My very favorite scotch

I've always enjoyed Johnnie Walker scotches (Black or better). I had heard of a very old Blue Label. My father-in-law had told me about it. My wife and I were leaving the UK out of Heathrow, and I saw a 1L bottle at the airport for 90 pounds (about $160 US at the time), and my wife bought it. We almost fought about right there in the airport, because I didn't want to spend the money.

Well, I still can't afford to drink it (I guess I can, but I don't like to think about it). But, I've got a (second) bottle in my liquor cabinet, and I will drink it on special occasions.

If you have the opportunity to try Blue Label, do so. It is an excellent blended scotch, and I don't think it give up anything to any of the expensive single malts (they are different, they all taste or feel different, but I can't say any are better).

The color is a light but rather deep amber (meaning isn't dark, but doesn't look like it's just been watered down, the way inexpensive scotch might.

You can't really tell the color from when it's in the bottle, because the bottle has some blue color of its own, which makes it rather distinctive. The bottle is also cast differently from other Johnnie Walker bottles to taper towards the bottom, which also makes it somewhat distinctive, you are going to keep the bottle in a place where it's visible (not in the window though, because light will damage scotch, but maybe on the self of a basement bar, or something like that).

I've had scotch's that were as smooth as Johnnie Blue, but none smoother. The flavor is excellent. It's very even. It's definitely got a peaty and oak flavor, but there a some very nice subtleties to it, like a fruity hint towards the end that you can almost miss.

Like other premium scotches, you need to drink this one straight. All of the really great aspects of it, particularly the subtle tastes are covered up by anything but relatively tasteless water.

I suppose you could add ice, but doing so threatens the flavor. Much of the flavors in scotch (and other drinks, including beers for that matter), come from components evaporating. Sometimes, you want to do that. There a plenty of American beers (and cheap scotches) where serving them cold helps cover up or moderate less desirable tastes. This is just the opposite. You want this scotch served at room temperature. However they do it, their distiller designs this blend to be had at room temperature, and drinking it cold compromises much of what makes it such a wonderful scotch.

If you can afford it, buy a bottle (each one has a serial number, but I don't really know why). You won't be disappointed.