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,

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.