Johnnie Walker Black Label Highlands Origin

Nose: Lively aromas of grass and hay, with honey and faint hints of orange zest and pears. It opens up slightly over time in the glass, but lacks a robust base aroma. The aroma from the empty glass is of honey and maple syrup. Palate: A soft, silky arrival with grassy notes and fresh honeyed stone fruit flavors (nectarine, apricot, peach). There is almost no development, and the whisky lacks depth, but it's still a good palate, albeit simple. A touch of mild ginger spice appears near the finish. The most notable aspect is the texture, which is excellent and pleasantly waxy, though a little thin. Finish: Short, with soft fruit flavors that fade into delicate sweet ginger. This is the second in the Johnnie Walker “Origins” series I've sampled. Similar to the Islay Origin bottling I tried before, it's a blended malt composed of whiskies from a single region. In this case, all the component whiskies originate from the highlands, with Clynelish and Teaninich being the prominent malts, both easily recognizable in the taste. It's a competent, light-bodied blended malt with good texture that's very easy to drink; however, it lacks the depth of the Islay Origin blend. I strongly suspect it was only released because the blenders were tasked with creating four regional blends and a highland-only option was required (but why solely northeastern?). Clynelish and Teaninich are excellent malts, but they primarily contribute top notes (especially Teaninich) and texture (especially Clynelish). Consequently, this comes across like a band with two superb lead guitarists but no rhythm section. This impression is amplified when the whisky is used as a mixer, as it almost entirely disappears. Clynelish and Teaninich are also frequently used by John Glaser in his blends, but he invariably adds something smoky or sherry-matured to provide body and balance. It's unfortunate that Jim Beveridge and George Harper did not adopt a similar approach here. I can't help but wonder if a splash of Talisker or Oban in the blend might have improved it. "Good": 83/100 (3.5 stars).

Honey-glazed stone fruit (apricot, nectarine, peach), smooth texture, lovely honey aftertaste

Sweet and spicy with pleasant honey notes and a mild smoky character.

I enjoy this. It has fruity notes, honey, and a very subtle flavor.

Surprisingly good