Johnnie Walker Blue Label
Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: NAS
Abv: 40%

Just a little sampler bottle, for what it’s worth. Still, it is the blue juice!

Nose
Honestly, how about some dark red berries of some sort? Wow, unique out of the gate. I start to get very gentle wisps of smoke, and a kind of tobacco pouch leather – more leather than tobacco, but there is some kind of deep richness along those lines. Sparkles of darker fruits, some deep grape, not quite drifting into fig or raisin. Gosh, that sense of old leather keeps coming back, like an old, well worn pouch that’s been well oiled over the decades. Slight dustiness brushes the nose.

Everything in here feels old – old leather, old fruits, old citrus rind, old vanilla oak. It’s quite wonderful.

Palate
Warm, oily, gentle. Fruit, vanilla, hints of smoke, leather. Some of the red berry dances about. Some light grassy notes.

Finish
Smoke persists, along with malt. Nice lightly oiled mouthfeel. Fading plinks of fruit, vanilla, berries.

Final Thoughts
Johnnie Walker Blue – the unicorn, the status symbol of the shelf. This is a nice whisky. There is a real sophistication to the blend, I was all over the place on the nose, chasing berries and smoke and citrus rind and malt. It was a delightful hunt. The feel of old leather was distinct and enjoyable. The palate seemed a bit fleeting, and far less dimensional than the nose. The finish was a bit of a recovery from the palate, bringing in a bit more of the smoke and other fading flavours.

I like this one, but I think knowing the price tag on it takes away some of the joy. At more than $300 for a full bottle, that sets a certain expectation. It is a fine whisky, but I have tasted many that I have enjoyed more than this one, at a quarter the price. Very happy to have the opportunity to explore it, though.

Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve
Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: NAS
Abv: 40%

Bottle Notes
A luxurious and smooth whisky with notes of vanilla, dark fruit and gentle smoke made with vibrant single malt and grain whiskies.

Nose
A striking sweet honey to open the dram. A very light waft of smoke dances across the surface, nimble like a dust mote. As time passes, the sweetness intensifies, and brings a bit of a bit of flowery field freshness. A bit of pleasant dusty malt enters later on.

Palate
Tingles of honey sweet dance through the mouth. A light, watery mouthfeel, largely dominated with sweetness. Nothing intense, but a gentle, sippable sweetness.

Finish
Quick, like water running through your fingers. A faint sweetness stays in the mouth, but largely is gone quickly. Yes, it departs mere seconds after the swallow.

Final Thoughts
Tonight I found this to be distinct from the other expressions. The sweetness eventually becomes the main, and sometimes only, character. It is smooth, very light drinking, quite an easy sipper. Dare I say, not challenging? In the past I had a full bottle on the shelf, and most of it I would say was not enjoyed overly much. However, I do recall near the end of the bottle it had settled in to a very nice, sweet, easy sipping dram. One that I would point to if I wanted to demonstrate the sweet profile to someone.

Perhaps some day I will stock the full line up of Johnnie Walker, and if so, this would be a welcome addition to the shelf. On its own though, probably would not reach for it at the store.