It’s been a while since I had a sip of Johnnie’s, the acquaintance bore fruit when my eyes briefly strayed and fixed itself upon a rather dark – ruby shaded bottle with the contours that seemed very familiar. This wasn’t the ordinary Black, but a colour more entrenched in a rich, dark blackcurrant like hue with a deep pink labelling. This one’s a new entrant to the existing infamous Black Label clan, one that took around 13 years since the last. Alas…The Black Ruby!

The expression saw the light of day in the first half of this year and is said to still stay very traditional, with an overlay of flavours due to a greater percentage of spirits that have been matured in casks that previously held red wine or PX oloroso sherry (in addition to the standard ex-bourbon). Master blender, Emma Walker leveraged much of the malts for this expression from Diageo’s recently constructed Speyside super distillery, Roseisle. The 3000 sq meter distillery, one of the largest, was built to provide a steady supply of malts for Diageo’s blends.

The use of red wine and sherried barrels should promise a lot of fruity, dark flavours over the standard Black Label offering. Something I’m keen to unravel here at its current price point- the 65 dollar (AUD) mark!

ABV : 40%

Eye : Tawny | Caramel colouring

Nose : Starts with caramel and burnt sugar, followed by sultanas, cherries, red apples and char. Hints of vanilla and white are enveloped in brine, wood, and leathery nuances.

Taste : Vanilla and honey, raisins mixed in with dried fruits. Fruity with subtle hints of green olives, young wood, and smoke trailing towards the end.

Finish : Short | Caramel with a whiff of brine, infused with a dry, cherry like sweetness.

Quite light bodied, crisp and thin, the Black Ruby presents itself quite nicely, checking off what the distillers had intended. It has good breadth with reasonable breadth, although I would have wished more smoke and char emanating from the brew. It doesn’t come with an age either, and you can tell of its naivety, especially on the palate.

There’s surely no breaking boundaries here, but it fairs quite well for the price. An average dram and a decent alternative for someone who wants a more tame and subtle Johnnie Black with a bit of flair, but in no ways better, albeit sweeter! The Black is surely the bar here, and if I were to choose, the Black is what would draw me back!

Slainte!