Johnnie, Johnnie, Johnnie, Johnnie, Johnnie…
How many expressions of blended Scotch whisky does one house need? Twenty-nine, says John Walker and Sons Limited – or their corporate overlords at Diageo. The core of Johnnie Walker’s range encompasses seven labels (Red, Black, Double Black, Green, Gold Label Reserve, Aged 18 Years, and Blue) with an additional four “Exclusive Blends” (XR21, King George V, Odyssey, and The John Walker), nine Limited Editions (Blenders’ Batch Triple Grain American Oak, Blenders’ Batch Wine Cask Blend, The Jane Walker, White Walker, Blue Label Ghost and Rare Brora, Blue Label Ghost and Rare Port Ellen, Blue Label Year of the Pig, Game of Thrones Ice, and Game of Thrones Fire). This is not counting the travel retail exclusive editions such as the four Black Label Origins bottlings (Highlands, Speyside, Lowlands, and Islay), Swing, the Blenders’ Batch Red Rye Finish, and the three Explorers’ Club (Gold Route, Royal Route, and Spice Road). For the collectors, there are additional city-specific editions of the Blue Label. But wait! As I’m typing this, I have noticed a press release for “The John Walker, The Last Cask.” Make that an even thirty!
Forgive that self-indulgent, Salingerian exercise in list making, but I believe it makes an important point about expression sprawl, of which Macallan is possibly the king. Brands are in competition for shelf space and have intense pressure to devote limited marketing dollars to a set of essential sub-brands with commercial longevity and individual unique selling propositions.
At the same time we – the whisky-drinking public – are a fickle and easily-bored bunch. For those passing through an airport duty-free shop, a novel expression with a perceived scarcity (the oft-abused “Limited Edition” tag gets liberal application) can mean the difference between an impulse purchase and an unmolested wallet.
A steady flow of new-ish releases, or at least fresh coats of paint on old standbys, can also guarantee regular coverage in the “News” section of whisky websites. These “articles,” which are more often regurgitated press releases, provide questionable value to Johnnie and Jane Drinker. However, they unquestionably drive site traffic, an example of the chummy symbiosis which we have eschewed here at MALT in favor of a more substantial – and critical – survey of the landscape.
As a generally curious guy and somewhat of a completist, however, I will admit to the subconscious appeal of “collecting the whole set,” as I was exhorted to do on the back of early 1980’s Star Wars action figure packaging. Today I’ll scratch that itch with a by-no-means-exhaustive survey of a swath of Johnnie Walker expressions. What I’m sacrificing in comprehensiveness I am making up for in convenience, as these came pre-packaged in a set dubbed “Discover.”
I was able to pick up these five 50 ml bottles for $40. I did the boring math and the fair market value for this wee set, based on retail prices for the full-sized bottles of each of these, is closer to $26 for the five. A 50 ml of the Blue Label is available for $20, though, putting market price closer to $34. Either way, I paid a bit of a mark-up. The things I do for you, beloved reader!
In truth, I’m most excited to try the Blue Label. My first and only run-in with this expression came in the middle of the last decade, right after university, when a friend was gifted a bottle for Christmas. Casting his pearls before swine, he opened it at a party where it was consumed rather than savored. Needless to say, my tasting notes from that experience are nonexistent.
Conceptually, I have a skeptical relationship to this expression. It’s everywhere and it’s typically the most expensive bottle on the shelf, which attracts the attention of those less-than-sophisticated drinkers who know the price of everything and the value of nothing. I liken it to the placement of Opus One Napa Valley Red on the wine lists of American steakhouses, where it is usually the priciest option. In the way that people who know nothing about wine “know” that that Opus One is “good wine,” people who know nothing about Scotch whisky “know” that Johnnie Walker Blue is “good Scotch,” based on price alone.
So, I am interested to see if the Blue Label lives up to the top billing it frequently receives. There’s a lot of blended whisky to try first, though. Without further ado, let’s tuck in.
The first is the ubiquitous Black Label, one of my all-time favorite blended Scotch whiskies. I am in the habit of enjoying this over ice at cocktail parties, dive bars, and anywhere else that the selection of whiskies is relatively limited. It is bottled at 40% and sells for around $30 in my neck of the woods, or £30.25 via the Whisky Exchange, just £24 from Amazon,or Master of Malt will charge £26.95.
Johnnie Walker Black Label – Review
Color: Medium golden-orange.
On the nose: Ahh, there it is. Wildflowers, honey and milky grain scents. A weak cup of black tea and some old cinnamon sticks. A bit of chalk and some whipped cream frosting.
