Blended
Scotland
Johnnie Walker Black Label has a long history. It dates back to the late 19th century when John Walker & Sons of Kilmarnock had three blends in ascending order of age and price: Old Highland, Special Old Highland, and Extra Special Old Highland. These had white, red, and black labels respectively, and were known by their colour. Then in 1906, the three blends were relaunched as White Label, a five year old, Red Label, a nine year old, and Black Label, a 12 year old.
While Red Label would lose its age statement and White Label disappear altogether, Black Label is still a 12 year old blend – though it did go through a phase without an age statement. Its prestige status was trumped with the launch of the super swanky Blue Label in the late 1980s, but Black Label has never lost its cache. Across the world today, a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label is a recognised currency and symbol of excellence.
The classic 12 Year Old Black Label is a blend majoring on Diageo’s Four Corners of Scotland distilleries Clynelish in the Highlands, Cardhu on Speyside, malt from Glenknichie and grain from Cameronbridge with a little smoke from Caol Ila.
Winter spice and treacle, hints of white pepper and a little citrus.
Rich and full with notes of wood smoke and dry spice, hints of barley and cereal with creamy toffee and a distinct herbal note.
Quite fruity and long with a note of sultanas and mixed peels.
Nice whisky for the money. I get lovely toffee like flavour. Never add water to this one. On another page to the red or to cheaper varieties. 12 years smooths out the edges. Pleasantly surprised with this can't say that about the JW red.
"Read below please" summed it up very well. I would be very surprised if ANY whisky is the same as it was 10, 20, 30 more years ago. There are so many variables at play but the biggest one is reduction of alcohol. This product used to be 43.4% abv - now it is 40%... Shame! Let us do the dilution if we choose and charge extra if necessary... anyway STILL a very good drop and 12 years is the sweet spot.
A good blended scotch for a fair price. On the nose : fruit, raisins, vanille, smoke and peat. Better than the non-smoke, non-peat blended whiskies : Famous Grouse, JWRed, Bells, Teachers etc. 85 points
Sipping one in a bar with a copita glass right now in Spain as I wanted to try one as it’s getting difficult to find whiskies here. So I wanted a cheaper alternative to what I usually drink (to keep them for longer)- Laphroaig, bowmore, caol Ila and wanted to try this one as you can find it here quite easily. I’m not a blended lover, even though I have tried some more select ones which are quite nice, I find this to be perfectly acceptable for a mass produced one. Definitely get those Christmassy notes, some smoke, a bit too smooth for me maybe but enjoyable- like a lighter jura 10
On the nose I get a buttery toffee with apple. On the palate I get a very smoky charred wood flavor with a hint of peat. Sultanas and a slight toffee note add to the flavor, a dash of water makes this whisky more appealing. The finish is short and spicy with a hint of fruit. Like most Scotch a acquired taste, much prefer Bourbon as it tends not to beat you up as much.
