cascode
Johnnie Walker Blue Label
Blended — Scotland
Reviewed
August 27, 2017 (edited October 21, 2024)
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)
200.0
AUD
per
Bottle
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We have a similar problem - the Great King St blends and the core range (Peat Monster, Spice Box, etc.) are not too hard to get, but the more expensive blends are impossible to find. I thinkl the problem is that the local importer who seems to have the monopoly on Compass Box is a "liquor barn" franchise and they obly bring in the less expensive ranges. There is one very good importer in Victoria that has access to duty free ranges etc and they occasionally have Flaming Heart etc., but they sell out almost immediately every shipment. $135 is not too bad.
>the independent botlings and distillery door exclusives will be shipped home directly. --I like your style. The first time I went I ended up having to borrow luggage from my wife's family just so we could bring back all the bottles. Have fun!
It could be. Blue Lable has been around for a while now and it predates Compass Box and several other high end blends - there is more competition now than in the early 1990s. I guess that's also why they are introducing all the new cask finish blends. I've seen 200ml bottles of Glod and Platinum as well, but interestingly not of Green Label - I guess it sells well on reputation alone.
It looks as though prices on the Blue are dropping here in the states as well- using Wine-Searcher.com it can be had for $150 now. They are also pushing 200ml bottles for $60. I assume sales have dropped, hence the price change.
@LeeEvolved Yes, that's quite true. There are alternatives that outshine their range at all price points. Interesting thing about the prices, Blue Label is generally US$140-160 in Australia and New Zealand. No idea why, but all the JW lines are cheaper here than in the US.
I will freely admit that I agree with almost everyone's thoughts about this malt: I thought is was smooth, refined, well-blended, etc. I also bought this bottle early in my scotch fandom simply to boast that I have it. Consider me guilty on all counts. But, I'd also like to state that for the price (approx $200), one could pony up for Compass Box Not A Luxury Whisky. If you put Blue versus that you'd really see where JW falls short. There's more of everything in that bottle. No comparison (IMO) and that's the reason I bash almost everything JW. There are better blends at almost every price point if you look elsewhere. Great review, btw. Cheers.
Ah, yes, but the independent botlings and distillery door exclusives will be shipped home directly. Duty free is just what I pick up at the airport in Sydney (they allow us a measly 2.25 litres now).
@cascode: Why waste precious room in your baggage for this experiment, if there is such a rich selection of really good malts in Scotland to choose from? I'd rather collect as many Gordon&MacPhail and Cadenhead bottlings as possible, given it's hard to find these abroad!
@doneeb Thanks for the heads up! I've tracked it down locally and it is US$320 in Australia, which is a bit rich for an experiment. However it is also available duty free and as I'm heading to Scotland for a month next week this might well be in my duty free trolley on the return flight to Australia.
cascode, they've recently released a CS version so you don't have to wonder anymore. I'm with Slàinte Mhath, smooth is equivalent to boring for me and, just like the VW line in bourbon, this is a status bottle more than a display of excellent whisky.
@Slàinte Mhath Yes, the use of this as an almost ubiquitous gift in business circles is undoubted. I wonder which was the chicken and which the egg - was it "designed" to fulfil this purpose, or did it become used as such because of its particular profile? @Rick M. I think the 40%ABV is part of the "keep it smooth at all costs" concept - higher alcohol would carry more flavour personality. However from my perspective it is certainly a shame and one can only wonder what it would be like at 46%
That was my recollection, smooth as silk. Surprised at the ABV of 40%. Thought it was higher than that.
Interesting review! However, I have to say that 'smooth', 'designed' and 'prestige' are descriptors which make me run as fast as I can. The fact that this outrageously expensively blend does not even have an age statement, doesn't help either. Probably a malt for business people who know nothing about Single Malts.