In the mouth: It’s really interesting to taste this neat and slowly. At the front of the tongue there’s the astringent and tannic nip of tea – this time, a strong cup. It blossoms at midpalate with tart lemon and richly woody notes, as well as some sharper floral flavors. There’s a fade into the back of the mouth, but this also lingers with some slightly salty nut flavors and a bit of savory broth. Letting this sit a while longer, I’m getting a slightly sour and bitter aftertaste as the only obvious flaw.
Conclusions
This is really the blended Scotch baseline, for me. It is diluted down to minimum strength but does not taste dilute; it is self-possessed and mostly seamless. Not one that inspires philosophical meditation or poetic exuberance, but it does the job adequately for the price.
Score: 5/10
Johnnie Walker Double Black retails for around $45, but my local has it on sale for $35 currently. You can expect to pay £32.75 via the Whisky Exchange, it’s the same price on Amazon and Master of Malt. It is also bottled at 40%. The official notes state, “Johnnie Walker Double Black is matured in heavily charred casks and uses a greater proportion of characterful West Coast and Island whiskies to elevate iconic flavors to a new level of intensity.” Full disclosure: I tied this before and was not a fan, but I’m keeping an open mind – as one must do with blends – given the inescapable batch variation.
Johnnie Walker Double Black – Review
Color: Identical golden-orange color to the Black Label.
On the nose: More limited than the Black Label. This has some of the floral scents as well as a buttery note of pastry like freshly-baked brioche. There’s the faintest whiff of mint but then… nothing. The more intently I sniff this, the less I am able to discern individual nuances. It performs an olfactory vanishing act.
In the mouth: Rounder, softer, but with less personality. This is distinguished by a very subtle smokiness, but it’s merely an afterthought. The most prominent – nay, only – flavor in the middle of the mouth is a muddled malty-meatiness. There’s a bit of ash on the finish, which otherwise feels weak, save for more tea-like astringency.
Conclusions
The prior batch I tried was marred by an acrid smokiness that seemed like a clumsy overlay and detracted from the character of the basic Black expression. This doesn’t have that flaw, but also doesn’t have much in the way of pleasant characteristics to offset. It remains a step up in price and a step down in quality relative to Black (singular).
Score: 4/10
The Gold Label Reserve is another 40% bottling. Per the website: “Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve is created using award-winning whiskies – including fruity Highland malts and lighter Speyside malts for sweetness and spice, combined with those from the Scottish islands for our signature smoky finish.” Further, it was “created by Master Blender Jim Beveridge to celebrate nearly 200 years of the art of blending.” It’s priced at a non-celebratory $70, the Whisky Exchange charges £43.75, a more appealing price of £30 via Amazon and Master of Malt will charge £42.90.
Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve– Review
Color: Medium-light gold, a bit fainter than the others.
On the nose: Fruity, indeed. Some mango and grapefruit to start. There’s fruity hard candies and underripe kiwi. A bit of sugary pavlova, enlivened by some lemon zest. Orchard fruit here, too- green apples and yellow pears.
In the mouth: A bit of citrus to start.Vanilla wafers, an evanescent note of custard. The most wispy and fleeting flavor of ground nutmeg. There’s a slightly drying note of chalk here, before a nondescript roundness with a muted grassy accent punctuates the beginning of the finish. And the end of the finish. This literally has no finish. It leaves abruptly, without saying goodbye.
Conclusions
If blending is an art, then Jim Beveridge is blending’s Blinky Palermo (that’s a bit of minimalism humor for you). Considered in isolation, this is cheery and satisfactory, without conspicuous flaws. It would be a solid recommendation at 1/3 of the suggested retail price. At the current ask, this is pretty brazen in its underperformance, and is therefore being docked a point.
Score: 4/10
The notes for the 18-year-old blend read as follows: “Johnnie Walker Aged 18 Years is a smooth, well-rounded combination of up to 18 different whiskies from all over Scotland. Most of these are classic malt whiskies – which have undergone a slow, easy maturation in Scotland for at least 18 years.” Ah, it’s fascinating how much that sounds like bollocks. Also 40%; they hit you $80 for this one. The Whisky Exchange will ask for £69.95, Amazon just £59.51 and Master of Malt £69.95.
Johnnie Walker Aged 18 Years – Review
Color: Similar medium-light gold to the Gold Label.
On the nose: Ripe red apples and cinnamon, in the manner of apple cider. There’s a slightly green vegetal note, but not forceful enough to be counted as a flaw. Some butter cookies, perhaps? These are getting more amorphous and duller on the nose as the prices rise.
