Malt Mission 2011 #403

Johnnie Walker Swing
Blended Scotch Whisky
43% abv
£70

Another blend to start off the 400s on the malt mission.

Originally introduced as the iconic Johnnie Walker range's premium export brand, Johnnie Walker 'Swing' or 'Celebrity' was introduced way back in 1932 and was Alexander Walker II's last blend. Although this whisky was apparently made available in the UK from 1982, it isn't a whisky we see much of on these shores. In fact, the world renowned Red Label is at least as absent from the home market having left the UK in 1977 following DCLs need to comply with EEC competition rules.

I look forward to an email from Dr. Morgan correcting at least half of the above. Thank you in advance.

For all Johnnie Walker had on the mission, click HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

Coal smoke and candied lemon, green herbal (Glenlossie?) and tangerine (Glen Elgin?) notes with a hint of sulphury sherry adding a welcome weight.

Great texture, big and bold with vegetable sweetness from quality aged grain, vanilla and orange before turning drying with clay, treacly for balance, and arriving at a lasting smoky finish.

SUMMARY:

Jim Murray called it "a different breed to the other Walker blends" in Classic Blended Scotch (1999) but to my mouth twelve years later, this is a very JW house style blend, with a bit of swagger and umph at its heart.

Malt Mission #401
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Malt Mission 2011 #400

Johnnie Walker 15yo, Kilmarnock 400

Blended Scotch Whisky

43% abv

£800

Labelled as "Old Scotch Whisky" with a 15yo age statement, this extremely rare drop from the house that Johnnie built is perfectly suited to mark this whisky blog's landmark tasting #400. This whole journey began with Johnnie Walker Black Label over four years ago, alone at a desk/dining table in a cozy flat in North London.

Today the journey continues in ways I would never have imagined. I am back in London, but living in the opposite corner. I have two wee girls, who think nothing of daddy sticking his nose weird shaped glasses. I am one of the lucky few who gets to do work with something I love, with people I am passionate about, I get to say that what I do is who I am, and I am am very grateful to many, many people. I have never stopped being thankful, and a few lists can be found in the annals of this whisky blog. HERE and HERE are just two examples. The list has grown a great deal since then, and continues to grow. THANK YOU!

This bottling has a gold label, but is just 15 years old as opposed to the standard current gold release which is 18 years old. The Johnnie Walker hierarchy goes Red, Black, Green (malt), Gold, Blue, George V, The John Walker, Life, The Universe, and Everything.

For all Johnnie Walker enjoyed on the malt mission, click HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

Lures you in deep, sweet tobacco, stewed apples and honey, with a delicate floral prefumerie blowing across the surface.

On the palate the liquid skirts across the tongue, communicating quaffability with rich flavours of more tobacco, mellow and sweet smoke, vanilla wafers, plums, marmalade, and a touch of cardboardy woodiness to close.

SUMMARY:

Rare juice, but demands persistent sipping and refilling, and sipping again. Very much in the Walker house style, with an added spray of lavender perfume to distinguish it from some of its housemates. Big thanks to DM for sharing.

Malt Mission #396
Malt Mission #397
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Malt Mission #399

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Malt Mission 2010 #390

The John Walker

Blended Scotch Whisky

43% abv

£2000

Watched a great piece on Bloomberg late last night, as the wee'un refused to pass out before 1am, about the creation and rise of Google. The relevance of this relates directly to this post as my engagement with this whisky called attention to the complete superiority of Google as a search engine.

Using Google to search "The John Walker" the top results related to the whisky and also brought up relevant images and video. Bing apparently hates whisky and the first TEN results had only to do with the (amazing) Walker Brothers, some English jewleller, and a German Studies professor at Birkbeck. The videos and images were equally unrelated. Sure, sticking " " around the term, like we used to do back in 2002, got me the results I wanted, but c'mon.

If "don't be evil" really had any meaning they would spend more time (and money) creating ways to share information OTHER than personal information with advertisers and researchers and thinkers and hackers (like Wikipedia, which incidentally NEEDS your support) But Bing just confused me and got me downloading new music and online lectures.

Moving on, as I have nothing too clever to say as I lie here quietly typing between a sleeping wife and a sleeping baby...

