Blended
Scotland
Originally released to the travel retail market, Double Black combines the rich, malty flavour of Black Label with slightly peatier whisky and casks that were more heavily charred. The result is a toasty, smoky whisky with Johnnie Walker's usual rich, malty core.
Slightly smoky and almost medicinal on the nose, it offers up hints of vanilla, a little tar, a touch of barbecue sauce, citrus and malt.
Good body and very creamy with a sublimely malty core. It offers up a surprising level of peat smoke which works really well. Creamy sweetness, hints of soft wood smoke, salty butter, custard and cereal grains.
Good length with notes of malt, boiled sweets, black pepper and cool smoke.
Anyone who tells you this is their favourite whisky is an eejit! It's the kind of whisky that appeals, one assumes, to the gullible and easily impressed. So, I bought a bottle. It was on offer at £25, down from £40. I read the blurb, got taken in by the sexy packaging, and now I have 65cl of practically undrinkable dram. It tastes of smoke. No, it tastes of charred packing crates. And that's it, really. One trick pony in a bottle, so it is. There's a few almost completely obscured hints of lemon, banana, and plywood. But it's 99.9% charred wood. It's now December. I confidently predict that this bottle will lay, untouched, in my kitchen cabinet until summer. Then, I'll use half of it in marinades for meat destined for the BBQ. And I'll tip the rest down the throats of the guests AT the BBQ, those I don't like, that is. Lovely bottle, though. I might leave it out on display until summer, come to think of it.....
Just marvellous
I bought this out of sheer curiosity after discovering JW Black this year and falling in love at first dram. I'm a fan of the smoky Islay single malts and so (I hoped) JW DB would sit nicely between JWB and my Talisker/Highland Park. Not the case. I was quite surprised by how un-smoky this is, and, while pleasant to drink, it's less complex than JWB and (contradicting the box blurb) less rich and intense. If JW DB was priced between Red and Black, then I wouldn't be so disappointed, but the fact it costs slightly more than JWB makes this a definite one to avoid.
A bit smokier than regular Black Label. Not as complex. Smooth, creamy and good. Regular Black is better and costs less but don't take my word for it. If you like Black Label you can drink this no problem.
I did not like the nose of drying fishing nets and the excessive wood- smoke first time round and believed it was not as good as the standard BWB. I did not expect to buy another bottle but was given this one. Second time around, I have become less critical and now consider it a interesting alternative. It still has JWB character in the background but has more robust and flavoursome top notes of peat smoke.
