Johnnie Walker Blue Label Elusive Umami / 43%/ 0.7l

It's hard to believe that 2022 marks Johnnie Walker Blue Label's 30th anniversary.

Indeed, this luxurious version of Johnnie Walker, a creation of Jim Beveridge, debuted in 1992 with 16 components, the main ones being Caol Ila, Royal Lochnagar and Mortlach. We have heard that the first edition also included a few drops of Auchtertool single malt from 1923. Each year, Diageo “spices up” the Blue Label offer with limited editions, often blended according to formulas that differ from the original. The Elusive Umami presented here is the result of a collaboration between the master of blending Emma Walker and the world-famous chef Kei Kobayashi. The whisky is intended to show the fifth taste, umami. The word comes from Japanese, and the taste described by it breaks away from the established canons and has no clear definition.

Aroma: fruity, slightly smoky, blood oranges, raspberries, blackberries, cherries, dark chocolate, a hint of ginger and black pepper and a trace of smoked meat.

Taste: well-balanced, dark chocolate, dried plums and cranberries, grilled pineapple, honey, almond flakes, a pinch of salt and pepper and toasted oak.

Finish: quite long, with notes of dried fruit, dark chocolate, pepper, cinnamon, a pinch of salt and a fleeting trace of smoke.