Review by: ZoidbergOnTheRocks
Alright, let’s get the Johnnie Walker reviews out of the way. Tasted on 11/9/2020, neat in a Glencairn.
Johnnie Walker Black Label The Director’s Cut – Blade Runner 2049
JW Black bottled special for the Blade Runner 2049 movie in 2017. Bottled at a promising 49% ABV, whereas the normal Black is 40%. The box is cool. Let’s be honest, I only bought this because of the movie and for the cool bottle.
Distillery: Blend
Bottler: John Walker & Sons (JW&S)
ABV: 49.0%
Age: NAS. Bottled in 2017.
One of 39,000 bottles.
Nose: light wood smoke, a bit of peat, sweet apples, vanilla, mild allspice, ethanol, new leather. With water: similar, with the grain more obvious. More floral now, too.
Taste: mild wood smoke, pepper, sweet apple, toffee, thin-to-slightly-medium mouthfeel, hot, malt, grain, oak, perhaps some figs or raisins. With water: a bit thinner, not hot anymore, otherwise the same.
Finish: mild smoke, pepper, apple, grain alcohol, leather, fairly short, tails off like bitter tea w/ pepper. With water: a touch more smoke, less bitter on the finish.
A very simple dram with a mild, pleasant nose with some nice smoke over apples. Nose and palate are a bit hot for sure without water, and the palate includes a strong grain component. Just a little bit of water brings the heat down without squashing the rest, which is a good sign. Overall not a bad flavor profile, could be much better balanced, and rather simple overall.
Final Score: 77.
Johnnie Walker Blue Label
This is a standard bottle of JW Blue, bottled at 40% ABV. This is my “guest scotch” which I roll out for people with no experience. It’s got a pretty bottle, an instantly recognizable name, and most people know it’s expensive so it must be good. And it’s inoffensive.
Distillery: Blend
Bottler: John Walker & Sons (JW&S)
ABV: 40.0%
Age: NAS. Bottled circa 2015.
Nose: floral, perfume, stewed apples, peaches, white pepper, caramel, a hint of smoke, oak, new leather, all very mild and subtle but well balanced.
Taste: thin like water, caramel, perfume, toffee, very mild pepper, oak, cereal, sweet apples, some leathery notes, again all very, very mild. You really have to search for some of these.
Finish: grain, perfume, burnt caramel, very mild pepper, a touch of apple, honey, malt, oak, and a far off touch of smoke. Medium length.
This is very mild, with mostly sweet, floral, and perfume notes for me first, with some fruit, then a bit of spice, wood, leather and such. Mildly complex nose, which is the best part of this by far. Subtle, but very nicely balanced. The palate doesn’t hold up at all for me though. Thin, really hard to find the flavors in it, mostly on caramel, perfume, and oaky notes. The finish is poor: grain alcohol first, followed by perfume, burnt caramel, then the others much further back.
I’m scoring this without considering how much it cost. It’s just an inoffensive, sub-par scotch blend no matter how you try to twist it. I get why some people like it, I do, but it’s a hard pass for anyone past their first baby steps on their whisky journey. No matter what, it’s not worth a quarter of the price, full stop.
Final Score: 72.
Comparison
Order: Black 2049 > Blue
The Black 2049 has a better profile all around. Sure, it’s less complex than the Blue, but it has a better mouthfeel, it’s less perfumey/grainy, and honestly the Blue has more off-notes. The smoke is a nice touch in the Black 2049, and it finishes better. For me this is a pretty easy call.
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
- 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
- 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
- 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
- 50-59: Save it for mixing.
- 0-49: Blech.
Malt Runners 