In the mouth: Texturally, this is quite odd. The front of the mouth has an all-together maltiness. This transitions by way of a subtly yeasty note to the midpalate, where it again becomes chalky and drying. Again, the finish is a disappearing act, with serious concentration focusing the mouth’s attention on the most watery residual flavor of green pears.
Conclusions
Presuming effort and price are correlated, it seems like the harder Mr. Beveridge tries, the less flavor he’s able to coax out of these. Another one that would be innocuous at best if sold for a fractional price relative to what you’re asked to pay. Another point docked.
Score: 4/10
And now, the main event. “[I]nspired by Alexander Walker’s 1867 Old Highland Whisky,” according to the website, “Johnnie Walker Blue Label is created using a selection of rare casks from the Speyside and Highland distilleries – including delicate Cardhu and Clynelish, warm, rounded Benrinnes, as well as Islay malts for our signature smokiness.” Again, bottled at 40%. This goes for $180, £150 at the Whisky Exchange, just £129.95 at Amazon and Master of Malt. I’m almost terrified to try this, expecting it to taste like pure tap water given the progression heretofore.
Johnnie Walker Blue Label – Review
Color: Same pale gold.
On the nose: More orchard fruit. Pear hard candies, the type they used to sell in a little round tin. A gentle overlay of vanilla. I’m trying very, very hard to come up with more descriptors, but I’m not being given anything to work with. It’s like having a conversation with a monosyllabic respondent.
In the mouth: Tastes like… nothing. Seriously, this may be the weakest of the bunch by far, and it’s got some lily-livered competition. If I give this a really aggressive swirl and swish it through my teeth, there’s an impossibly vague roasty-smokiness here. The palate almost has some discernible flavor at the tip of the tongue but, then again… nope. Oh, wait, there’s the musty funkiness of a shop full of old books for, like, a second. And there it goes. It’s gone.
Conclusions
As the old ad went, “This is a travesty and a sham and a mockery. It’s a traveshamockery!” I can’t believe this sells for $18, much less $180. The epitome of the triumph of style over substance. The marketing folks at Diageo must be geniuses; seriously, Johnnie Walker must have raided the M.I.T. physics department to find people clever enough to convince people to pay this much for this little. It’s fine, it doesn’t make me want to throw up, but… damn. $180?!? Docked double points for the preposterous asking price.
Score: 3/10
Well, that went south very quickly. I don’t know whether to be enraged or relieved. On the one hand, Johnnie Walker is ripping off anyone who pays up with the expectation of superior raw materials or craftsmanship, as the finished products bear no traces of either. But, to put a positive spin on this Hindenburg Zeppelin of a vertical tasting: if you’ve only ever tasted Johnnie Walker Black, you’re not missing anything. As in, not a consarned thing. The emperor has no clothes; he doesn’t even have chest hair.
Fools and knaves may brag about their top-shelf bottles, but now you know the secret: spend $30 and you can enjoy the best that Johnnie Walker has to offer. And, if you find yourself tempted by any of the more “prestigious” offerings sampled here, you’d best make like Johnnie and walk on.
There are commission links within this article but as you can see, they don’t affect our judgement. Images from the Whisky Exchange.
“Could you recommend a whisky for circa £50 for my son’s birthday, his favourite is JW Blue but that’s quite expensive”.
This request came from a friend of mine recently, so my suggestion was the 12 yo Blend from Cadenhead’s which with postage was just under £40.
Far more bang for your buck, and much nicer to receive something decent that you couldn’t just get anywhere.
He loved his present by the way!
David, nicely done! I’m sure Jason will endorse your support of Cadenhead’s. There’s so much great whisky out there across the price range. I hope this article convinces anyone thinking of spending $50 to $200 for a blend that they can – and should – do better than the stuff being peddled by Johnnie Walker. Cheers!
Best whisky <£50 – Monkey Shoulder
Best whisk(e)y £100 – Midleton very rare.
If you want something different try Hibiki Harmony priced halfway btwn the 2 above.
Monkey Shoulder is awful. It’s harsh and unpleasant. Tastes like nailpolish remover. Don’t ask me how I know that.
Hi David
The Cadenheads 12yo blend is very good value and keeps on getting better. I’d include the Hazelburn 10yo or the Kilkerran 12yo in that value spectrum. You’re paying for the contents and not the packaging. Neither disappoints.
Cheers, Jason.
