Johnnie Walker - Double Black Blended Scotch Whisky (1L)

Double Black starts with the Black Label template, and from there, it adds peatier malts and malts aged in heavily charred oak barrels – the result being a smokier dram than the original. And while the Black Label is aged for 12 years, Johnnie Walker Double Black carries no age statement. On the nose, Double Black offers aromas of peat smoke, oak and dried fruits. Take a sip and notice more of that smoke, plus some pleasant tropical fruit notes, vanilla and spice. It’s quite drinkable, with an easy-going mouthfeel and a dry finish, but it’s a bit heavy-handed on the oak, with lots of char coming through.

This blended Scotch, matured in deep-charred old oak casks features intensely smoky aromas and flavors, although honey sweetness and mellow almond peek through. Golden in hue, with a silky feel.

So how brave can you be? Would you take one of the world's most iconic blends and risk messing with it? If you've got a whisky maker as good as Jim Beveridge, then why not? This picks up from the regular JW Black and its signature Caol Ila smoke and peat heart and then adds to it, doing exactly what it says on the tin. But the clever part of this is upping the apple, orange, and fruit content too. Great. Dominic Roskrow, Winter 2011.