Today we're going to be tasting Johnnie Walker Blue Label. Now this is a creation
that came about in 1991, and the object was to create a whisky, a blended
whisky that represented a throwback to the days of blended whisky in the
19th century, a unique taste that would be brought back to life.
So with that in mind, the master blender at Johnnie Walker, a gentleman called Jim Beveridge
with a career in blending, visited the warehouses that we have and chose
individual casks that had their own DNA. The hardest job that he had was to bring
these together, blend these together, to create a flavour that was different
to everything else that we'd released on the market. So when Blue Label
came out in 1991, initially the whiskies in here were between 20 and 50 years of age.
But they're just numbers, and it's not really about numbers, it's about
taste. Is this whisky, is this liquid able to project a flavour that you've not
been able to appreciate before? And it does.
So, I think without further ado
I should give you an opportunity to taste with me a little drop of what Scotland
does extremely well - Scotch whisky.
Now when it comes to appreciating whisky
everybody has their own opinion, so let's cut to the chase.
You've got many different ways on being able to appreciate something as old and rare as
Blue Label, but initially you've got to prepare the palate. I don't know what
you've been tasting or eating or drinking earlier today, so I'm going to ask you to
pop that little glass down for a second, and pick up the ice water and just
take a couple of sips of the water so it really cleans the palate, so that by
the time in a couple of moments you get an opportunity to taste this liquid
your palate will be reciprocal, and able to get all the flavours
which will be enhanced.
So now we come to Blue, and the first suggestion I'll make to you
is when you're appreciating a whisky like this, which has been sitting in the barrel for
decades and finally gets an opportunity to come alive, is to appreciate the nose.
When I first started appreciating whisky I treated it almost like a good film, or
a good play, or a good book, which means there's a beginning, and a middle and an
end, and in whisky terms that means there's a nose, there's a mouthfeel and
there's a finish. So to be able to get this truly top-notch blended whisky
we're gonna nose it together, we're gonna taste it together,
allow the mouthfeel to take over so you get the texture, you get the weight
and you get the flavours of Blue Label. Shall we do that?
It would be rude not to wouldn't it. So before you start let's have a little nose and effectively
I think the best thing that I found out in the last few years is that
when it comes to smelling a good Scotch, often there's something there that
passes from your olfactory passage to your brain that reminds you of something
often from your childhood, something that's been sitting there derelict for
maybe 20, 30, 40, in my case for 50, 60 years,
and all of a sudden the aroma comes to life and brings you back to that
moment. It's a truly magical moment, so when I smell Blue Label
this is a very, what I call, closed nose that takes time to open up but on here
I'm getting small hints of honey and rich fruit, and when when people ask
me what is the difference between a blend and a single malt, a single malt on
its own has an individual character, its own DNA.
A blended whisky, such as Blue Label here, is a mixture of single malts and
grain whiskies, so they are all contributing, not necessarily at the same
time, but at different times during your drinking experience. Does that make sense?
So let's just go back and nose it again.
So the best thing about this particular nose is
to me there's no alcohol, there's no prickle, you're getting straight into
the aroma and I'm getting soft fruits with a little honey tinge.
So are you ready to taste, should we give this a try?
So the one request I make here
because now you've opened up the book and you're going to be looking at the chapters and
the chapters will come in how you taste this whisky, and I'm gonna ask you to
give this round about 10 seconds in your mouth. Round about 10 seconds. So you
let it ping around your palate and dance on your tongue and allow the whisky to
express itself to you should we do that? Sláinte!
So the best thing what's happening to you now, is that this whisky you've
actually asked its for its flavour and the whisky said, "You want me? You want me?
Come and get me", and now you have the full DNA in your mouth. I can see it in
your eyes, your eyes are watering, it's your Meg Ryan moment right now,
and the good news is you've still got two thirds in the glass!
So, the major factor to get out of Blue Label for those people who may be saying "It's just a luxury whisky
at a luxury price" - no, no. You've got to give this time, you've got
to give this liquid time to express itself, because if you do that, like
what's just happened to you, you have now got a big, huge aftertaste where the oak,
the dryness, there's even a little wisp of smoke in the background there,
it's still with you. So by giving 10 seconds to this wonderful creation by
Jim Beveridge, you're able to get at least two to three to four minutes aftertaste.
So you've had the beginning, with the nose, you've had the mouthfeel from the
middle, which has created the finish and the best thing about it is you can do it all again!
Because you've got enough in your glass and the same thing would
apply as we did the first time, when you attack this whisky for the second time,
have a little glass of ice water, clean the palate and you will find that
this luxurious blend created by our master blender is truly an expression
that I'm happy to be able to offer to you today.