I always thought JW was meant much as a mass distribution, where in ex-US/UK/EU, it’s considered a premium whiskey. Although that logic doesn’t work anymore in India or China. But it’s the one ubiquitous brand available anywhere from NY’s top bar to some back dusty road in Zimbabwe. That may be the only positive for JW. That, and for me, this was the one brand I was required by familial law to bring back to India while visiting relatives there.
Personally, the only JW I liked was the Green. Only JW I actually bought a full bottle.
PB, I’ve been told that more bottles of Johnnie Walker are consumed in India than are produced in Scotland, on account of counterfeiting. It’s lucky for Diageo that they have 1.3 billion people hankering for the stuff on the subcontinent, as they’ve certainly lost a repeat customer in this humble writer. Cheers and GO BLUE!
If imo you want a sophisticated ,smooth dram
Start with The Dalmore line many price points
And a fantastic way to intro the finer scotch whiskey , did the vodka craze in the 80’s, the wine in the 90’s,bourbon in 2000’s, and now whisky in 2000 teens can’t go wrong with The Dalmore, again my opinion ,wonder what’s the next craze ?
Bruce: it’s rum. Cheers.
I avoid any and all Johnnie Walker, partly because it’s Diageo, and partly because it’s just not very good. I’ve tried them all and came to the realization that they have a unique way of measuring quality. It is not about flavor intensity and character as most whiskies are. For them it is all about smoothness and hence, almost a lack of flavor, as you go upward in the range. To understand this better you actually need to start with JW Red, which is a whisky to be avoided at all costs most of the time, with all of its unpleasant harshness and sharp edges. When you move to Black you can see many of those notes knocked off, and as reflected in your score, it is as good as the JW range ever gets. As you spend more, they make those notes diminish even more so by the time you get to the Blue it has been smoothed out so much that there is almost nothing left except a generic sort of whiskiness. The lack of any real character is its character. Not something I want to pay those prices for, but as you say, for people who know the price of everything and the value of nothing, they think that is good.
Perceptive and well-put comments, cheers Greg!
Although—-I admit, I do like their Green. It’s four single malt blend. Only one out of the JW lineup I’d buy.
I have a soft spot for the Johnnie Walker Brand, the bottle design and so on, I’d love a full collection but I’m a sucker like that!
I’m well aware that they aren’t great Whiskies though – by far my favourite is the Green Label followed by Black Label. I have an Export Strength JW Red that I picked up for €15 in a random airport – I’m scared to try it!
I’ve heard tell the reason they are so popular (and Blue in particular) in Asia is the cache and status of serving it. It’s all about promoting your wealth.
I tried Blue in a random bar in Newcastle that a colleague bought (£50 for a double!) and was very underwhelmed – it was smooth, almost anonymous and had no finish at all. About a year later I had the opportunity to try the Distillers Edition (I think) and it was far nicer but proportionally more expensive.
Andrew, thanks for the comments. Some fair points. I’ll give Johnnie Walker full credit for bottle design- the square shape and the diagonal label are excellent.
We’ve talked a bit in this space about new markets (e.g. emerging Asia) and the different relationship to brands. I’m reluctant to fall into this trap of generalization- there are surely some Chinese folks who know a great deal more than me and you about Scotch whisky, same as there are some Scottish folks whose knowledge is limited to The Famous Grouse. This applies as well to whisky as a status symbol- a cursory search will reveal numerous “bottle porn” Instagram accounts by westerners.
Call me a cynic, but at the end of the day I believe it comes down to money, whether that’s pounds sterling, dollars, yen, rupees, or renminbi. Diageo/Johnnie Walker has chosen to emphasize the brand and let the quality of whisky fall by the wayside, in order to make more money. That’s on them.
What’s on us is to call shenanigans when we see them. There are some on the worldwide interwebs dotcom who willfully keep their blinders on, which is the way the industry likes it. For those of you willing to swallow the red pill, I hope this article serves as a reminder that not all that glitters is Gold, or indeed Blue.
Cheers!
As far as I’m concerned the only 12 year blend worth bothering with ‘Black’ in the name is Duncan Taylor’s ‘Black Bull’. 50% and NCF and under £40!
The old (15-20 years ago) “Gordon Graham” Black Bottle was a very good value blend but the more recent version from Burn Stewart is very disappointing. I tasted them both back to back and the new version was almost unpleasant by comparison.
Thanks for the reply Taylor!
