Johnnie Walker Double Black

Good but unbalanced smoke

We arrive at something I know well, having polished off two bottles of DB to date. Originally entered into Distiller as my sixth taste in November 2021 (original taste deleted but copied in below), I now need to revisit and update my notes and reevaluate whether I do actually know this liquid. As I understand it Black 12 and Double Black are the same blends but in different proportions, I beleive DB has a higher, but younger, Islay (Caol Ila, Lagavullin) contnet than B12. The major difference though is the higher char barrel contnet of DB. What does that do to the liquid though? N: Quite rich and velvety with a seemingly high viscosity driven by a medicinal and almost petroleum smokiness. There is some sweetness coming via a BBQ glaze, a little salnity and spiciness, and rounding vanilla. There is also a little citrus note. P: A medium body with a little oily viscosity. Plenty of drying ashy smoke leads the charge and becomes softer and malty in the mid palate. Salt is well displayed and accompanies a slightly (wood)spiced and vaguely herbal characteristic. F: Medium-long. Ashy smoke, good weight of salt and pepper. A little syrupy grain sweetness in the back end. Not too much has changed for me from last go around, but new appreciation and insight is gained from now knowing what is happening in B12. The nose is as for B12 but amplified on the deeper darker notes of tar and smoke whilst restraining the sweeter side of things. The smoke profile is lovely and moves from what I think of as a Talisker influence in B12 to a richer Lagavullin influenced DB. Palate is very similar to the B12, but again, the sweet is dialled back and without as much apparent grain influence the rich, dark Islay notes really shine. The salinity too is amplified. Finish is much improved over the B12, which was largely nondescript. The last time I drank this, was by the bottle (oops) with family around a campfire out bush in winter. At the time it was perfect, no complications, no need for deep contemplation, enjoyable, quaffable; great stuff. However, around 140 whiskies ago, I didn’t know nearly as much about what was out there and what I should be asking for from my pours. Certainly, there are better quaffable whiskies around with similar profiles. But, the real magic of this to me is the price point. I’m not sure at a a hair under AUD $60, and $50 on special, that I can find a competitor at the same price point; and on that basis the consistency of this perfectly acceptable exploration of smoke and sweetness, is really quite remarkable. I gave this 3.25 last time around. I’m perfectly happy with it remaining there. [Pictured here with a double black mineral for a double black label. This rock is a Precambrian tourmaline schist from Marquette County in Michigan, USA. The tourmaline here is the variety schorl and exhibits two large crystals intergrown through one another; a double black.] 19th November 2021 N: Soft camp fire, sweet bbq sauce, honey (but difficult to find behind smoke) P: smoke, slight salt, honey, cereal, creamy thick body. F: long cool smoke, peppery and rounding candy sweetness 3.25/5 Distiller whisky taste #6 Johnnie Walker running scores Red: 2.0 Black 12: 2.5 Black Islay Origins: 3.5 Double Black: 3.25

If campfire was a whiskey it would likely be this. Very smoky version of standard 12y black label.