Note: Special thanks to Dudi Aureus and Jon-Jon Bauyon for the sneak peek at these delightful expressions!

We know the brand well and we recognise the iconic top hat striding figure – even if we sometimes don't remember the night that follows after a few too many drinks. Whether you're a whisky devotee or an initiate, chances are you would have heard of the name "Johnnie Walker" and associated it with the striding figure mascot that had been used on Johnnie Walker's labels since the 1900s.

Was there really such a character named Johnnie Walker in the history of the brand? Was he always in a rush to be somewhere else that he was immortalised as an icon making such big strides? How does the Blue label compare to other colours of Johnnie Walker labels? 

Those were some of my thoughts as we sat through an evening tasting of the latest Johnnie Walker Blue Label releases at Tatler House Singapore. 

There are 6 famous colours of Johnnie Walker labels, each with their own proprietary blend of malt whisky and/or grain whiskies from Diageo-owned Scotch distilleries. The following are the currently-available labels ranked from entry level to top shelf:-

1. Red Label
2. Black Label
3. Double Black Label
4. Gold Label Reserve
5. Platinum Label 18 Year Old
6. Blue Label

The Blue Label debuted in 1992 and is the rarest of the range. According to the tasting host, only one in 10,000 casks from Diageo's stables would meet the strict quality standards to produce Blue Label expressions.

And yes, a historical John Walker did exist. The Scotsman who founded the brand around the 1820s and became immortalised as the "Striding man" was himself a teetotaller. Surprise, surprise! His son Alexander Walker, who had an even greater passion of blending whiskies, is a far more important figure to the brand. When John Walker ran the business, whisky sales represented just 8% of their firm's revenue, but by the time Alexander Walker was ready to pass on the company to his own sons, that figure had increased to about 95%.

As a preview of the multi-sensorial Johnnie Walker Depth of Blue experience at Mandala Club in mid-December, this evening, we'll be doing a tasting of two expressions: the standard Johnnie Walker Blue Label and the limited edition Blue Label Ghost and Rare Port Dundas. Let's get to it!

Johnnie Walker Blue Label, 40% ABV - Review

Appearance: Dried apricot.

Nose: Rich, approachable and forthcoming. 

Holding the dram at my chin for nosing (as we were instructed by the host), I get a first nose of sweet gentle spices (ginger, cloves and anise), turning to dollops of sweet honey, vanilla, a hint of smoke and pepperiness on the back. 

The rich nose opens up to reveal yet more dried fruit. I'm getting dates, muscat grapes and sultanas. Hint of liquorice and Chinese five spice.

The aromas are gentle and smooth, without so much as a prick on the nose. The fragrances freely forthcoming in rolling waves of flavour. 

Palate: Rich, balanced but very forthcoming with a medium body. 

All of the nose is available and more. The initial palate is sweet and round, opening first with PX or Oloroso sherry dried fruits (figs, dates and sultanas) supported by a backbone of vanilla. 

A refined honeyed sweetness is balanced with fine oakiness and wood spice. Rich honeyed sweetness is nicely complimented with quite a bit of aromatic oak that builds and builds to give us darker depths of espresso, dark chocolate and roasted hazelnuts.

The back palate is joined by a very mellow dry ashiness... reminiscent of mildly burnt wok hey notes.  

Finish: Light and medium length. 

The spirit leaves the mouth with a light peppermint sensation, evolving into a warming hug at the back of the throat, a pleasant aftertaste of liquorice Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa and a lingering trail of smoke.  

What's most surprising to me about the Blue Label is that this is just 40% ABV. Often times we malt maniacs turn to high ABV whisky as a proxy for flavour. Yet this one packs a surprising amount of layered flavours despite just coming in at the basic 40% ABV. Something healthier to drink I suppose!

Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Ghost & Rare Port Dundas, 43.8% ABV - Review

Now, we've learnt that only one in 10,000 casks would be good enough to make it to the Blue Label. In recent years, Johnnie Walker began releasing limited edition Blue Label expressions under the Ghost & Rare series that features "ghost" distilleries and other rare Scotch distilleries. These "ghost" distilleries are distilleries that have been long closed, making their remaining whiskies that much rarer.

Johnnie Walker has just released its fifth Ghost & Rare release, which features a large component of the closed grain distillery Port Dundas Distillery. The distillery once operated in Glasgow, on the banks of the Forth and Clyde Canal. It was built in 1811 and in its heyday shipped its whisky to ports worldwide.

For this year's blend, the Port Dundas is combined with whisky from two other "ghost" distilleries, Cambus Distillery and Brora Distillery, and other whiskies from Cameronbridge, Glenkinchie, Clynelish, Dailuaine and Auchroisk.

Let's compare this with the standard Blue Label!

Appearance: Dried apricot, with longer, oilier legs.

Nose: Very bright, very fresh and fruity with an over-the-top smoothness. This is so much more expressive. 

Opens with a rich fruit galore: fresh sliced banana, Sakuma's Drops and a really creamy feel to it. The aromas evolve to offer more depths of vanilla, tropical fruits (pineapples and passionfruit) and coconut cream. Complimented by woody cinnamon shavings, some dried apricots, and caramelised apple pie.

Palate: Subtle in flavours with mouth-coating and oily textures.

Fresh and mildly tropical at first instance, opening with bright bananas once again, then white grape juice. There's a lot of creaminess to this, with impressions of digging into a decadent banana split and whipped cream. 

There's sweet and subtle vanilla and oak on the back, slowly leading to reveal more grain creaminess, honeyed cereal and a warmth of baking spices, then some poached pears and spiced gingerbread cookies.

This is more textural, with a pleasant tongue-coating oiliness. Did I mention this feels really smooth? At risk of sounding like an amateur, I'll say that again. 

Finish: Long and lingering, with the fading grain sweetness of vanilla, a touch of milk chocolate and light banana. This doesn't have much of the warmth or spice felt in the standard Blue Label.

This is one of those whiskies I imagine myself sipping and luxuriating in a long bath with. There's an elegance to it. Unlike the standard Blue Label which is packed front-and-centre with flavour, the flavours here reveal themselves subtly, one after another without hurrying on stage. A bit of foreplay doesn't hurt. 

Johnnie Walker Depth of Blue experience in Singapore (9 - 13 December 2022)

The Johnnie Walker Blue Label and Blue Label Ghost & Rare Port Dundas expressions I've tasted will served at the Johnnie Walker Depth of Blue event hosted at Mandala Club this December.

The event offers an immersive multi-sensorial experience through sight, sound, smell and taste that serves the Johnnie Walker Blue Label complemented by a bespoke fragrance concocted by Italian perfume-maker Bogue Profumo, to stimulate the participants’ sense of smell.

Mandala Club's Executive Chef, Reuben Davis, has curated a food pairing experience that highlights the different flavour profiles found within Johnnie Walker Blue Label.

A specially commissioned 3D audio soundscape, experienced through state-of-the-art headphones, has also been created to explore the flavour narrative of the rolling wave through sound.

Click here to find out more about this experience and make a reservation.  

@CharsiuCharlie