In a conversation with friends and whisky lovers the other night, the idea emerged of whether companies could release their fancy-bottle whiskies alongside plain package versions with the appropriate price difference. The topic is relevant in the case of this beautiful £2000 bottle, which, in the press release, spends nearly every word in and around describing the luxury, workmanship and eleven layers of lacquer with only two lines relating to the liquid itself.

That being said, and perfume bottle comparisons aside, I think the pack is beautiful. Disctinctively Johnnie, bold, confident and stylish. Would I buy it? No. Would I drink it? Oh hell yes.

The John Walker was created out of a desire to have a "top shelf" Johnnie Walker along the lines of Louis XIII from Remy Martin, Ambassador Jonathan Driver informed us at the Coburg Bar in London. With such an aim, the liquid had to be gold and Jim Beveridge, Master Blender of Johnnie Walker, was given the enviable task to "go away and make a technically brilliant blend."

Pulling from grain distilleries like Cambus, malts like Cardhu, Glen Albyn, and Talisker, the whisky uses the full stable of whiskies available to a Diageo nose. It isn't made up of a bunch of old whiskies, or just rare closed ones, rather it is a wide spread of styles and ages to create something different and exquisite. Jonathan spoke of "breaking conventions by knowing traditions", and there is no doubt that the nose behind it all has the chops for the task. And really, that is what blending is all about.

TASTING NOTES:

Accumulative, growing and developing with each whiff, floral, fresh and outdoorsy with chamomile and sweet grass, coffee, brown sugar, complex and alluring. Citrus and smoke appear, with more aromatic sweetness. Something new with each nosing.

Licorice, honey, more chamomile and coffee, mocha, a distinctly resiny character balanced by a beautiful melon freshness. Elegant and layered with richness.

SUMMARY:

As cynical as a whisky geek can tend to be, this was really quite wonderful and I can only hope that the folks shelling out the dough for this stuff appreciate the provenance, the history, the quality casks and the blending skill that went into making it. To make up for those who don't, I seriously advise those who DO give a shit to find a drop of this and taste it. It is a remarkable blend.

Malt Misson #386
Malt Mission #387
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Malt Mission # 389

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Malt Mission 2010 #389

Johnnie Walker Blue Label
King George V
Blended Scotch Whisky
43% abv
£360
$480 (USD)

The last malt mission was posted at the height of another season altogether; tonight I have traded shorts and sandals for a thick wool jumper and cozy slippers to compose two posts from my wee cottage in the Scottish Highlands. Yes, I am back on the island to stay.

And I couldn't be happier. Arrived on the day of the incredible Whisky Show, reconnected with friends, spent days relishing each sip of the perfectly tempered cask ales I missed so much, and was fortunate enough to be invited to enjoy a few drops of (arguably) the world's finest blended scotch whiskies at the Coburg Bar at the Connaught in London.

In a quiet, candlelit corner of the bar, Ambassador Jonathan Driver shared the liquid histories of three different Johnnie Walkers: Blue, King George V, and The John Walker (Malt Mission #390). The intimate setting and warm environment was ideal for careful dramming and Jonathan's knowledge, sincerity and charm resonated with each small group lucky enough to join him.

He explained that this whisky was inspired by the desire to have a "late night" alternative to Johnnie Walker Blue, to create something flavourwise that was more luxurious than robust. The press release informs us that the whisky was created to celebrate the first Royal Warrant granted to John Walker and Sons Ltd to supply Scotch whisky to the British Royal Household in 1934 and also says some rubbish about luxury and how the whisky is geared for "power players."

Jonathan was not afraid to discuss the liquid in depth, not that we gave him any choice. It emerged that this whisky was created from rare stock from nine of the Scottish distilleries that operated during the days of Johnnie Walker himself, including the much loved, but lost distillery, Port Ellen. These same facts also mean, we were told, that KGV will only be able to maintain its recipe for 6-7 years.

For more on the House of Walker and for all Johnnie Walker had on the mission, click HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

Fruit-forward with grapes, candy orange, raisins and banana chips. Solid woody impressions, and then the expected, deep and tarry smoke delivered gently. Overall restrained, tight and bright, and politely asking for a drop of water.

Wood and oak-extractives on the palate, vanilla, tannins, all rather intense and hitting my palate with pins and needles. Again, water needed.

