Johnnie Walker is the most widely distributed brand of blended whisky in the world, and the Black Label is one of the world’s best selling Scotch whiskies. Coming in locally at just under the $60 mark, for me it hovers between the mid-range good value price ($55 – $65) and the what I consider the largely ‘excellent whisky’ price ($70-$90+). We’ve often talked about what a great value it is for the shelf, I needed to spend an evening with this stalwart and discover my true feelings!

Nose
Initially smoke, followed quickly by dark fruits – fig, raisin, very pleasant and sweet. There is a definite oakiness, all of those barrel notes in there. Spicy, delightful.

I also get dry hay, and straw. It mixes nicely with the fruit – I picture a basket of dry straw with ripening figs nestled in it.

Smoke recedes with time, but it still can be found when sought after.

After some time in the glass, a vanilla custard appears. Creme Brulee. No pastry notes, just a nice vanilla custard. I can seek out many of these notes and find them. They don’t always come forward to show themselves though.

Palate
Rich and full. Sweetness, dark fruits, some serious vanilla undertones. Smooth and easy on the tongue. Every now and then I sense a bite of spirit, but it is fleeting. Nothing terribly strong actually – all the notes are nice, smooth, but mid strength. Well blended perhaps?

Finish
The sweet dark fruits fade away, and there is a bit of lingering smoke perhaps. Definitely a vanilla barrel and spice finish, as the sweetness of the sip departs.

Final Thoughts
I was happy to take the time with a dram of this shelf standard – for me it swings between middling and marvelous, from dram to dram. Taking the time with it, I was struck by the nose, a really nice multilevel experience. The taste didn’t seem to evolve much, and was overall mid-range in power (not muddled or weak, just not a strong impression in any one thing).

I may have been influenced by other reviews that state “look for smoke, there’s smoke. Look for fruit, there’s fruit. Look for vanilla, there’s vanilla”. I would agree with that on the nose for sure. But the palate and finish were fairly consistent, and not particularly dynamic.

A neat association I have with JW Black is the show “The Deuce”, set in the 70’s and 80’s, New York criminals and cops, lots of bars. Every time the cops would come in to hassle or visit the bars, it was “Whisky. And not that cheap stuff – top shelf”. And out comes the JW Black, every time.

I’m not entirely sold on the value for this one. At just under $60, I’m trying to think of whiskies I enjoy more. Haven’t come up with any yet (except some sweet yellow tags!) so maybe this is best in show for this price range. I’m probably a bit inclined to creep into the $70 tier for some whiskies I enjoy a fair bit more. And as a regular sipper, the price makes it a non-starter against bargains like Cutty Sark, JP Wiser TBR, and Teachers Highland Cream.

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