The following review was authored by Heathen.

I have been looking for a new drink for some time now. I have been a rum drinker for nearly a decade, thanks to time spent in the navy, but I dislike being reliant on a supply of mixer, be it Coke or some kind of fruit juice. I am also conscious that, as I get older, the “extras” in the mixers (such as high sugar levels) become more and more significant.

So what I have been looking for is something that I can drink neat. Unfortunately neat rum has very little to offer beyond the taste of caramelized sugar. There are, of course, spiced rums, but I have never enjoyed those, even when mixed.

I have experimented with gin, which was too flowery and smelled like perfume, vodka, which had no flavour, and brandy, which was nice but did not really win me over. However, after reading Hawaiian Libertarian’s article on whisky, I decided to give it a shot (pun intended).

I looked around for a decent brand and label, as I knew that trying something at the bottom end of the market would be setting myself up for disappointment. Here I let online reviews and Wikipedia guide me. I settled on Johnny Walker Red Label, as it is apparently the best selling whisky in the world. There has to be a reason for that, right?

However, when I went into the liquor store I had a chat with the proprietor, and he told me that I would be better off with the Black Label, which was only a pound more expensive. Red Label apparently has “a bold, brassy taste”, which makes it very popular with people intending to mix their drink, as the flavour carries through the mix. However, Black Label was a far smoother drink if I wanted something neat. This advice made sense to me without contradicting anything I had read online about the Red Label’s popularity, so I went with the Black Label.

Johnny Walker Black Label is a Scottish whisky made from a blend of 40 single malts, each at least 12 years old. I also understand that, unlike some other Scottish whisky, Black Label uses only alcohol from malted barley, rather than a mix of barley and other grains, such as wheat (obviously, American, Canadian and Japanese whiskies use large quantities of corn, rye and rice respectively, but for those whiskies this is not an indicator of lower quality).

The Review:

I should say right now that I am no connoisseur of fine alcohols. In fact, that’s why I am writing this review, because average guys like me probably want to know what this whisky will taste like to them before blowing £20 on a bottle. What follows is my take on this. Your own mileage may vary.

Over the course of the weekend I tried the Black Label four times, and each time I tried it a slightly different way. I will save time, however, and say that in each case the “nose” or smell of the drink was identical. After the fuss that whisky drinkers can make about nosing their whisky, I was surprised at how little odour it had; much less than gin or rum, but about the same as brandy. However, my sense of smell is notoriously poor, and one of my children commented, unasked, that it smelled “strong”.

Drink 1:

My first drink was a finger of whisky with a splash of bottled water (apparently tap water would react badly with the whisky, destroying some of the taste). Due to poor planning on my part, I had just eaten some fresh chocolate chip banana bread.

My first sip left me with some very strong impressions. For a full strength spirit, I could not believe just how smooth this drink was. No burn, or involuntary jaw tightening, just a pleasant warmth throughout the mouth. In fact, I assumed that I had over watered the drink. I was also very pleased with the round, smoky tones that seemed to fill up the back of my mouth and throat. I can honestly say that I have never experienced so much flavour in a spirit before.

As I continued to drink, and let the whisky settle on my tongue, the strong flavour of the food I had just eaten faded, and I was able to make out other notes in the whisky. In the middle of my tounge I identified a very pleasant wood flavour, presumably oak. But even more surprising was a sweet flavour that danced on the tip of my tongue. It was similar in taste and strength to maple sap (not syrup, which is far stronger), or lightly sugared water. I can only surmise that this sweetness, like that of an orange, is very fragile, and disappears in the face of sweeter foods.

On the whole, very good first impression.

Drink 2:

This drink was taken neat, alongside a meal of quality beef burgers and home made chips.

First, I should say that the smoky flavour of the whisky really complemented the beef. This is definitely a drink that I could see accompanying a meal as well as being enjoyed on its own. I should also note that the drink was only mildly more heated that the drink with a splash of water. I had not overwatered the first drink; the whisky is just that smooth.

I also noticed that both the smokiness and the sweetness were reduced in this drink. I had read that some drinkers feel like the water “opens up” the flavours in the whisky, and I definitely feel that this was the case.

Drink 3:

Another finger of whisky with a splash of bottled water. The sweetness and strong smokiness were back, and I continued to enjoy the flavours in the whisky. In this case, having not eaten immediately prior, I was able to enjoy the sweetness immediately.

Drink 4:

This time I went half and half, whisky and water. I was a little disappointed with the result, as the sweetness disappeared completely, and the smokiness was not as impressive. Clearly, I had overwatered the drink.

On the other hand, there was nothing unpleasant about the flavour. It simply did not compare to the earlier drinks I had enjoyed.

Verdict:

I was very pleased with Johnny Walker Black Label, and I think that it will be a regular of mine from here on out. The flavours are surprisingly delicate, and require just the right amount of water to really enjoy. In a pinch, the drink can be taken neat, but at the loss of some flavour, though not as much as over watering.

It is also a very smooth drink, meaning that you can actually relax while drinking it. Some drinks, like a vodka mix, are quite “bright” in tone, and slightly abrasive if under diluted, which is fine if you are out on the town, but less pleasant if you are just putting your feet up.

I would say, however, that this is a very smoky whisky, and some may not appreciate that. For those that enjoy this kind of flavour, I think it would be hard to go wrong with Black Label.

-Heathen