SUMMARY:

A very rich drop with woody whisky in the mix and a muddy road of peat through its core, I was given the impression that this whisky was, perhaps, blended to be enjoyed with ice. A shame, some may say, but in this case a mute will not hurt the instrument, it will just gently restrain the timbre while leaving the melody itself sufficiently expressive.

Malt Misson #386
Malt Mission #387
Malt Mission #388
Malt Mission #390

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Malt Mission 2008 #323

Johnnie Walker Gold 18yo
Blended Scotch Whisky
40% abv
£52.99
$99.95(CAD)
$75 (USD)

The last of the Johnnie Walker colour hierarchy for me to taste formally on the mission. I promise the delay was not intentional as I had plenty of opportunities to drink the stuff (and man, did I), but not until very recently did I have the chance to taste it in the controlled environment of Dr. Whisky's lab in the controlled method of the Malt Mission.

I do find it hilarious to see new (and old, for that matter) whisky websites tasting and rating whiskies they tried at a distillery, or outside at Feis Isle, after 3 glasses of wine at their uncle's place for dinner, or after 15 other malts at DrunkFEST Chicago, or... Not exactly fair, nor representative of the true flavours of the whisky. Sure, no matter how or when you drink the stuff your impressions will be wholly subjective and by no means absolute (hate to disappoint some of you aspiring MJs and misguided JMs), but at least attempt to have some semblance of control otherwise your authority is nullified immediately and your notes are of no use to anyone but yourself. Maltsterbating, I suppose. By this I mean that WHEN and IN WHAT TYPE OF GLASS are probably the only elements of tasting, of being impressed upon by a malt whisky, that you can control. Without some consistency in the tasting ritual, ESPECIALLY if you are going to have the arrogance to criticise and rate and give scores, you are doing nothing more than jerking off into the toilet. Useless.

Some surfing alerted me to the presence of much misinformation about Johnnie Walker Gold so let me verify that this is a BLENDED whisky: it is made up of 15 or more single malt whiskies mixed with grain whiskies. This does not make it "better" or "worse", it is just different than a single malt or a blended malt whisky. Although the Walker's were grocers in Kilmarnock from 1820, it was in the 1850s that they became whisky blenders and today the name Johnny Walker is synonomous with quality blended Scotch whisky.

For more info and for all Johnnie Walker's had on the mission, click HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

Spicy, sweet, winey, and smoky. Red grapes and orange oil, honey and malt, some licorice and stewed cloves. Lots going on in a really co-dependent style.

Soft but full flavours flow across the tongue with sweet smokiness, honey, and some mango and papaya. Gentle but immensely rich.

SUMMARY:

Talisker elements of smoke, salt and pepper, creamy and honeyed elements of Clynelish, with plenty of speyside fruitiness like Linkwood and/or Glen Elgin. Really delicious, harmonious, and classy blending.

Malt Mission #321
Malt Mission #322
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Malt Mission 2007 #200

Johnnie Walker Black Label 12yo (1970s)
Blended Scotch Whisky
43% abv
£100-120*

Here we are... finally. Sorry for the delay in posting, I swear it was not some ploy to build suspense or something stupid like that. I appreciate all your texts and emails and comments on the blog in anticipation. Especially those that were (playfully?) rude. I simply haven't had much time in front of my computer since Wednesday. Long days and nights. But it's the weekend and it's Malt Mission #200... WOO HOO!!!!! Thanks for reading. We will take a week off from the daily mission in celebration with posts on other topics, top whisky picks, whisky choices for Xmas, complaints and rants, questions answered, etc. Then we'll get right back to it. Lots of treats still on the shelf. Thanks to everyone for their support.

So Johnnie Walker Black. This mission started back in January with a contemporary bottling of Johnnie Walker Black Label (Malt Mission #1). We have been through 3 bottles since. Yup. We likey. This version is from the 1970s, when the words 'black label' first appeared on a bottle of Johnnie Walker. But we're getting ahead of ourselves. First, I really must explain why this drop ended up being Malt Mission #200. It was going to be a 40yo Balblair which was well suited for the cigar theme of the week (and has just had its price jacked by £100) until Tuesday night...

