Johnnie Walker Blue Label

Even smoke, peatty, maybe hint of ginger

It’s a staple of mine. It’s got that rich honied taste at first and the smoke rises subtlety at the end & lasts. A classic blended Scotch whiskey.

Still angry about JW18 pulling the wool over everyones eyes in what I shall now refer to as a Loch Lomond age statement manoeuvre, I decided a redemption dram was needed. Last night was a wasted dram. I hope the supposed pinnacle of JW standard offerings, blue; delivers the goods. Other than maybe all of Macallan, is there a more enigmatic bottle of whisky than Blue Label? Does anything else reek quite so much of opulence, over expense, and prestige quite like the Blue? Heck, even Archer likely parodies it with ‘Glengoolie Blue - for the best of times”. Does it deserve such a high degree of reverence? Or, is it simply an expensive gift for the non-whisky savvy? A clever ploy in marketing to sell mediocre for a premium? I don’t know… yet. I have had blue label before. A 350 ml bottle bought in my early days of whisky amateur power hour, not too different from today I guess. I remember nothing of the experience. Today, we rectify this. Turns out that little Tommy in marketing has been putting his creative writing and tourism degree to good use with this blurb: “Johnnie Walker Blue Label is an unrivalled masterpiece – an exquisite combination of Scotland’s rarest and most exceptional whiskies. Only one in every ten thousand casks has the elusive quality, character and flavour to deliver the remarkable signature taste. An extraordinary whisky for extraordinary occasions.” Damn it Tommy! I call BS! Unrivalled, are you kidding? 1/10,000 casks has the elusive quality, yet they claim consistency of product and churn this stuff out without restriction? Being a claimed rare blend of old grain and malts it surprises me that they don’t add an age statement. I guess they need to keep their options open to mix in plenty of that grain they love so much over at JW HQ. Apparently though the age of the liquids that are going in are 28-60 years old. Gosh! Right, enough chit chat. This has had 15 minutes to open up next to me… N: Slightly thin to oily approach with a surprisingly aggressive little kick of ethanol. First distinct aromas are good quality deep wood notes then comes (strap in): a mixed woody spice (like a bakery version of potpourris), fresh grass, slight sherry influence with some generic berry(?) fruits, malt, and gentle vanilla. There is some smoke here too, but nothing about it is distinct or captivating. The smoke may actually be closer to a barrel char? Lightly perfumed, cedar/sandalwood. P: Lightly oily with a good presence of body. First sip and smoke is wrapping around the edges enveloping everything. The smoke is a happy interplay of ashy, maritime, and vegetal to lightly herbal/heathery. This smoke doesn’t really seem to land on any one thing. Unwrapping the smoke envelope: honeyed cereals, milk chocolate, mocha, old english toffee, juicy-fruitiness (apples and pears), cinnamon and wood spice. F: Medium. The palate clears to a surprising amount of ethanol heat (remember, this is only 40% ABV) and a slightly unclean grainy residual texture that I think was intended to be hidden under the oaky, slightly smoky, and honeyed exit. First up. This is impressive liquid, but not necessarily with connotations of excellence. I think this is ambitious. DIageo clearly have a huge portfolio of barrels and styles to chose from, and they have ambitiously set out to create something that is monetarily rich, impressive, and enigmatic. They have achieved that. The complexity of flavours and layers are borderline stupefying to me. But, that comes at a cost. For me, there is a lack of cohesion and clear intention. So much is vying for my attention that my palate scrambles to know where to go. Is that a reflection of my rank amateurishness? Possibly. I suspect the grain component, which I am concluding has a muting effect in the core range of JW, is actually necessary here. Something is needed to try and soften and homogenise the profile. The disappointing aspect though, is that maybe the grain, or perhaps something over aged (why else put 60 year old juice in?) has been hidden in here that I now find as an almost dirty thread in the finish. I loathe the use of the word smooth to describe whisky. Smooth is the absence of something. The lack of texture, character, nuance. But, it’s the word so commonly associated with JW Blue. JW blue is the gift you give to show off that you’ve given an expensive gift. If that is indeed the case, then you want the uninitiated that believe it to be the pinnacle of whisky to find no harsh or rough edges (even though I’m pretty sure I caught one). How do you do that though? I think you can go for super simple, or throw everything and the kitchen sink in. Thats what I surmise here. Overwhelm with dizzying complexity and hide some less than ideal aged stock in the mix to validate the cost. This is the end of of my JW exploration. And I can’t say I’m surprised. Its largely generic whisky intended for an undiscerning crowd on a scale of mass production that is impressive for what actually gets turned out. My top rated, Green label. The biggest disappointment is a tie between Blue and 18. My personal favourite, if not objectively that great; double black. Wow, this was a long one, I’ll be happy to hear thoughts from anyone who has stuck with me through this exploration and made it to the end! [Pictured here with a blue mineral for a blue label. This rock will kill you. Legitimately; thats why its under a closh. A single air borne exposure of this stuff and you are all but guaranteed to develop malignant mesothelioma; I’m told that comes with the worst pain a human can experience. This is crocidolite, a type of asbestos known as ‘blue death’. There are few things in life that genuinely terrify me. This rock is one of them. At 2.4-2.6 billion years old this fibrous blue mass is mineralised between iron ore and was responsible for some truly horrendous repercussions for a generation of people… look up Wittenoom, Western Australia. Absolute horror story where this lump calls home.] Distiller whisky taste #150 - Do I qualify for an upgrade to level 3 whisky buffoon now? Johnnie Walker running scores Red: 2.0 Black 12: 2.5 Black Islay Origins: 3.5 Double Black: 3.25 Gold: 3.5 Green 15: 4.25 18: 2.5 Blue: 4.0