LouisianaLonghorn
Johnnie Walker Blue Label
Blended — Scotland
Reviewed
October 18, 2019 (edited December 11, 2019)
What will we find in the most widely recognised premium whisky? Stay tuned to find out.
The nose is fruity and floral, reminiscent of a well aged Speyside. There’s clearly a high proportion of malt here, but the nose is the teaser trailer for the plot twist yet to come.
On the palate, there’s malt, well aged grain whisky, and...peat smoke! First time I’ve detected it in a JW blend. It’s a perfect whip at the end. Sadly that’s all that endures on the medium length finish. The malt fades away and there’s some peat and heat.
So the verdict? Is it a quality drop? You bet. If somebody bought it for me or offered me a pour, you bet. Would I buy a bottle? No. No way. $200 for a bottle of this seems like runaway marketing. That much coin could buy a bottle or two of much higher quality malts.
Thus ends my tasting of the JW core range. There’s some nice pours in this range, but I come away thinking that even the good ones aren’t worth the price of admission. Not stacked up against comparably priced bottles. I’ll happily drink any of them (except the Red. Screw that noise) if offered, but a place in my collection? Not at this time.
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@PBMichiganWolverine Green Label is my favorite JW as well. Go Blue.
The weird thing is low 200's is considered a GOOD price around here. I often see it for 299, with the Ghost and Rare being 399. Agree on your take, the standard Blue is a really nice drinker but the price makes it a tough sell.
@krsimp - if you want some good scotch for the money at this level I’d suggest; Oban 18, Glendronach 18, Kavalan Vino, or Octomore- all are insanely unique and flavorful; and perhaps even “worth it”.
I agree now that Green is the best in the bunch- Followed by the 18. The Blue rare Brora and Port Ellen are really damn good- but wildly over priced. I think the standard blue is totally whack for the price unless it’s purchased as a gift.
@krsimp at this price (about $200-$250 depending on your market. I’m in Texas where liquor taxes are relatively low) you could buy a really fine 18-21 year old malt, like Glendronach 21, Bushmills 21, Balvenie Portwood 21, Dalmore Cigar Malt, Macallan 18....the list goes on. Others could weigh in this as well. $200 is beyond my price point unless someone else is buying. Most expensive bottle in my collection currently is the Talisker 18, which I got for about $160 and for very special occasions only!
@krsimp good question. You might get a different answer from everyone on this page (feel free to weigh in whisky friends). Most of the scotch I buy is in the $60-$80 range. That seems to me to be the best value for the money range. If you’re new to Scotch, I’d try Highland Park 12, Glenkinchie 12, Glendronach 12, and if you feel like dipping your toe in the peat pool and having a magical experience (in my opinion), try the Talisker 10. Hope you like them. Cheers!
Obviously the marketing allure for JW Blue works, but I’m new to Scotch. What are some less expensive bottles you’d take over this one? Or at this price what would you get? Thanks
@PBMichiganWolverine I did! And it was lovely. But for $60, I’d just as soon buy a bottled of Talisker.
Have you tried the Green? My favorite in the range