As readers of this blog will know, over the past few days I had a mate visiting from Finland. The poor guy recently had his heart broken so it must be said that we spent many hours putting it back together in anyway we know how. It involved a lot of talking, a lot of walking, and, naturally, some beer and whisky.

After a whisky tasting I hosted at The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (where we enjoyed...um, a few malts) Tommi and I headed to the Auld Shillelagh, a gem of an Irish pub in Stoke Newington where they pour the best pint of Guinness in North London. After a few pints and much good conversation with the barman and surrounding folks we noticed an old bottle of Buchanan's Black & White blended whisky behind the bar. "Where did you get that?" He said he had inherited several old malts from a friend who's father (? grandfather?) had passed away. Turns out he had an old JWBlack hidden behind the bar too. We had to have some. And we did. We were happy chappys. It was fantastic... and he charged us 2.50 per dram. Wikkid. Upon closing, he was civilised enough to send us home with a small water bottle filled with enough spirit to taste under more controlled circumstances for Malt Mission #200. And here we are.

In 1870 Alexander Walker introduced the trademark square bottle with a label at an angle. This is easily on of the most recognisable bottles in the world. 1870! This is 24 years before Coca Cola created theirs. The coloured labels were introduced in 1909 changing the names of Old Highland to White label, Special Old Highland to Red Label, and Extra Special Old Highland to Black Label. Johnnie Walker White Label was dropped during WWI but the other two have survived until today (and have been joined by a few other colour classes, Swings, etc.)

For other Johnnie Walkers had on the mission and more JW info click HERE. "Tell them that 5 bottles of Johnnie Walker are sold every second," begs Kristin...

* price based on recent auctions and THIS

TASTING NOTES:

Rich and weighty, with a pleasant sherry influence. Deep and wonderfully complex. Shoe polish, leather. Rotting vegetables in the fridge drawer, decomposition. Slightly sour with cream cheese, custard, Clearasil, cake/bakery with a good smokiness and some pepper in there, too. Toffee and croissants. Sweet and rich, with some signs that a) we were a bit drunk last night and b) this may have been open a while.

Toasty and creamy with heavily honeyed sherried tones. Apple pie, ice cream, caramel, toffee, blueberries, vanilla or milk and honey-scented hand soap. Smoke and sherry intermingle in the finish that grows a bit stale and watery.

SUMMARY:

It must be acknowledged that some of the flavours detected could be the result of an old bottle being open for an unknown period of time."There are some things that when you smell makes you think its not a good one, but when you taste it, it's a different story," said Tommi. But no matter how much oxidation has occurred, this stuff is very delicious and smells completely different than any whisky I have ever had. I have had old JWBlacks before and the core of this was the same, although some of the pieces had decomposed, so to speak. Lacks the grainy vanilla notes that the contemporary JWBlack has, but the grain makes its presence known, especially on the nose, with margarine and corny-type aromas. Again, in the finish, aged grain can be detected. It is a deep-filled sandwich of a whisky, a wonderful mix of flavours with a great mouthfeel and chewy finish. To think that this stuff was available for + or - £15 makes me want to give up buying new whiskies, esp the overpriced juvenile malts that are becoming more prominent today, and start an apple juice tasting blog.

When I drink something like this I cannot help but be concerned that the changes in whisky production over the past 30 years have had a negative impact on the flavour of Scottish whisky available today. What will it hold for the future? I know many whisky writers have been vocal about this trend, especially Charlie Maclean who has had his nose in glasses of whisky since long before my folks ever met, let alone thought of making a little Sammy, and I assure you it is not just nostalgia for the way things were. It is a reality. That being said, in many ways we are entering a new era of whisky with new grains and barley strains, maturation techniques and casks, new yeasts, and new markets. So please, raise a glass with me: Here is to the future of full-flavoured and affordable scotch whisky. And, of course, here's to 200 more Malt Missions. Have a good weekend.

Malt Mission #196
Malt Mission #197
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Malt Mission 2007 #35

Johnnie Walker Blue Label
A Blend of our Very Rarest Whiskies
43% abv
£130
$230(CAD)
$200(USD)

Like it or not, Johnnie Walker Blue Label means 'the best whisky' in almost every language in the world.

