Blood runs Blue - Johnnie Walker Blue Label

In December 2011, the Porsche Design Store in the Hyde Park Shopping Centre hosted a launch event. The event was held in collaboration with liquor merchants Norman Goodfellows who provided tastings to guests of the flagship whiskey in the Johnnie Walker collection - Blue Label.

The store itself, while small, is impeccably tasteful as would be expected from the Porsche name. All manner of clothes and accessories Porsche fill the store from shoes, jeans and jackets to watches, pens and chopsticks. The prices are very much in line with the cars.

While I am not the biggest fan of Blue Label (compared to others in the JW range), it is undoubtedly a smooth swallow and I would never turn it down when offered. A deep sniff is overwhelmingly that of charred wood - not quite ashy but rather like a campfire log.
Johnnie Blue is a very smooth sip of burnt spices with subtle hints of cocoa. and it leaves a pleasantly long-lingering peaty aftertaste from tongue-tip to tonsils.

Details:

Name: Johnnie Walker Blue Label
Age: None given (Gold Label at 15-18 years, so probably upwards from there)
Type: Blended Scotch
Lead whiskey: Royal Lochnagar
Region: Scottish Highlands
Availability: Quite common - most liquor outlets will have a bottle or two.
Price: Expensive. Varies in South Africa with exchange rates - northwards of R1200 a bottle
Whiskeys in comparable price bracket: Chivas Regal Royal Salute 21 year old; The Glenlivet 21 year old (single malt); Glenmorangie Signet (single malt); Benraich 20 year old (single malt)