Johnnie Walker Black vs Modern Blends
Blended Scotch Whisky Comparison | Various ABV
Blending from the Beginners
For anyone following the sector, there has been a sizable shift in how independent bottlers are perceived and what is expected from them.
In a funny (funny ‘strange’, not funny ‘haha’) way, part of this shift has brought them back to their roots – or at least to the beginnings of the industry that caused independent bottlers to exist in the first place.
Come to think of it, there have been plenty of shifts, some seismic, within the independent bottling world, but a move towards blending, specifically in-house blending, is quite a recent trend—and more importantly, one that just may prove a lifeline for some independent bottlers going forward.
It is odd to think that many of the more established names in the independent bottling world (Cadenhead’s, Berry Bros and even, to a certain extent, Gordon & MacPhail) were far more concerned with – or better known for – blending than they were for single malts. Even Douglas Laing & Ian Macleod were blenders long before bottling single malts.
It is not that long ago that the word ‘blend’ evoked such resistance and repugnance amongst conscientious whisky drinkers that few bottlers ventured anywhere near the category. True, Compass Box not only stood up to this asinine attitude but thoroughly Hulk-smashed their way into people’s consciousness (and cabinets), forcing larger distillers to raise their game with variation, higher strengths, less or no colouring, etc and so on. That history lesson is for another day, but for this shallow-water dive, I wanted to consider the idea of a ‘blender’.
It was such a hallowed term when I first started peeking around the doors of distilleries and board rooms. ‘Master Blenders’, to give them their official title, were wheeled out into hushed rooms of Press and PR monkeys, all believing them to possess some super-human abilities when it came to the nosing and marrying of whiskies. They were, willingly or not, made to stand on pedestals whilst everyone bowed and prayed that their divine senses were never stripped from them – surely, it would be the end of the brand with nothing but inferiority forever.
The problem, as I saw it, was that many of the available blends were so far away from what the new generation of drinkers wanted that, frankly, if these ‘Gods amongst humans’ Master Blenders were making the best they could, then blends were not where my future purchasing and drinking would be. And I don’t believe I was alone in thinking this.
But here I am several decades later, writing about the one category that back then felt dead, staid, stuck and dross – moribund, if you will (thanks here to Alan Partridge). It’s taken a while and much perseverance from the likes of Compass Box, but ‘blends are back on the menu boys’ (and girls – I’m stealing a quote from Lord of the Rings – one can only assume that there were only male Orcs).
So if blends are back – does that also mean the return of the ‘Master Blender’? Will we now have to bow our heads as the creators enter rooms? Watch as they become Masters of the Quaich, Masters of the Company of Worshipful Distillers, Masters over such ordinary men and women..? Apologies, I’m getting carried away.
The simple answer is no. And I’ll place a little wager here – I’ll bet most of these blends have been put together by people who would never care to call themselves ‘Master’ of anything. Many of these whiskies have been created from trial and error, and a creator who knows a finished, decent and tasty product when they come across one. There are no signatures on the bottle, no titles, no hallowed be thy name, no worship and none of this nonsense of any superhuman nosing ability. In short, these are blends created by whisky drinkers for whisky drinkers – self-proclaimed masters of nothing but members of the great drinking and appreciating mass.
To prove my point, I’ve avoided the more expensive offerings and instead looked out for those daily drinkers, snappy purchases - the bottles that can be enjoyed guilt-free during a night of card games, movies, etc. And, just to play fair, I’ve added in the standard against which all blends must compete: Johnnie Walker Black Label.
Let’s see what we get.
Review 1/4
Leith Blended Scotch Whisky, Legacy Blend, Aged over 10 Years, 46%
£35
Nose
Immediate notes of grain – leaning towards a corn syrup sweetness. Behind the grainy-sweetness; raisins, some spiciness and oak. I’ve nosed many much older blends that have a very similar nose to this. There is quite a bit of vanilla, but it is more like a cake vanilla (think Victoria Sponge before you hit the jam) than the usual oak/vanilla. Lightly toasted coconut. Had anyone told me this was a blended grain, I would not have argued.
Palate
The sweetness is softer than expected, and the palate delivers much of what the nose suggests, although slightly quieter and a little more bitterness than I had expected. Just the faintest waft of an earthiness drifts across the tongue at one point and is a lovely cameo – a touch more of that would have been welcome, but I wonder how much malt is actually in this. The finish is a touch wanting - but on a second taste, those earthy notes cling to the palate a touch more and do make me want another.
