With the JW name, this makes a good gift bottle to share with someone who may know a little about whisky and want to get more into it and this won’t scare them away.
All in all, Black Label remains an entirely enjoyable whiskey. It isn’t likely to be anyone’s favorite, but just about anyone can enjoy it, and it still serves as an excellent baby step for those interested in tiptoeing into peated whisky.
The taste is complex and amazingly smooth with a clear smokiness, but also showing subtle hints of fruits and a slight tartness. The finish is creamy, long, and smooth.
While this is far from being my favorite whisky, the fact of the matter is that a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label has the tendency to empty more quickly than virtually any other single bottle of whisky in my possession.
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House Review
Nose:
Smoke, malty honey. Some oak and a bit of leather sweetness. Mild salt but mostly caramel and smoke. Inoffensive and welcoming.
Taste:
Malty and smokey. Some honey and vanilla, but just barely. Generally inoffensive and smooth. I hate using the word smooth but theres no better word here. Its smooth and nothing in particular sticks out too much. Kind of boring but really not too bad.
Finish:
Medium, a little prickly and smokey and then its off to another store near you. Doesnt stick around for very long.
Overall:
For the brand that everyone loves to hate, Johnnie Walker isnt bad. Its inexpensive, surprisingly high quality and represents itself very well as a nice, mildly smoky dram.
Score:
80
By t8ke
Our in house critic rates spirits on a scale of 0-10 (10 best) and is aggregated the same as external sources
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