I’m not falling into a trap a such bit from recent experience in Asia (Malaysia, not China – except Honk Kong) and my partner who lived in China in the past. Culturally, appearing wealthy is very important, a friend once told me that he’s seen a fight break out in a Restaurant in Thailand as a guest had gifted a less valuable than expected bottle to a host.
Your review has inspired me to try and get a selection of bottles together, maybe whatever is considered the core range, which is something I’ve been meaning to do for a while.
In the past I would have just gone into hate mode but there seems little point. I think it’s crap but lots of people don’t and there in is the rub. It’s the money making machine of Diageo. Turn on the tap and out come the dollars. It would be interesting to compare the sales in the U.K between now and 10-20 years ago. It’s only the Red and Black generally available so punters have to be somewhere a bit different to pick up the others – airports, duty free etc.
I recently asked a retailer in Ronda who bought the expensive sherry and why did they do it? She said “The Chinese because it’s expensive.” That’s the market for Johnnie Walker Blue. People in the States seem to go for it too. Bars all over the world stock Red and Black. Unless you are really into whisky this stuff sounds good along with Glenfiddich etc. It’s a different market and we need these crappy blends to keep a lot of distilleries going. For the record, the Green is a different kettle of fish but I prefer single malt for the money. I enjoyed the notes for stuff I’m never going to buy. Cheers. WT
WT, happy to help out. I would have loved if any of these had come off, as I’m a fan of the Black and would like to have another widely-available option. Unfortunately, it was not to be. Cheers, as always, for the thoughts.
You rank everything a point too high, Taylor.
For an American, I think Malt should bring on Mead Mule. He’s the business!
Funny, Eustis, I’ve been told I’m far too negative. As always, there’s no pleasing everybody. In honesty, I don’t obsess over the scores, and would advise the MALT readership not to obsess over them either. If you read the text you’ll be aware that Blue Label is a waste of time and money whether I call it a 2 or a 3 or a 4.
Hi Eustis
We’re always welcoming of new writing talent, whether it’s as a guest slot or more regular basis. That door is always open, but it’s for the individual to ring the bell. There’s no press ganging nowadays.
Cheers, Jason.
Eustis, thanks for the compliment, although I happen to think Taylor is quite an excellent reviewer and writer; I always enjoy his pieces and perspective. Hopefully one of these days I will get around to submitting a guest piece or two for Malt (it’s been on my to do list for an embarrassingly long time).
-MeadeMule
Jon, glad to hear you enjoy the reviews. Cheers for the kind compliments!
Well, this is embarrassing. I’ve tried tine and again to leave a comment (mostly to Jason whose reviews drew me here in the first place – where my taste in whisky overlaps considerably, and I enjoy his writing style). In the past, I’ve been rebuffed by the program informing me I am a bot. The first time I suspected it was some sort of mistake. Then perhaps an existential commentary on my life. After a while, I began writing ta eis heauton (to myself) and for my own amusement. Fake names and contact, again for my amusement. Not pithy. Not well considered. And certainly not meant for broader consumption. You know ingenious insights like “your ratings are not what I would expect”, or “I’d like to hear this person’s take on this”. You see where I am going. Last time I didn’t get the bot comment, but had gotten so accustomed to it contemplate it may have posted. A genius I clearly am not.
Taylor, though my thoughts on spirits don’t often line up well with yours, you deserve a more considered and considerate comment on that if I were to do so. More of an opening salvo than an off the cuff remark. My apologizes. I clicked on the article because I thought the idea of a direct comparison of all the main core expressions was a brilliant idea. It was a very engaging way to present those bottles, which might otherwise have felt stale given their popularity. And I agree JW Blue is not worth it’s reputation. Though I’d be willing to drop up to two tokens on it ($40).
Hi Eustis
Thanks for the kind words and attempts to comment – please keep trying! I’ve not heard of any issues regarding this so it’s interesting. We will be doing some upgrades backstage soon thanks to our Patreon (or Patron for Toni), very soon.
Cheers, Jason.
Taylor, I’ve enjoyed your articles in general and found myself agreeable to most of your reviews. When it comes to JW I am a bit torn. I guess a larger portion of us malt mates had our first sip of whisky in the form of a JW or Chivas. And when we travel towards more complex and“less commercial” whiskys we tend to look back with total disdain towards commercial brands such as JW. I was like that a couple of years ago. However as I continued my whisky journey I reached a place where I can suddenly see things more objectively. Brands like JW and Chivas are the necessary evil in luring more newcomers to the world of whisky precisely because their products are non-offensive, mild and pleasant to the inexperienced general public. Whilst many of them will forever stop at JW on the rocks, others will be stirred enough to embark their own whisky journey from there. So, I no longer bash the multinational whisky companies. Funny enough, after dismissing JW Blue for many years because it’s simply not cool to like it as an experienced whisky drinker, I found myself back at it and actually enjoying the easiness of it once in a full moon when my tastebuds need a rest from all those non-chill filtered, cask strength stuff. I guess this is the ultimate freedom of a malt mate.