The stuff is legendary by managing to create a mystique through clever(and often misleading) advertising and tight-lipped secrecy regarding the recipe. That being said, I have done my best to gather what I can about the recipe.

So, what is in Johnnie Walker Blue Label? It is said to include some very aged whiskies, including a drop of ancient Royal Lochnagar, sherried Blair Atholl, smoke from Caol Ila, and whiskies from closed distilleries including a 1923 Auctertool. About the recipe, Charlie Maclean told me, "It varies, but there will always be a tiny amount of old Cardhu (maybe only a tea-spoon), almost certainly some Mortlach and Clynelish and Caol Ila or Lagavulin.”

Kevin Erskine at the informative and often hilarious Scotch Blog has addressed some concerns around Diageo and the marketing of Blue here and here, so lets look at something else... PRICE.

Is the price justified?

What is interesting is the absolute variety in pricing across the board. I have seen Blue priced anywhere from £60 to £150(currency translated) in varied markets. So is its value just based on market or is there an intrinsic WORTH. If it is the only way to taste, say 1923 Auchtertool, then that must be worth something. But how much? How do we tell?

Lets just say this Auchtertool existed as a bottle on the market, it would be a conervative estimate to assume that it may fetch £30,000(?) as a single rare bottle from a demolished distillery distilled over 80years ago. Now lets say that there is one millilitre of the stuff in every bottle, then that would make it quite a deal to have £400 worth of old whisky for circa £120. But what if it is mixed with shit(not that this is necessarily the case), does it retain its value?

Too dramatic? Funny you shoud say so, cuz some irony lies in the fact that a housing estate currently exists on the site of the old distillery called 'Brookside' (yes like the tv series, a UK soap, RIP 1982-2003).

Say a bottle of similarly priced whisky, Talisker 25yo (£105), Glen Moray 30yo(£130), Glengoyne's Peter's Choice, or one of the best whiskies I have ever had, Balblair 38 year old(£140)... how do they compare, or rather, how does JW Blue compare? The quick answer is that it simply would not stand up in that company. Not at all.
(Hey, Diageo, just read profits are up. Good for you. If you want to prove me wrong re. Blue vs. Tali 25 do be in touch for my mailing address. I will gladly do that research)

And many of us rely on taste to determine the worthiness of a given food, wine, or whisky, so is that fair? Surely rarity affects cost (truffles? blue diamonds?), just think of the aaawful Loch Dhu, currently going for a STOOPID amount, or the excellent AND affordable Glenglassaugh releases, 19 and 22yo, and it becomes clear that market demand is ultimately the only way to assess that value.

Perhaps if they did give us SOME clue as to what piece(s) of history we are tasting, a more justified respect may be earned by the product. Or maybe they dont need that kind of respect, they have the steady cash flow of countless Wall Street boys, well-intentioned folk who want to get Dad 'something nice', wealthy Russians, Emirs and sheiks to keep Johnnie Walker Blue's paragon status.

As always, comments welcome and encouraged.

Enough typing, let's drink some.

TASTING NOTES:

This is somehow warming my top lip, not a hard edge to be found, the softest of childrens toys... for adults. It makes me have a vague sense of having to sneeze it is that stimulating, there is a physical impact. Amazing. Honeyed smoke and lamb fat, chicken soup. More smoke acting like the defining colour for every sensation: apple peel, creme brulée, raw potatoes, gin/juniper berries, oak panelling in a friend's basement.

Soft entry, but upon swallowing it explodes with a tingling alcohol sensation that evolves straight past mid palate experience to a finish, which has honey, smoke and wood. I am convinced that there is lots happening but I am numbed by the alcohol and cannot unpack it.
Am I wrong? The pros got more than I seem to be able to...
To be fair to JW Blue, and you, I have to get the opinions of others to see if I am crazy.
Johnnie Walker Blue, meet Kristin and her brother, Espen.

They both agreed the nose was big, beautiful, complex, and very inviting. On the palate, Espen says "steel taste". Kristin is convinced it is "like eating a cloud". I have cut it at this point and find soil, salt and latex, like chewing on a balloon. On the finish, Espen observes that "it stays forever". Kristin smiles, closes her eyes seductively, and only wants more. Cut, I find it much more tolerable in that it has lost its nails. But contrary to what I thought was buried behind the boozy bite, there is not a huge complex array of flavours but rather a concise package of oak, flowers, chocolate and pear or apple. Sexy, seductive, but not worth cheating on a better woman.

