Johnni_ W[lk_r Logi], lik_ whisk_y, los_s its \_n_fi]i[l _ff_]t wh_n t[k_n in too l[rg_ qu[ntiti_s - Lor^ Duns[ny N_w]om_rs Whisky Clu\ S_pt_m\_r 2016
N_w]om_rs Whisky Clu\ S_pt_m\_r 2016 Tonight s M_nu Th_ Whiski_s Of Johnni_ W[lk_r R_^ L[\_l Bl[]k L[\_l Dou\l_ Bl[]k Ry_ C[sk Finish Gol^ L[\_l Pl[tinum L[\_l Blu_ L[\_l Johnnie Walker is a brand of Scotch whisky owned and it is the most widely distributed brand of blended Scotch whisky in the world, sold in almost every country, with annual sales of over 130 million bottles. Originally known as Walker's Kilmarnock Whisky, the Johnnie Walker brand is a legacy left by John "Johnnie" Walker after he started to sell whisky in his grocer's shop in Ayrshire, Scotland. The brand became popular, but after Walker's death in 1857 it was his son Alexander Walker and grandson Alexander Walker II who were largely responsible for establishing the whisky as a popular brand. Under John Walker, whisky sales represented eight percent of the firm's income; by the time Alexander was ready to pass on the company to his own sons, that figure had increased to between 90 and 95 percent. In Britain prior to 1860, it was illegal to sell blended whisky. During that time John Walker sold a number of whiskies notably his own Walker's Kilmarnock. In 1865, John's son Alexander produced their first blend, Walker's Old Highland. Alexander Walker introduced the iconic square bottle in 1860. This meant more bottles fitting the same space and resulted in fewer broken bottles. The other identifying characteristic of the Johnnie Walker bottle is the label, which is applied at an angle of 24 degrees and allows text to be made larger and more visible. From 1906 to 1909, John's grandsons George and Alexander II expanded the line and introduced the colour names. In 1908, when James Stevenson was the Managing Director, there was a rebranding of sorts. The whisky was renamed from Walker's Kilmarnock Whiskies to Johnnie Walker Whisky. In addition, the slogan "Born 1820 Still going Strong!" was created, along with the Striding Man logo, a figure used in their advertisements to this day, created by illustrator Tom Browne, in honour of the founder, and given the same name. Johnnie Walker White was dropped during World War I. In 1932, Alexander II added Johnnie Walker Swing to the line, the name originating from the unusual shape of the bottle, which allowed it to rock back and forth. The whiskies of Johnnie Walker are no longer blended in Kilmarnock. While the bonded warehouses and company offices can still be seen in Strand Street and John Finnie Street, in 2009, under a restructuring program, Diageo ceased production at the Kilmarnock plant and moved production from the brand's original home to Diageo plants in Leven, Fife, and Shieldhall, Glasgow. The Johnnie Walker plant, the largest employer in the town of Kilmarnock, closed its doors in March 2012.
R_^ L[\_l (N@S) Tot[l Win_ $18.99 (750 ml) Johnnie Walker Red Label is our Pioneer Blend, the one that introduced our whisky to the world. Highly versatile and with universal appeal, it has a bold, distinctive flavor that shines through even when mixed. Johnnie Walker Red Label is now the best-selling Scotch Whisky around the globe. Johnnie Walker Red Label is crackling with spice and bursting with vibrant, smoky flavors. It s a blend that combines light whiskies from Scotland s East Coast and more peaty whiskies from the West, creating an extraordinary depth of flavor. Johnnie Walker Red Label has hints of cinnamon and pepper, fruity sweetness, and a mellow bed of vanilla, before the Johnnie Walker signature of a long, lingering, smoky finish. Nose: Oaky, malt-heavy nose, a hint of raisin bread, disinfectant, bandages, solvent notes. Palate: Flavors of honey, vanilla, small amount of nutmeg. Lightly oily mouthfeel. Finish: A touch of wispy smoke, rather thin finish with a medium burn. (www.whiskeywash.com) On the nose: Simple stuff. Green apples. Sour cream. Honey. Candle wax burnt candle, in fact. An undertone of ash, like an empty ash tray. In the mouth: creamy, with plenty of young grain giving it a velvety texture. Much of the nose in fact. Peppery. Honey again. Not much else going on. The smoke isn t a lovely sweet peated note, again more of that strange harsh ashy note. Toffee. Not at all complex. (www.malt-review.com) Nose: not bad actually, quite lively. Most prominent are a vague fruity sweetness with honey and herbal, heathery overtones. On the other hand the majority of the body is taken by malty notes and a slight alcoholic tang. Mouth: again quite pungent, more artificial and industrial than the nose. Young sugary malt. Lots of ginger and pepper. Faint hints of potpourri. Quite harsh. Finish: short, most of the flavours are gone but a tangy herbalness remains, alongside a subtle hint of smoke. (www.whiskynotes.be) Bl[]k L[\_l, 12 Y_[r Ol^ Bl_n^_^ S]ot]h Whisk_y, 40% [\v Tot[l Win_ $29.99 (750 ml) Johnnie Walker Black Label is our Iconic Blend, recognized as the benchmark for all other deluxe blends. Created using only Scotch Whiskies aged for a minimum of 12 years from the four corners of Scotland, Johnnie Walker Black Label has an unmistakably smooth, deep, complex character. Johnnie Walker Black Label is rich, complex and incredibly well-balanced, full of dark fruits, sweet vanilla and signature smokiness. Blended exclusively from whiskies matured for at least 12 years, it brings together flavors from the four corners of Scotland to create an experience that is complex, deep and rewarding. Johnnie