I used to be a Single Malt Snob. This Affordable Blended Scotch is My New Whiskey

I poured countless glasses of whiskey during my 12 years as a bartender at the Chateau Marmont Hotel in Hollywood. But I didn't start to understand Scotch until I started writing about it.

In my early years as a spirits writer, I went straight to Scotland's leading whiskey expert, Charles Maclean, who wrote more than a dozen books on Scotch whisky. An hour after my initial email, he kindly placed me on a phone call and generously shared his wisdom on the subject. One of the first lessons I learned from Maclean's, and one of the most important, was about blended Scotch whisky.

Want the latest whiskey news, deals and reviews? Sign up for the Whiskey Wednesday newsletter.

Blended Scotch whiskey combines one or more single malt Scotch whiskeys with one or more grain Scotch whiskeys from different distilleries. Single malt Scotch, on the other hand, is made only from barley in a single distillery. Blends make up the majority of Scotch sold, but many self-described connoisseurs are vocal about their single malt preferences.

Men's Journal aims to highlight only the best products and services. We update when possible, but deals expire and prices are subject to change. If you buy something through one of our links we may earn a commission.

“Scotch malt whiskey converts get very arrogant about blended Scotch,” MacLean said, “and it's absolutely stupid.” Maclean described himself as a “big fan of blended whisky”. Of all the blends, he chose Johnnie Walker Black Label as his primary choice, calling it “a very good blend and excellent value.”

I laughed with but the truth is that I was the very culprit of the sin he was crying out about. My previous ability to discern was actually a sign of my ignorance and was humbling. Not only was I ignorant about single malt, I was among the less-informed masses who talked about Johnnie Walker colors as if they were simple rankings: “Oh, Red is good, Black is good, Blue is great.” When they actually have different personalities.

Black Label has a moody, woody and peaty tone, while Blue Label has a raw, delicate and floral tone. Red Label, meanwhile, has a rounder butterscotch flavor that makes it perfect for cocktails. Simply rating Johnnie Walker's colors as 'good, better, best' is the equivalent of saying filet mignon is better than ribeye or scallops are better than shrimp.

I accidentally finished my bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label before taking photos for this article. Luckily, it's so common that I picked one up at a local liquor store to take this photo.

Stinson Carter

So I decided to give Black Label another try and after Maclean's approval it was a completely different experience. I learned something not only about whiskey, but also about myself. For many years I assumed I liked bourbon better than other whiskeys. I was born in the deep South, and bourbon, Southern food, and Southern Gothic literature were the only Southern things I cared to hold on to. I held fast to this belief throughout my time as a bartender.

When I started writing about booze and finding my way through hundreds of drams and as a spirits competition judge, I discovered that my favorite whiskey was actually lightly peated Scotch. However, they are expensive and can be difficult to find. Luckily, Johnnie Black is balanced and sippable while delivering elements of my favorite subtly peated single malts. It's also affordable and almost always available on the store shelf or back bar, whether you're at an ABC store in rural North Carolina or the lobby bar of the Fairfield Inn in Florida.

But even after rediscovering Black Label, I still didn't know where his personality fell within the Johnnie Walker range. To better understand this, I reached out to Ewan Morgan, luxury ambassador for Johnnie Walker's parent company, Diageo, and asked him what he thinks of Johnnie Black.

“When people ask me what my favorite Scotch is, I always answer, 'The one I drink the most is Johnnie Walker Black Label,'” he says.

Offering fruitcake coated in smooth vanilla custard from some of our Speyside distilleries, such as Mortlach Single Malt Whiskey, he loves the flavour, which he describes as “bold, with a deep richness of character”. [and] Citrusy, sweet smoke supplied by Caol Ila Distillery on Islay.

He also says Black Label is much more practical than other Scotches: “When I travel, which I do about 85 percent of the year, there's a very good chance that no matter where in the world the bar I'm in will have the same.”

As an example, I was supposed to photograph a full bottle of Johnnie Walker Black for this article, but I drank it; I didn't realize how wrong I was until I arrived at my mother-in-law's house in a small town in South Carolina. The deadline is approaching. But that's why I knew the nearest bottle shop would have it, and they did. Ten minutes later, I poured a glass for myself and a glass for my father-in-law. As a lifelong Scotch drinker, he also had a completely new experience.

“I never realized there was peat,” he said, quietly basking in the cacophony of football matches and grandchildren.

I took a lesson in the power of perception. Charles Maclean let me give Johnnie Walker Black Label another try from a different angle. And when I did, it was like I realized that the book you've been dying to read is already on your shelf. From where I sit right now, I can see one thing clearly: that bottle of Johnnie Black on my cape is not long for this world.

Johnnie Walker Black Label Blended Scotch Whiskey

Johnnie Walker Black Label

Courtesy Image

$30 Total on Wine

Related: How to Drink Pure Whiskey

Comments

No comments yet. Why don’t you start the discussion?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *