April 2013 Tasting

What does it take to be considered a great whiskey distiller? Must you have one great expression on the market? Must you produce all single malts? Must you be the oldest producer around?

The answer to this question will vary with every drinker. Here is my answer….. Most whisk(e)y drinkers have their favorite. Their “go to” drink. The great distiller is the one that produces the most “favorites”. And to do that the distiller must produce a line of quality whiskies that cater to many different tastes.

Bourbon distillers that fit this description are Jim Beam and Four Roses. Scotch distillers that fit are Glenmorangie and Compass Box.

The April 2013 tasting for the River City Whisky Society featured a line of expressions from one distiller that can also be considered a great whiskey distiller….Johnnie Walker. Because we restrict our tastings to five expressions we tasted the following: Black Label, Double Black, Green Label, Gold Label and Blue Label.

At this event we have 34 tasters (32 members and 2 guests). Each taster ranked the expressions from 1 (their favorite) to 5 (their least favorite). Johnnie Walker has done a fantastic job of making each of these someone’s favorite. Our rankings reflected this as they were all scored very closely when the final numbers were counted. Each expression had several #1 rankings. And, as you will see, the most expensive (Blue label at $195) was not considered the overall favorite.

Here are the rankings along with some tasting notes from the tasters:

5) Double Black Label: Strong nose, smooth and peaty, Strong woody flavor, Peppery finish, Easy finish, Mellow, Very drinkable, Sweet aftertaste. One of the better peated scotches I’ve had.

4) Blue Label: Creamy nose, Oily texture, Taste of leather, Nice hint of peat, Lingering sugars, Buttery, Very smooth, Full bodied, Excellent balance, A bit dull.

3) Black Label: Smooth and easy, Taste of Carmel, Vanilla taste, Soft hint of peat, As good as the Gold Label but better than the Blue Label, Lacks distinction, Long finish.

2) Green Label: Spicy, Peppery, Woody taste, Complex with some bite at the end, Buttery finish, Fruity finish, Smooth long finish.

1) Gold Label: Tastes like whiskey should, Sweet, Briny, Nutty, Vanilla notes, Pleasant, More complex than Blue Label, Full bodied, Heavy finish.

Thanks to all who participated and to the Johnnie Walker Distillers for welcoming everyone to the world of whiskey.

Doug (Member #1)