Johnnie Walker Blue Label Year of the Ox 2021 Lunar New Year Limited Edition (75cl, 40%)

This is the 2021 Lunar New Year edition of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, a blended Scotch whisky in a 750ml bottle at 40% ABV (80 proof). It marks the Year of the Ox in collaboration with the Chinese artist Shirley Gong, whose illustration appears on the bottle. It was her second Lunar New Year edition for Johnnie Walker, after the Year of the Rat in 2020, and each bottle is individually numbered. The blend draws on 1 in 10,000 casks, including ghost distillery stocks, and was created by Master Blender Emma Walker. The nose brings dried fruit, honey, vanilla, spice and pepper, with a woody depth from the ghost distillery casks. The palate is sweet honey, creamy toffee, dark chocolate, dried fruit and citrus peel, with long smokiness. The finish is very long, with rich fruit, subtle smoke and gentle warmth.