The Blue one… the most prestigious whisky in the Johnnie Walker range. It’s supposed to be rich, oily and as smooth as it gets.
Johnnie Walker Blue Label includes some of Diageo’s rarer malt whiskies like Royal Lochnagar. Depending on your source, eight to fifteen other distilleries are part of this premium blended whisky. Bottles are numbered and they come in a silk-lined box.
Johnnie Walker Blue Label was introduced early 1990s and while it hasn’t always been widely available, it’s still the well praised top of the range.
Johnnie Walker Blue Label
(40%, OB +/- 2012)
Nose: surprising amounts of toffee, with a sharpish / acidic side to it as well. Cereal notes (bread), some dried fruits and orange peel. Berries. Some lime. Vanilla. Give it some time and it develop into a decent blended nose.
Mouth: medium bodied, nice enough, with toasted notes, grains and citrus. Quite a lot of floral notes alongside the soft sherry. Berries and ginger. Toffee. Good balance of sweet, spicy and acidic, but a bit characterless if you ask me (a bit of everything but nothing in particular). Fades on oak and citrus tea.
Finish: not too long, returning to the grainy notes, with ginger and a slight zesty note.
It’s smooth indeed, with a flawless balance, but it’s not a very proud blend, if you know what I mean. We expected a bit more at this price point, I would even say ‘smoothness’ is not exactly a high priority in this price range, I’m looking for character and Johnnie Walker Blue Label doesn’t really show much of it. At around € 150, I can think of a whole list of single malts which offer more individuality and intensity.
Score: 83/100