Johnnie Walker Double Black Label

Distillery: Johnnie Walker
Location: Kilmarnock, Scotland
Proof: 80
Distiller website
Rating: A-

Today we follow up our last review of the Johnnie Walker Black Label with their new release, the Double Black Label. The Double Black pours up a deep honey-amber color and looks identical to the Black Label in color when placed side-by-side. The nose has the same peat, oak and vanilla from the Black Label along with a big helping of wood smoke.

On the palate the Double Black Label has peat smoke up front along with some black pepper spiciness. There are notes of vanilla, oak and iodine as well, but they are further in the background than the Black Label. There is also a hint of oaked red wine here as well. The mouthfeel is tannicly astringent just like the Black Label. On the finish, the Double Black Label has vanilla sweetness paired with pit barbecue smoke.

I wasn't sure what to expect from the Double Black Label, but what I found was remarkably close to the original Black Label. The vanilla and smoke notes were bigger on the double black and the iodine and sweetness (particularly on the finish) were a little toned down. There is a nice black pepper spiciness in the Double Black as well. I think I was expecting something drastically bigger or different with the Double Black Label, but what I found instead was just a bit of a modification to the original. While the Double Black Label is not a "rush out and buy this now" kind of release, it is still an excellent whisky on its own merit.