Johnny Walker Blue Label - NAS

ABV:   40% ABV

Price:  £139

John "Johnnie" Walker was born in 1805 near Kilmarnock and ran a grocery, wine and spirits shop on the High Street in Kilmarnock from where he started to sell his own whisky brand, then known as Walker’s Kilmarnock Whisky.

John’s son, Alexander, had learned the art of tea blending whilst working for a tea merchant in Glasgow and, when he returned to take over the family business from his ailing father, he used those skills to create the family's first blend in 1865, Old Highland Whisky, which eventually became Johnnie Walker Black Label.

A few years later, in 1870, Alexander introduced the now iconic square bottle as it allowed more bottles to be packed in a case and reduced breakages.

Now owned by Diageo

170 million ltrs sold in 2018

Sadly, the closure of the huge Johnnie Walker bottling plant in 2012, (once the world's largest) and the associate blending and bond operations in and around the town severed all links with Kilmarnock.

Now bottled in Shieldhall, Glasgow, extends across 43 acres and produces 27 million cases of Scotch Whisky each year, bound for 180 countries around the globe. 7 bottling lines – including one that bottles 600 a minute.

Blue Label – introduced in 1991 whiskies 20 & 50 yo – over the years the whiskies are tweaked – currently 28-60 yo – the actual Whiskies that make up Blue Label change – difficult to pin down

Johnnie Walker Blue Label is the rarest whisky from this world famous brand – only one in ten thousand casks makes the grade. Hand picked by JW master blender Jim Beverage (!)
Celebration of Scotland – whiskies from around Scotland

Inspired by 1800-style blended whiskies – endeavoured to copy it – why many older casks are selected

200th Anniversary edition created 2005 to celebrate John Walker’s birthday - on 25th July 1805.

Also ‘Ghost & Rare’ Blue Label

Others

-       Red Label: NAS best selling Scotch whisky in the world since 1945 - primarily used for making mixed drinks.

-       Black Label: Aged 12 years – slightly peaty

-       Double Black Label: More smokey – adding more peaty malt whiskies to it and maturing it in heavily charred old oak casks

-       Green Label: 15yo pure malt blend.

-       Gold Label Reserve" – was 18yo blends – now NAS

-       Odyssey – (£650) A super-premium release launched with an extraordinary around-the-world luxury yacht journey. This blended malt is made with multiple casks of three single malts married in European oak casks. The crystal decanter moves along with the motion of the ocean and its 'swing' design means it doesn't fall over.

There is a £20,000 bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label - a blend of 45- to 70- year-old whiskeys that exists..

NOSE

A mellow, rounded nose, with a dry smokiness (a Johnnie Walker signature flavour) mixed with raisin sweetness. Beautiful. Orange juice.

PALATE

The first sip reveals a velvety mouthfeel, then an explosion of flavour – hazelnuts, honey, rose petals, sherry and oranges. Subsequent sips reward you with more hidden secrets like kumquats, wispy aromatic smoke, sandalwood, tobacco, and dark chocolate. Oil.

FINISH

A rich and uniquely long and satisfying finish of smoke and pepper, ending with a glorious touch of spice.

WATER – not great