcohol, but not too much. I'd really have guessed that this was 43% ABV, not 40%. Hints of orange, tangerine, lemon, and jasmine, but the fruit is surprisingly much reduced now that this is in my glass. P: More mild and restrained than the nose suggested. Fairly dry with less fullness than I'd expected, though still a thin layer of slick oil. I get candied bitter orange peels and a thin, wispy smoke that is intertwined with mature, very restrained wood. The smoke and fruit build as the palate progresses. Occasional tangerine, vanilla, and jasmine, as well as an occasional faint note of bitter anise. I get the black and white pepper from the nose and they add enough heat to keep this from tasting watered down. I'd probably have guessed 43% ABV. The peppers are definitely giving me a grain vibe that suggests this would be challenging to drink if it were much younger or higher proof. Still, it's super sippable as it is. I do taste a little bit of the ethanol, but it's sort of like in a mature light whiskey, where it exists because other flavors have made room for it, not because the juice is too young. There's definitely a substantial layer of dry grain going on in here, possibly with occasional hints of malt. F: Clean. Lingering grain, mild wood, and hints of smoke. That's about it. Really faint and rare hints of jasmine and tangerine at times. It's a very easy finish, but also boring. - Conclusion - This isn't blowing me away, but I'm quite enjoying it. It's a bit of a let-down from that first beautiful scent from the cork, but it's pretty much exactly what I expected otherwise: an inoffensive, easy sipper that has just enough going on to be enjoyable. McIvor 17 (16/23) has a bit more full oiliness, but not as much going on. It also has more alcohol presence and tastes younger. This is the clear winner between the two. They have very similar energy though and this isn't leagues better than the McIvor. This is easily a 17 though. It could be a 19, but I'm pretty skeptical of a 20. Lismore 21 The Legend (19/23) (what is it with 21 year olds being called "Legend"?) unsurprisnigly has a bigger malty profile and richness. Being a single malt and having an extra 3% ABV are both very helpful here, though even combined they don't deliver the immense increase in richness and fullness that I might have expected. There's a mature sort of peppery-woodsmoke oily nuance to this that the Lismore doesn't quite have, but it isn't enough for me to say that this beats the Lismore. I'm not sure whether this is on the same level as the Lismore, but placing them side by side really does highlight the very subtle nuance that this has. Highland Park 16 Wings of the Eagle (17/23) is more decadent than this, though not by as much as I'd expected. It's far less interesting though. I'm now confident that this is better than a 17. It's either and 18 or 19. It all comes down to how close to the Lismore this is. I'd definitely place this closer to the Lismore than to the Highland Park, so that says something. Is it really that much better than the McIvor though? I won't be surprised if I change my mind later, but my current opinion is that this is right up there with the Lismore, so I'm going with a 19. This may not be one of the best drams I've ever tried, but it's really nice and mature and has met my expectations for a celebratory whisky. Would I buy it again at $150? No way. But am I glad I bought this bottle? You bet. I get the black and white pepper from the nose and they add enough heat to keep this from tasting watered down. I'd probably have guessed 43% ABV. The peppers are definitely giving me a grain vibe that suggests this would be challenging to drink if it were much younger or higher proof. Still, it's super sippable as it is. I do taste a little bit of the ethanol, but it's sort of like in a mature light whiskey, where it exists because other flavors have made room for it, not because the juice is too young.