Score: 7/10
Review 2/4
Smoking Furnace Blended Scotch Whisky, Claxton’s, 46%
£35
Nose
Initially, glace cherries hit my nostrils, conjuring up childhood memories of stealing these from the tops of cakes when no one was watching (or even better, finding them in the middle of a muffin when you didn’t expect it). The peat is a sweet bonfire with toasted marshmallows and summer fruits that have been cooked down to a compote. The STR casks have given quite a hit to this (presumably) young whisky but have not overpowered the nose. The peat and fruit are in harmony, and the spicy oak notes add to the background.
Palate
Rich and smoky. What? You want more than that? For £35? Ok.
This one glides over the palate and I’m immediately struck by how little the grain is dominant in this blend. The smokiness is not an Islay one, much too luxurious and crammed full of sweet bonfire notes. The finish has much to do with the marrying in STR casks but again glides down the throat and despite how peaty this dram is, it never dominates.
Score: 8/10
Review 3/4
Hogshead Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, Inverheath Ltd (Signatory), 43%
£30
Nose
First sniff is an oily one – think extra virgin olive oil or rapeseed. There is a smokiness in the background but a fatty one – like smoked pancetta that has been cooked and then left to cool. Green apple skin, some soft whiffs of vanilla and white pepper.
Palate
Much more malty than the nose suggests. Still quite oily in flavour (someone technical can explain why some whiskies have a more oily character than others – but it does suggest that there is perhaps a dominant element to the make-up). The tiniest traces or more hints of some citrus and oak, but overall, it is not a whisky for much in-depth analysis…
Score: 6/10
Review 4/4
Johnnie Walker Black Label, 12yo, Blended Scotch Whisky, 40%
£25
Nose
Toffee/Caramel apple. The smokiness is quite subdued as if you had walked into a room where someone had been smoking a pipe an hour before. There is a richness to the nose, suggesting a bit more age to the makeup than the others, and the grain makeup is not forcing its way to the fore. I can already tell that the palate has been punctured by the watering down to 40% and the filtering process, but frankly, on the nose, it is hard to find fault.
Palate
I’ve drunk a lot of this in my travels – thinking of all of the airports, airplanes, hotel bars, mini-bars, parties and everywhere else (which is everywhere) this is available. The peat is a bit mushy but still evident along with some oakiness and a little less toffee/caramel apple than the nose suggests.
Much like the Hogshead, it is hard to nitpick this.
The Dregs
Assuming you buy/order whisky, I can almost guarantee you’re going to drink at least one of these in your life.
Johnnie Walker Black Label is omnipresent and is the standard bearer for the blending world. Is it a perfect dram? Hell no.
Is it the finest gateway for those markets yet to embrace the more expensive single malts and more premium blends? Hell yes.
It has never once been a bone of contention for me to receive it over rocks on a flight, train, bar, in someone’s house or wherever. Give me JW Black Label over a choice of so many readily-available blends and the Black Label wins 90% of the time.
At least one of my scoring points for the JW is due to its ubiquity and how solid it is. There are plenty of other blends found on many back bars that do not satisfy anywhere near as well as this one. And it is a much better whisky than the Hogshead – which is a shame and wasn’t expected.
The Leith has a similar score but is a different whisky, being almost entirely dominated by the grain component. It is more complex and full-bodied thanks to its 46% abv and proud statement about lack of colouring and filtering – it really should be one you seek out to try (especially if grain whisky is your thing). We don’t do half scores, but it is a more interesting dram than the JW and would deserve to sit about a half-point above it. But then it doesn’t have to produce millions of cases each year.
The Smoking Furnace is a magnificent first foray into the blending world from a company that had never used the term before. It is quite clear that the malt content is considerably higher than that of the other two blended whiskies tasted (the Hogshead being a blended malt wins this competition).
Being bottled at 46% and without colouring (something JW Black cannot claim) gives the Smoking Furnace a greater body and depth of flavour. Claxton’s - a company obsessed with single malts delving into the world of blends – are, therefore, the opposite of Diageo. They haven’t just nailed it with this release, they have smashed it out of the park.
It is a release that suggests blending doesn’t need decades of apprenticeship, a degree from Heriot-Watt, reverie or the term ‘Master’ before whatever you wish to add after it. Smoking Furnace is a release reinforcing that great whisky doesn’t require great status, pomposity or deference. I’m getting carried away again.
Oh, and no shouting at me for not including the blends from the Thompson Brothers, Adelphi, North Star, Turntable etc. I had to pick a few not yet featured here in the pages of Dramface.
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. FF
Other opinions on this:
Whiskybase:
Smoking Furnace - nothing yet. New to market.
Got a link to a reliable review? Tell us.