Johnnie Walker Black Label 12yo
Blended Scotch Whisky | 40% ABV
Score: 5/10
Average. In a good way.
TL;DR
A reminder to not look down your nose
I’m at risk of becoming a snob
Whisky enthusiasts often risk becoming whisky snobs. While usually not deliberate, the snobbery can emerge – conscious or not.
After years of nosing, tasting, and moving up the chain of whiskies from bottom shelf offerings to the new, cutting edge distilleries such as Lagg and Ardnamurchan, those whiskies from the beginning of the journey can easily be dismissed out of hand. And even if a whisky enthusiast hadn’t sampled a certain expression from an otherwise out-of-favour brand, the simple fact that the brand is seen as “lesser” or fault-laden can taint the thought of even trying a sample.
And before everyone says to themselves, “that’s not me, Ogilvie”, how many times have you been to a social function and the host, after hearing you enjoy whisky, pulls out a newly purchased bottle. He shows this bottle and while you have never tasted it before, you recognise it as a bottom shelf, mass-market brand.
Famous Grouse? Dewars? Johnnie Walker? And, if faced with that option (or something similar), I would wager that more than a few of us whisky geeks will politely pass on having that dram even though we heretofore had never tried what was offered. I, for one, admit that under those circumstances, at times I will make some excuse to pass on having such a dram. I am not suggesting that we have to always force ourselves to drink something we don’t want, nor should we compromise our values and tastes. Certainly not.
However, there are times that we inadvertently turn up our noses at labels and brands even if we hadn’t sampled them in years – or, perhaps, never sampled them before. We have instinctively turned away based on reviews or other word-of-mouth discussions. And this is when that word “snob” can come into play. This piece covers several things, and among them, a confession or mea culpa to my friend, Tori, in that I - almost - traversed into the whisky snob category.
This past week there were several meetings and dinners with close friends. It has been a humbling week as I prepare to pack up and leave Connecticut for North Carolina. I will miss so many good people who have touched my heart. A number of them have treated me to lunch, dinner, or dropped by to give good wishes. And, despite the fact that I have told people not to get me anything as I am trying to reduce the number of boxes I will have to pack up and move, one close friend refused to take “no” for an answer. She, instead, insisted on buying me a bottle of whisky as she knew my affinity for the water of life.
I am ever so grateful and humbled by her kindness and generosity but, as is commonplace, she is a whisky noob. It’s likely she’s never even heard the phrase “single malt”. If I had to guess, she would think chill filtration was a term applied to the water dispenser in her refrigerator. Without a doubt, I am sure she thinks there are two hard-and-fast rules about finding a good whisky: first, a whisky aged more than ten years must, by definition, be good; second, I have to believe she – as is the case for many – swears that the big recognisable brands always deliver manna from Heaven.
And so it was this past week when Tori, a dear friend and colleague, met me for lunch. I had been her mentor when she graduated from law school five years ago, and since then she has made a successful path to private practice. We met to break bread for a last get-together before I headed out of town. Tears, laughter, and chats about all things great and small. And then, she pulled out a gift bag in the shape of a whisky bottle’s box. She wanted me to open it right then and there. I did, and out came a box of Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 year old. She was so very happy – she had the same look as my son, Finn, when he was eight years old and brought back a clay cup created in his elementary school art class.
Instinctively, I oohed and aahed at the bottle, (just as I did with Finn, even though his mis-shapen “cup” looked as if it had been mis-handled and stepped on before going in the kiln) and I thanked Tori for the kindness and thoughtfulness of the gift. She was quite happy, and thereafter we left after hugs and some more tears.
I am ashamed to say that the initial thought that went through my head when I saw the Johnnie Walker box was one of deflation. Instantly, I mentally kicked myself for that shallow reaction. I knew she had no real knowledge of whisky. Why would I think she would be looking for a bottle of Abhainn Dearg, Daftmill, or Bimber? I recognised that the gift was a thoughtful one, and I humbled myself right then and there.
With that self-given comeuppance, my thoughts quickly and surprisingly went to a memory of my father. After some time after he had passed last year, my brother and I were helping clean out certain things at his house. My step-mother – a non-drinker – told my brother and me to go through our father’s liquor cabinet and take whatever we wanted. The only bottle of whisky my father had was Johnnie Walker Black. My father wasn’t a whisky enthusiast, but he appreciated whisky. This was the bottle he kept?
And then, another more recent memory hit me. Didn’t this bottle garner a nomination for an OSWA? I went to my laptop and did a search. Sure enough, Johnny Walker Black 12 year old was up for an OSWA for best blended whisky for 2023.
Maybe the thought of a Johnnie Walker Black 12 year old ought not have given me that initial, knee-jerk negative reaction. Johnnie Walker has certainly been chastised and disparaged over the recent years by whisky enthusiasts. Some complain about Diageo, Johnnie’s master. The great distilleries under its umbrella are, some say, blasphemously dumbed down until blended into the various Johnnie Walker expressions. If blends are supposed to make a product whose result is better than its individual parts, many enthusiasts would say the exact opposite occurs under Diageo’s watch. These enthusiasts would, without question, rather have an all natural sample of Blair Athol, or Linkwood, or Benrinnes (or most of the distilleries under Diageo’s thumb) than a bottle of this blended whisky. Many also rant against this blend’s 40% ABV, it being chill filtered, and the hearty doses of E150 colouring added to make that signature bronze colour. And, still yet, there are more who decry Johnnie Walker’s steady decline in flavour over the years.