SUMMARY:

Kristin's line when we first had this whisky was memorable among our friends. She said, paradoxically, "You can't drink it quickly, but you wish you could drink it all night." I suppose many would like to drink it all night, I simply couldn't afford that, and for the price, I would certainly buy something else. That being said, there is a sexiness about it, it is a sensual drinking experience. It is a whisky that takes time, and benefits from time in the glass.

At a tasting I was hosting, Charlie Maclean told me to suck an ice cube before drinking it and note the silk effect of the spirit as it slides down my throat. Any spirit that benefits from numbing the tongue, even if recommended by a legend, is suspicious in my mind. Nonetheless, the currency this label has around the world as THE status symbol and THE embodiment of "the best whisky" makes it an impressive gift, just one that I would never give.

Malt Mission #31
Malt Mission #32
Malt Mission #33
Malt Mission #34

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Malt Mission 2007 #34

Johnnie Walker Green Label
Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
15yo
43% abv
£27
$58.20(CAD)
$60(USD)

Another from the famous Johnnie Walker dynasty.
The hierarchy of the Johhnie Walker family goes Red, Black, Green, Gold, Blue.
This malt mission began with Johnnie Walker Black Label and this week will see three others: Red yesterday, Green today... Which will be tasted tomorrow? oooooo....

So I explained the history of the company under the Red Label, and I am sure you can hear that tune, "one of these things is not like the other, one of these just doesnt belong..."
JW Green Label is a Blended Malt, or to be less confusing, I prefer the term VATTED malt making it NOT a 'blended whisky' like Grouse, or Teachers or JW Red. Ok, quickly...

Single Malt whiskies are 'single' cuz they are made from one particular grain(malted barley) and from one particular distillery (say, Springbank). They are made in copper pot stills.
Single Grain Whiskies are whiskies made from barley and/or maize, and/or wheat and made in big Column stills, Coffey Stills, or Continuous Stills.
Blended whiskies are made from one or more different single malts mixed together with one or more Grain whiskies.
Vatted Malt, Pure Malt or Blended Malt Whiskies are made from one or more different single malts vatted/blended together.

This whisky contains about 15 different single malts, but only four are mentioned on the package: Talisker, Linkwood, Cragganmore, Caol Ila.

TASTING NOTES:

Heavy, dense air about it, smells move from low to high, if you know what I mean. From a bottom of oak and humid sea air, whole peppercorns, malt, pecans, pears, to honey on top. Very impressive, confident.

Pungent and powerful, but a real ensemble, tough to pick out individual flavours. Some apple and toffee cake, some vapours of cherry wood smoke. Then things kick into bitterness. Big alcohol impression, too, that the experience doesnt recover from. Hard. May benefit from a bunch of ice. Or a shitty mood.

WITH ICE:

Gorgeous sherry sweetness on the nose, big heathery smoke and the bitterness completely goes away. Still not exactly my thing, but I think that ice makes nice. Eureka!

SUMMARY:

Loved the nose, big and exciting, lots of character. enjoyed the sort of waxy mouthfeel. But beyond that this dram lost its appeal. Spirit heat and bitterness spoil the possibility for flavour development. Perhaps it is just a moody dram and I just aint in the right mood. Will try with ice later.

When I tried with ice I realised this must be the way this dram is intended to be consumed. Probably great for a Rusty Nail.

Malt Mission #31
Malt Mission #32
Malt Mission #33
Malt Mission #35

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Malt Mission 2007 #33

Johnnie Walker Red Label
Old Blended Scotch Whisky
40% abv
£16
$28.65(CAD)
$24(USD)

Now here is a face everyone will recognise. Just the sight of the bottle means 'whisky' to so many people, it is the ubiquitous whisky in home bars the world over. It is so recognised it has currency as a status symbol in many countries and has appeared in the recent King Kong remake, Wedding Crashers, in Leonard Cohen's "Closing Time", and more...

So what's the story?