ACE, thanks for the continued attention. I should clarify by saying that I don’t dislike Johnnie Walker at all. I actually enjoy the Black, and my score of 5/10 indicates that it performs well for the price. The purpose of this piece is to explain that the premium for the higher-priced bottlings is not justified by the flavor. They’re not only not better than Black, some of them are actually worse. I continue to go to Johnnie Walker Black on the rocks when I am at a bar and need an easy sipper, and I don’t disdain entry-level whiskies at all. However, I would be a monkey‘s uncle before I would pay cash for JW Blue. Cheers!
You’re welcome. Love to share thoughts with fellow malt mates. I am still confused about this site’s scoring system – because for me, 5/10 of any product means it is trash, like you won’t buy anything from Amazon unless it is at least 4 stars. If a bottle performs well for its price most people would give it a 7/10 or at least 6/10? I don’t know. Perhaps a note to explain how the malt-review point system works before each review would help? The value proposition is not constant. Years ago when Hibiki 12 was $80 I’d be insane to pay for a JW Blue, and I didn’t, for a long long time. Well, now Hibiki 12 is $500 if one can even find it, JW Blue feels like a steal and I recently paid for one at a slight discount just to rekindle. I have to admit I am enjoying it with guilt (because I’m not supposed to like it being an experienced drinker) – I guess that makes me a monkey’s uncle LOL.
ACE, I’d advise you to check out our scoring bands (https://malt-review.com/about/scoring-bands/). It’s one of the main things that distinguishes Malt from the manifold other whisky review sites is the use of the entirety of the scoring scale. While you (rightly) wouldn’t buy a 50/100 on the other scale, you probably wouldn’t buy a 70/100 either. When 70% of a scale is useless, I’d argue that’s not a very good scale. Compare with our ten point scale: 5/10 is average. That’s going to be most whiskeys. When you see a 9/10 from us, that’s not a 90 on the other scale. That means a whiskey is really special, and you can take that for what it’s worth. Hope this helps?
Thanks! Wasn’t aware of your scoring bands. Read it and it makes a lot of sense. Although it is debatable which scoring methodology is better, to have a system that you guys believe in is enough. Perhaps link it in all of your reviews would help? Cheers
Hi Taylor,
sorry to tell you that your high noon-review of Johnnie Walker Blue (3/10) for me is absolutely not comprehensible.
You have not to go as far as to explore the archive of WHISKY ADVOCATE: JW Blue has got a score of 97 (the highest ever core, applied to only six editions) with the comment
“Close to perfection”.
It’s enough to have a look at your colleague’s Mark well-balanced review:
“showing off at the strata of flavours”,
“an awful lot of flavour is produced here at only 40 % ABV, which is really worth noting”,
“the balance between the three (smoke, tangy fruits, vevelty grains) is certainly
impressive”.
Contrary to that you are writing: “Tastes like ….. nothing” and: “The epitome of the triumph of style over substance”.
Clearly, there are always different perspectives and tastes in reviewing a whisky, – that’s
not the point, but describing the JW Blue as “tasting like nothing” shows a lack of any scale and distinction.
If nothing else, please listen to the wise man’s words: “Brave enough for single malt snobs to get off their high horse”.
And in the end I’ll do the best I can do in this situation: I’ll drink a good measure of JW Blue to the health of Mark and an even better measure to the health of you!
Cheers
Gerd
Gerd, on matters of taste: we’ll have to disagree. It would be worth highlighting a few points, though. First: Whisky Advocate accepts advertising; Malt does not. Whether their lack of independence influenced their score for JW Blue, I cannot say. However, I can say for certain that my score was my honest opinion, and that’s all I’ve got. I’m certainly not a single malt snob, as evinced by the fact that I enjoy JW Black, and many other blends besides. Finally, Mark’s review of JW Blue was back in 2014. A great many things have changed in the past seven years, not least that demand for high end whisky has increased exponentially all over the world. Tasting bottles from days gone by has educated me about the corners being cut to satisfy demand, and I’d encourage you to consider the possibility that the current form of this expression is perhaps not the same one on which the brand’s reputation was based. Cheers.