Johnnie Walker Blue Label Elusive Umami 43% NV

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Distillerie	Undisclosed
Embouteilleur	John Walker & Sons
Serie	Elusive Umami
Mise en bouteille pour
Date de distillation	Not Spicified
Date de mise en bouteille	2023
Pays	Écosse
Région	Écosse
Age
Cask Type	Providing availibilty at Diageo
Numéro de fût	Providing availibilty at Diageo
Alcohol %	43%
Volume
État	Parfait
Étiquette	Parfait
Stock	6

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Words of Whisky (85)

A quality blend that manages to keep my interest, but never provides that big wow moment.
Nose
Notes of red apples alongside a sliver of chalk, dark caramel, a tinge of orange zest and cured meats. There’s a whisper of sandalwood and oak spice too. Some cardamom, maybe even star anise.
Taste
A creamy mouthfeel. There’s a subdued sweetness highlighted by crème caramel and meringues, but also gentle notes of ginger, oranges and aromatic herbs.
Finish
Medium length, quite nutty, a touch of mushrooms and some crack black peppercorns. Just the tiniest tinge of smoke.

BOW (86)

This new, enigmatic release from Johnnie Walker Blue Label is a collaboration between two greats in terms of taste experience. On the one hand we have Emma Walker, the Master Blender of Johnnie Walker, and on the other hand Kei Kobayashi, the three-star chef of Kei restaurant in Paris. Their intention? Making the fifth taste – umami – shine in a whisky. Or as they so beautifully put it: 'to unravel the mysterious profile of the Umami flavour.' The result is this Johnnie Walker Blue Label Elusive Umami in beautiful packaging.

The nose is wonderfully fruity on candied blood oranges with some ginger and digestive biscuits in the background. In addition, some red berries and soft herbs with some smoked ham! Yes, on the nose the umami character is detectable. Finally, a little chocolate. It all starts out suspiciously simple, but if you give it some time, it turns out to be pleasantly complex.

On the palate, the sweetness comes first, before the spiciness makes itself felt with mainly salt and pepper and a soft touch of peat that becomes great relatively quickly. It seems as if the umami character is formed by the peat. Sandalwood and woodsmoke make their appearance, while red berries and blood oranges shine. A whiskey that you have to sit down for a while, you know. Suspiciously simple, but actually very good!

The aftertaste is relatively short on candied ginger and sweet fruits.

Yes, it has an umami side. Is it the peat or could an extra dose of Mortlach have been involved? Who knows. In any case, a fascinating blend that I would put between the classic Blue Label and the Ghost & Rare Series. My only point of criticism is the hefty price tag. That does not alter the fact that Santa Claus can still deliver a bottle...