Johnnie Walker Blue Label Blended Scotch Whisky Review

 

Johnnie Walker is one of the most famous and easily recognizable whisky brands worldwide. Even if you're not a whisky enthusiast, you've likely come across the name Johnnie Walker at some point.

 

We also know that many brands are named to honor fictional people. Was there really a Johnnie Walker, and if so, who was he?

 

Johnnie Walker, born in 1805, lost his father tragically at the age of 14. Consequently, the family had to sell their farm that same year. In 1820, the money from the sale was used to invest in a grocery store in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, which Johnnie managed despite his young age. Within five years, he started selling a variety of spirits from the store.

 

Johnnie quickly stopped producing all spirits except for whisky. At the time, combining malt and grain whiskies was illegal, so he focused on creating blends to meet his customers' specific preferences. He recognized the need for a brand and began selling his blended malts as Walker's Kilmarnock Whisky.

 

After Johnnie's passing in 1857, his son and grandson inherited the brand. With the passing of The Spirits Act of 1860, the restriction on blending malts and grains was lifted, creating new opportunities for distillers.

 

In 1893, the Walkers purchased the Cardhu distillery. The Cardhu brand was retired. What was there was sold as a five-year-old Old Highland, a nine-year Special Old Highland, and a 12-year Extra Special Old Highland. The first had a white label, the second a red one, and the third a black one. People would order these whiskies by color. It wasn't long before the Walkers rebranded their whiskies to reflect customers' preferences.

 

That's the story behind the Johnnie Walker brand, and today, I'm exploring its Blue Label Blended Scotch Whisky.

 

There's much mystery and confusion around the Blue Label expression, which used to be the brand's top-tier whisky. Blue Label made its debut in 1992 as Johnnie Walker Oldest, only to be renamed two years later. Its component whiskies come from Benrinnes, Cardhu, Clynelish, and Caol Ila distilleries, with grain whisky from Cameronbridge. It used to include grain whisky from Port Dundas, but that distillery was decommissioned in 2011, which, sadly, was its 200^th anniversary. There are other distilleries involved, including other shuttered operations, but Johnnie Walker keeps the exact recipe a secret.

 

Blue Label is considered a super premium expression. It carries no age statement, yet when it was first released, it proclaimed whiskies as young as 12 and as old as 60! Today, the oldest component is estimated to be about 50 years old.

 

"Rare casks, rare craft and rare characters combine to create a vibrant Scotch Whisky with rolling waves of flavor and an unrivaled depth of character." – John Walker & Sons (DIAGEO)

 

Each cask is hand-picked by Johnnie Walker's Master Blender, Dr. Emma Walker, and only one in every 10,000 is considered good enough to go into the blend. Then, the bottles are numbered for each batch blended.

 

Truth be told, Johnnie Walker Blue Label was the first super premium whisky I ever tried. My then-boss was pouring it and offered me a glass. I'm not talking about a whisky glass – this was a water glass full! I had no idea what to expect and, naturally, thought it was the cat's meow. Yet, it was priced way out of my price range, so the only time I was ever able to imbibe was when someone else was pouring it. It has been many, many years since I've had it.

 

I did purchase a 50ml bottle for about $17.00 for the sole purpose of this review. Let's #DrinkCurious and discover (or re-discover) what it is all about.

 

• Whiskey Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
• Region: N/A
• Distiller: Johnnie Walker
• Age: NAS
• Mashbill: A blend of malt and grain whiskies
• Cooperage: Undisclosed
• Alcohol Content: 40% ABV (80°)
• Price per 750mL: $169.99

 

Appearance: I used a Reidel Vinum glass to explore this whisky neat. Johnnie Walker Blue had a deep, brassy color, and after a gentle swirl, a medium rim formed, releasing thick, slow, crazed tears.

 

Nose: I allowed about 15 minutes before beginning the nosing process. As I brought the rim of the glass beneath my nostrils, I smelled apples, apricots, honey, vanilla, very mild oak, and barely noticeable smoke. When I inhaled the vapor into my mouth, I encountered vanilla and orange zest.

 

Palate: Blue's texture began waxy, then melted to silky while offering no palate shock. On the front, I tasted milk chocolate, honey, and apples. The mid-palate offered citrusy notes, including orange and lemon zests, along with a whisper of salinity. The back featured muted smoke, mild oak, and cinnamon.     

 

Finish: The smoke emboldened – slightly. Cinnamon kept the tongue warm, while citrus and honey kept things calm. The finish was completely level before falling off a cliff at 1:24, with smoke holding on the longest. I'd classify that as medium to long duration.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Let's get a few things out of the way. If you're strictly a Single Malt aficionado, you aren't Johnnie Walker Blue's target market. It is geared to folks who are already fans of blends and curious about what the "next level" entails. Secondly, it is an expensive blend – I've seen it priced all over the spectrum, including in the mid-$200s. Yet, it isn't overly challenging to find at $170 (or less).

 

There's nothing overly rare about Johnnie Walker Blue. It is usually in the locked cabinet or above the registers in many liquor stores. My point is that if you see a bottle and it is on the expensive side, keep shopping (or try to negotiate).

 

Some of the component distilleries are obvious; Caol Ila and Clynelish especially so. The smokiness comes from the former, and the mouthfeel comes from the latter. I'm assuming the percentage of grain whiskies is low; there were no telltale signs, which, to be frank, illustrate Dr. Walker's artistic finesse.

 

Despite it being so long since I last had Johnnie Walker Blue, many memories washed back with today's tasting. Yet, I found that the years have refined my palate and allowed me to appreciate what was in my glass, whereas in my younger years, I was more enchanted by the idea of how expensive the whisky was.

 

If you had asked me last week whether I thought Blue was worth the investment, I would have said it was overpriced. After tonight, my opinion has changed. I really enjoyed what was in my glass and believe Johnnie Walker Blue Label is a treat worth having. Hence, my Bottle rating. Cheers!   

 

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit, but begs you to do so responsibly.