What's in a name? Black Bottle whisky is called whisky because it's produced in Scotland. Were it from America it would be spelled Black Bottle whiskey, rather than whisky.
Nose: Rich and punchy, peat smoke wafting over plumes of fresh blossom and fruit... Something coastal.
Palate: Offers more peat, but this time a honeyed sweetness develops, fruitcake and oak.
Finish: Honeyed smoke clings 'til the last.
Overall: Enjoyable.
I have tried many brands of whisky and have enjoyed most of them! However, the one whisky I keep coming back to, when I can get it (I live in deepest - darkest Staffordshire...), is Graham's Black Bottle. I am not alone in appreciating this fine blend, as I have encouraged many friends and collegues to sample frequently.... and they all agree with me, this truly is a very good, high quality blended whisky. Indeed my father, John Bell (butcher of this parish), won runner's up prize in a competition run by the distillery and won 6 very fine tumblers engraved with the whisky's label. My father loved Black Bottle and instilled into me this love and appreciation of probably the most consistently good blends on the market. I highly recommend this blend, as it is very easy to enjoy. It is not harsh on the throat and fills the mouth with a fabulous mixture of peaty, smokey, fruity, sweetness - a joy to enjoy! So do yourself a flavour...I mean favour and buy a bottle today, your tongue will thank you for it! By the way - the best way to enjoy this whisky, or any other blend for that matter, is to add a splash of water. But don't drown it! The master blender of any distillery would have your guts for garters if he saw you or anybody else, diluting away all his hard work by putting too much H 2 O in his skillfully put together work of art!
It doesn't get any better than this... Taste it to believe it !!!
Doesn't get any better right enough. this is my favourite
Blended whisky ?!?!?! Just - exceptional !!! Palate: my friend noticed sweet (old) yellow wrigleys flavour ;)
I was introduced to Black Bottle whilst on holiday in Wanlockhead. One of the best blended whisky's I have ever tasted. Smooth, rich, peaty and sweet.
Been chasing Scottish whisky now for almost 30 years and eventually learned that all the best single malts are on Islay. So having tried all the island`s malt available I realised that the best whisky would be all of the island`s malts in one bottle. "Black Bottle" whisky is that whisky; the best whisky of all. Trust me !
Just a terrific blend - smokey, peaty and sweet, and at around $20 an amazing value. This will be my everyday scotch I'm sure.
Brilliant whisky for the price. Light, fresh, attractive nose. Smooth and easy drinking, sweet with a little peat in the background. Long finish with peat notes with honey and lasting sweetness. Brilliant.
FIRST SAW THIS ON COVER OF A LITTLE BOOK IN A GIFT PACK OF WHISKIES. TO MY SURPRISE AND DELIGHT MY WIFE MO BOUGHT ME A BOTTLE WITH THE ''OLD LABEL''SEVERAL YEARS AGO NOW AND I USE IT TO PUT LATEST PURCHASE IN EACH TIME(I DON'T LIKE THE NEW LABEL)BUT ALWAYS ENJOY THE CONTENTS...........
Black Bottle rivals many malts in terms of its complexity and depth of flavour. The honey sweet arrival which develops into a warm smokiness reminds me of Highland Park 12 which is another favourite of mine. With a little water, the rubbery smoke on the nose changes to a much softer peaty note.
This is a truly beautiful blend slightly smoky,decent amount of peat,and very fresh and smooth,beautiful aftertaste.At £13 this is truly amazing value for money
As someone who only drinks single or vatted malts I was only tempted to try this blend due to the reviews and the price. I wasn't disappointed.
Oops should have given this 5 stars!!!
Some smoke in the nose, the taste is grassy and vegetative, with a slight finish that is a little sweet and inoffensive. A very good value, especially when you just want to throw some blended scotch over some ice and call it a night. More interesting than The Famous Grouse. More balanced than Johnny Walker Red Label.
Where else in the world will you find such blended craftsmanship? Black bottle is the ultimate whisky, a perfect blend of Scotland's finest spirit. Why spend four times the price for inferior single malts, or more for prestige blends. I have forsaken the Royal Salute Spode jar for the Black Bottle.
Tremendous bargain for Islay lovers. Nice peatiness, with a fruity character. Great nose with some smokey notes. Hide the bottle and give this blind to your friends and they will think they are drinking something 3 times the price.
It's still a budget blend. It's only better than the worst single malts. But for the price it is really good. The best value in scotch for sure. It's got a wonderful range of flavors and satisfies the scotch connoisseur when he/she doesn't have the money to spring for the good stuff. Thank goodness for this well woven blend.
At this price point, nothing comes close. BB integrates nice peatiness with a floral sweetness. An easy drinker but still complex enough for thoughtful sipping. My main complaint is that it's a little thin - the word "full-bodied" doesn't come to mind when sampling this.
Maybe it was my bad luck to get over a flat batch of this blend but it was not really a tipple of my evening. Very strong grain whisky arrival only partially masked with peaty malts. A dissapointment - 80/100.
Was disappointed with this when i 1st tried. Thought it tasted too watered down. Was expecting a lot more depth from an islay blend. Then I woke the f*ck up & realised I only paid £16 for it. So for that it's pretty damn good. However, if you want a blend with a lot of depth and character, go for a big peat! Especially the Xmas edition! @andymcsween
Black Bottle is the best "cheap" blended Scotch around. I love the nice balance of Islay Malts and the smooth sweetness of the Grain. Sweet and smooth with a little smoke.
With out a doubt the best value in Scotch bar none. Found two bottles for $17/per. Both bottles disappeared within a few weeks. I usually drink Whitehorse which is a very good Islay based inexpensive blend but Black Bottle is tastier and more complex for just a few dollars more. Hard to find but worth the search. Time for a road trip!
I seem to HATE blends. Single Malt simply does it for me but Im always open to new experiences so I tried black bottle and it is a very very good effort well balanced but needs a little more depth from the islay whiskys and then it would be untouchable and really BOLD
I used to love this but it has now changed into something unrecognisable from the bottles i used to buy. Colour used to be very pale but is now golden. The nose is quite dreadful. Tastes not much better with the famed smokiness now but a memory. Bitterly disappointed ..