For me, aside from having a sip from my father’s bottle last year, I don’t have a history with the walking man. Without doubt, I have heard the criticisms of Johnnie Walker and those raised concerns resonate with me. I have a problem with adding artificial colour to whisky. I have a huge problem with chill filtering malt whisky as the liquid should not be stripped of its flavour and texture. Also, as with those aforementioned whisky enthusiasts, what I wouldn’t give to have cask samples of the various Diageo distilleries’ wares that are later muted, stripped, and bastardised so as to be turned into the liquid I have before me. All that aside, those criticisms as applied to Johnnie Walker are still theoretical to me. I have yet to have a true dram of Johnnie Walker. I have not given this label nor this expression a fair shake.
It is time to put the whisky snobbery on the shelf, be grateful, and see what my father and those that nominated this bottle for an OSWA were thinking.
Review
Johnnie Walker Black Label, 12yo Blended Scotch Whisky, 40% ABV
US$40 (£32) and wide availability everywhere
Instead of popping the cork, I unscrewed the top and let the liquid breathe for roughly ten minutes. The golden amber colour is, of course, a masterpiece of liberally dousing the whisky with E150a – but I must say that I do like the minimalist bottle. A squared off bottle with a one simple small diagonal black, gold, and white label and a smaller decal at the centre bottom showing its twelve year age statement.
Score: 5/10
Average. In a good way
TL;DR
A reminder to not look down your nose
Nose
A rather nice nose. Honey, dates, wafts of Highland smoke. A scent of vanilla creme from a Boston creme donut. Oolong tea. Graham crackers. Some lemon peel and plums.
Palate
Sweetness and smoke. The Highland smoke, vanilla, and plums mix well together. The honey from the nose is not as pronounced but it is clearly there, and tastes as if combined with a hint of marmalade. Malt comes forward. Oakiness is in the mix. Simple and pleasant. A hint of oiliness, that I believe is from the grain in the blend, is present mid-palate. The texture of the grain whisky is helpful in this 40% ABV dram. The finish is not long, and the taste turns a smidge metallic. It is not something that is offensive, and is not significant, but it makes itself known. The metallic smidge also carries hints of oak and barrel char mixed with that sweet and smoke overlay.
The Dregs
As I sat with this bottle and started to examine the liquid, I wondered why my father had this as his sole bottle of Scotch whisky. I know that he turned from drinking whisky to enjoying wine in his early seventies as he said he couldn’t handle the higher alcohol content as he used to enjoy. All that said, my father wasn’t a noob about alcohol. While he did not care to spend too much on a bottle, he appreciated flavour. He cared not a hoot about labels or brands. Maybe his bottle was a gift. As he did not drink whisky much in his later years perhaps this bottle simply sat and maintained its place as the sole whisky bottle in his cabinet. I will never know, but as I sampled this Johnnie Walker, these were the thoughts that came to my mind.
From the outside looking in, Johnnie Walker Black 12 year old is a good budget proposition. This bottle of twelve year whisky can be purchased in my area for $40.00 USD. That said, as referenced above, I have heard from many older whisky aficionados that Johnnie Walker in years past was much better; it was actually interesting whisky with depth of flavour. They pan the present Johnnie Walkers – the 12 year old Black Label, included – as a shadow of what the bottles have been. Their memories colour their view of the present bottlings. Listening to Scotty Munro, for example, on the Dramface podcasts, he speaks of searching for older Johnnie Walkers at auctions. Those older vintages evidently brought bouquets of flavour, depth of flavour, and a most enjoyable experience.
I, however, have never had those experiences. I will look to sample those, and follow the auction-hunting footsteps of Scott. For now, however, I am a Johnnie Walker novice and I have no depth of knowledge of this label’s flavour history. So, the impression and commentary I have is one from being in the moment; what is in my glass at present.
The nose and palate are, as said, simple and pleasant. I imagine it would be good in cocktails, and it would be a hit for those that are new to whisky. As we know, there are some people who don’t care to explore beyond their go-to Johnnie Walker label, and that is fine. But, again, I keep coming back to simple and pleasant. Nothing interesting. Nothing that is challenging. Nothing that makes me sit back and ponder. Simple and pleasant. This is not a bottle I will replace, but I am not unhappy with it.
Returning to the value proposition, if you have $40.00 to spend on a bottle, you certainly can do worse. But, while it is challenging to find a quality bottle for, say, less than $50.00 in my location, there still are stand-outs that remain. Off the top of my head, I can think of a few bottles with complexity and depth of flavour that can often (maybe not always) be found under $50.00. Laphroaig 10, Compass Box Orchard House, Glenlivet Founders Reserve, Loch Lomond 12, and Scarabus batch strength. So, while price is important, stepping slightly up to a $50.00 price point, one doesn’t have to settle on simple and pleasant. One can still find comparably priced bottles with complexity and flavour.
There is nothing hugely wrong with this whisky. Not bad, not great. Good. It certainly has its place. I have no doubt that there are many for whom this is their bottle of choice – a pleasant and uncomplicated dram from a legendary label at a good price. I understand how and why it garnered a nomination for an OSWA, but it does not scratch that itch when I want a dram to sit with. I pondered the scoring guide, and thought about a 4/10. But upon reflection of all things considered, it nudged its way to a 5/10.
I am glad to have remembered and embraced my whisky curiosity and not to have shut out this experience. I am better for keeping an open mind and trying the whisky with that same open mind. It is fine…simple and pleasant. I try to embrace being whisky curious, and that means actually being curious and dipping toes in different whisky puddles of all kinds. Again, I am glad to have tried this. I will make my way through the bottle over time – though certainly not nearly as quickly as a Bunnahabhain that so easily finds its way into my hands, for example.
Yes, Johnnie Walker Black 12 year old has its place, but that’s not on my shopping list.
Score: 5/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. OS
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