🥃 Johnnie Walker Black Label
Johnnie Walker blended Scotch with a stated age of 12 years, 40% ABV; according to Difford's Guide, around 40 single malts, many of them from Islay.
Johnnie Walker Black Label is a blended Scotch whisky from Johnnie Walker with a stated 12 years of maturation and a strength of 40% ABV. The brand describes its taste as sweet fruit, spice and vanilla with smoke. It differs from Red Label in its age statement and in the large share of malt whiskies.
According to Difford's Guide, the blend consists of roughly 40 single malt whiskies, with a large share from Islay; those named include Talisker, Cardhu and Lagavulin. The producer writes about single malt and grain whiskies from all over Scotland that are matured in casks. The Black Label name dates from 1909; earlier the whisky had a longer name, Extra Special Old Highland Whisky, and customers ordered it by the colour of its label.
Why this matters to you. The number 12 refers to the age of the youngest whisky in the bottle, not to the average age of the blend. So compare Black Label with other expressions of the same age, not with Red Label. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Legal basis | Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890) (Blended Scotch Whisky; age is determined by the youngest whisky) |
|---|---|
| EU category | 2 — whisky/whiskey |
| Raw material | about 40 single malts and grain whiskies; those named include Talisker, Cardhu, Lagavulin |
| Cask type | oak casks |
| Minimum maturation | 12 years (the youngest whisky in the blend) |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 40% ABV |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Johnnie Walker Black Label → packed in → 🍷 Oak barrel ← packed in ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Single Grain Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Talisker, 🥃 Cardhu, 🥃 Lagavulin
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Johnnie Walker, 🥃 Blended Scotch Whisky
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Johnnie Walker Blue Label, 🥃 Johnnie Walker Double Black, 🥃 Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve, 🥃 Johnnie Walker Green Label, 🥃 Johnnie Walker Red Label, 🥃 Johnnie Walker Blue Label, 🥃 Johnnie Walker Double Black, 🥃 Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve, 🥃 Johnnie Walker Green Label, 🥃 Johnnie Walker Red Label
Frequently asked questions
Is Black Label a 12-year-old single malt?
No. It is a blend of single malt and grain whiskies, in which the youngest whisky is at least 12 years old.
Which whiskies go into Black Label?
According to Difford's Guide, around 40 single malts with a large share from Islay; those named include Talisker, Cardhu and Lagavulin.
What is the strength of Black Label?
40% ABV according to the producer and Difford's Guide.
What to read next
- 🥃 Johnnie Walker Red Label — Base line of Johnnie Walker: a blended Scotch at 40% ABV with no age statement, up to 35 whiskies in the blend; according to the brand, the most popular in its range.
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🥃 Single Malt Scotch Whisky — Scotch from a single distillery: only malted barley, water and copper pot stills; at least 3 years in oak, 40% vol. or more.
- 🥃 Royal Lochnagar — Distillery and single malt Scotch whisky brand in Crathie, Aberdeenshire, about a mile from Balmoral Castle; founded by John Begg in 1845; 'Royal' after the 1848 visit of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
Similar
🥃 Johnnie Walker Blue Label · 🥃 Johnnie Walker Green Label · 🥃 Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve · 🥃 Johnnie Walker Red Label · 🥃 Johnnie Walker Double Black · 🥃 Black Dog Black Reserve
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Johnnie Walker: Black Label (12 years, 40 % ABV; single malts and grain whiskies)
- Difford's Guide: Johnnie Walker Black Label (12 years, 40 %, c. 40 malts, Talisker, Cardhu, Lagavulin, 1909)
- The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890), reg. 3: definition and categories of Scotch Whisky (blended, blended malt; min. 3 years; min. 40 % ABV)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)