In 1820, John Walker established his grocery in Kilmarnock. By the mid-19th century, they were selling “Walker’s Kilmarnock Blended Whiskies” on a wholesale basis. Alexander succeeded John after his death in 1857. With the change in law now allowing the blending of malt and grain whiskies under bond, he developed a flourishing business in blending whisky, registered the name “Walker’s Old Highland Whisky” in 1867. By 1886 they had sales offices from England to Australia to America and they were exporting to over seventy countries worldwide. So they bought a distillery, Cardhu, in 1893 to maintain supply for their increasingly successful whisky. In 1906, a black label was given to the 12 yr old Extra Special Old Highland Whisky to distinguish it from the the Special Old Highland Whisky, which used a red label. “Johnnie Walker” was registered as a trademark in 1908 and a year later Tom Browne created the famous strutting monocled character, “Born 1820—Still Going Strong”.

The trademark square bottle still used today began in 1870s, and sales of Red are around 8 million cases, more than any other whisky, while Black doesn’t do too poorly with a whopping 3.5 million. (All JW does about 20million cases per year) There products are now sold in 120 countries. In order to maintain supply for its European demand in the later 70’s, they stopped all UK sales and exported every Red label. Bells and Grouse became increasingly popular and JW has never been able to make a return to dominance the UK where Bells and Grouse rule the roost.

Has grains between 4 and 6 years old and malts between 5 and 10, including (possibly) Aultmore, Benrinnes, Cardhu, Clynelish, Dailuaine, Caol Ila, Glenkinchie, Glen Ord, Inchgower, Royal Lochnagar, Talisker, and Teaninich, to name just a few... I mean, a dozen.

TASTING NOTES:

Prominent grain sweetness, applesauce and vanilla. Attacks up high in the nose. Thin but with a few waves of malt depth offering the toasted taste of rough oat cakes, weak burnt smell, spent matches from yesterday, and wood.

Starts well with exciting hot grains and pepper and clementine skin, but never delivers much beyond sweet barley spirit with the slightest touch of honey and peat making it discernible as 'whisky'. Finish lingers but it is not an exceptionally pleasant one.

SUMMARY:

Although there is good flavour movement in that impressions change throughout the drinking experience, the impressions just aren't that...well, impressive. Whisky that ice wouldn't hurt. Or coke.

Malt Mission #31
Malt Mission #32
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Malt Mission #35

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Malt Mission 2007 #1

Johnnie Walker Black Label 12yo
Blended Scotch Whisky
43% abv
£18.99
$42.50(CAD)
$35(USD)

Loved by everyone from Winston Churchill to Leonard Cohen and happily nosed and tasted on New Years morn by yours truly, Johnnie Walker is a real legend of the whisky world. And thus serves as the perfect first dram in this malt mission...

The flurry of flavours enjoyed in every JWBlack can be attributed to the 40 whiskies(35 malt, 5 grain) that are blended to create this beauty. Formerly known as the Extra Special Old Highland Whisky, Johnnie Walker Black delivers every time I have it.

TASTING NOTES:

Sweet, apples and honey, soft brown pears, custardy cream smell, cakey, lively and fresh in the nose. malted barley and a good whisky smell. Not necessarily a peatiness, but a definite burnt or toasty character about it.

Has grainy assertiveness that keeps you on your toes through a development of flavour that lasts at least 20 seconds. Subtle and constantly changing in the mouth. Starts really sweet, but a nice sweet, like kissing rather than talking about kissing. Moves into oaky territory, winey and grapey with leafy breezes of herbal tastes. Slowly developing long finish of smoky clothes sweetened with a body spray of vanilla, apples and honey (pay attention Body Shop!)

Pleasantly sweet for introductions and then takes you on a pleasant ever-developing flavour ride. Long finish.

(When I added water a fishy salty sourness emerged, like real licorice with rotting carcass. NB- do not cut with water, it is at its best at full strength). But absolutely lovely on tons of ice.

SUMMARY:

It all starts with a great tradition. Innovation in blending passed down through generations. Clever opportunism. Marketing genius. Branding and re-branding. Skill to be able to constistenly blend a tasty whisky for over 150 years. Then finally put it in a sexy bottle to decorate our shelf and you have a world-class knock-out dram.

I can still taste the damn thing.

Malt Mission #2
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