Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 Year Old

I've had this blended many times, but this review comes from one particular evening with my uncle, back in March 2015, at the terrace of a venue named Club Gourmet Callao (where they poured the dram on top of a huge pile of ice cubes for God knows what reason and I had to take most off. Besides, they used a G'n'T glass rather than a glencairn or an old-fashioned. Terrible.)

The scotch pours a rather dark shade of amber, verging on brown, and it delivers mostly peaty aromas; some water develop them even more: leather, bog, char... There's also a back hint of raw cereal. Mouthfeel is not very complex (even more: I'd say it's quite simple); smooth and slightly over-bitter. Finish delivers some smoky tones and a tinge of butterscotch, but it doesn't linger very long after sipping.

I'm inclined to think of this as an enhanced version of the Red Label: despite its being clearly superior (I'm not a fan of the Red), it's still produced as a mixer, not as a dram to be enjoyed on its own. It's a different story with the Double Black, even though the similar name might be misleading.

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