Walker Black Label rolls decadently over the tongue, releasing intense sweet vanillas that give way to orange zest and aromas of spice and raisins. The finish is unbelievably smooth and layered with rich smoke, peat and malt. NOSE: The first thing I noticed was grain alcohol, but it quickly gave to some warm smoke, red licorice, caramel and some grapey notes with underlying notes of honey and some other ambiguous sweetness. TASTE: Here the smoke comes up a bit more but it quickly dies out and gives way to caramel syrup, green citrus, light fruit, red licorice, artificial sweetener, oak and grape mixed with honey and a sherry like sweetness. FINISH: Caramel, malt, smoke and wood combine for a long finish that rapidly fades to grain alcohol. (www.thewhiskeyjug.com) Nose: Charred oak, peat smoke, toffee candy, pecan rolls, over-ripened grapes. Palate: Vanilla, butterscotch candy, peat smoke, glazed pecans. Finish: Good amount of smoke without being overpowering, Medium burn, tapering towards the end to some nice nutty and sweet notes mingling with the lingering peat. (www.thewhiskeywash.com)
Dou\l_ Bl[]k L[\_l (N@S) Tot[l Win_, $34.99 (750 ml) Johnnie Walker Double Black is inspired by the iconic flavors of Johnnie Walker Black Label and turns them up to create a Scotch blend of unprecedented intensity. Strongly influenced by powerful and peaty West Coast and Islay Single Malts, Johnnie Walker Double Black is best enjoyed with water to unlock its complex layers of smouldering spice and smoke. Johnnie Walker Double Black is the Intense Blend - powerful, full-bodied and smoky. The heavier influence of the big flavors of Scotland s West Coast and Islay single malts are immediately apparent, with swirls of peat smoke over rich raisins and fruits - apples, pears and citrus. These soften into sweet vanillas and spice, before developing into a warming finish of oak tannins and lingering smokiness. Right up front is some light caramel and dried fruit (raisin, maybe) sweetness. Then there s a sweet smoke, and buried underneath is grape, citrus, charred oak, vanilla and citrus. I get a burst of toffee on entry. A small fresh mint note appears, and almost immediately a peat smoke creeps in. It soon turns into what I describe as sweet barbecue smoke and vanilla taffy. Buried a little deeper is an herbal note and a slight sour note, a cross between orange juice and apple cider vinegar. Finally, we end with a sweet smoky finish, with a little fresh fruit (think honeydew melon). The charred oak and smoky aromas and flavors are much more pronounced here in Double Black versus Johnnie Walker Black Label. The smoke isn t cloying though. It sits on a sweet toffee and dried fruit foundation, and the different aromas and flavors play off each other really well. (www.adventuresinwhiskey.com) Nose: Light but consistent smell of peat smoke, restrained by its marriage to grain with hints of fruit and traces of its Diageo label-mates such as Caol Ila and Lagavulin. Taste: Slightly sweeter than you would expect at the beginning, turning to a fruity vanilla sweetness which is followed by a pepper smoky finish that has a long fade away. The mouthfeel is smooth, slightly oily with a drier finish. Finish: Late sting on this one. The impact of the smoke and deep char really shows its colors on the back end. (www.whiskeyreviewer.com) S_l_]t C[sks Ry_ C[sk Finish, 10 yo Bl_n^_^ S]ot]h Whisky, 46% [\v Tot[l Win_, $42.99 (750 ml) Johnnie Walker Select Casks Rye Cask Finish is a Scotch Whisky blend that showcases the best of Scottish blending and maturation expertise. With Cardhu single malt at the heart of the blend, Johnnie Walker s Master Blender Jim Beveridge used whiskies matured for at least ten years in first-fill American Oak casks to create this blend. He finished the Scotch in ex-rye whiskey casks, creating a complex new whisky with rich layers of flavor starting with creamy vanilla notes and transitioning to a spicier finish. From the early days when John Walker first blended whiskies in 1820 to the unique blends created today, Johnnie Walker has always thrived on experimentation. I believe that whisky is ever evolving and experimental in nature and I am pleased to present the first Rye Cask finished Blended Scotch Whisky said Master Blender Jim Beveridge. Johnnie Walker Select Casks is a unique style of Scotch that blends the flavor characteristics of bourbon and rye with some of the classic signature notes and smoothness of Johnnie Walker Scotch Whisky. The nose is punchy, vibrant and very promising. The immediate aromas are of vanilla, maple syrup and warming wood spices, especially cinnamon. These are followed by some bittersweet cereals, toffee, burnt orange zest and hints of mint, cedar wood and dried tropical fruits (pineapple in particular). On the palate, this is equally as punchy and vibrant as initially found on the nose. The intense wood spices hit first and give a powerful warming feel. There include notes of freshly sawn oak, cedar wood, baking spices (especially cinnamon, mace and nutmeg) and plenty of bittersweet cereals. These add a dryness to the palate, which is in danger of taking over before some sweeter elements begin to take hold. First comes plenty of vanilla - this seems exaggerated and reminiscent of extract rather than the seeds or pods - and then lots of maple syrup (or is it golden syrup?), plus butterscotch and just a hint of cocoa powder. A late hit of bitter candied orange peel adds extra depth. The finish is very long and becomes increasingly dry and spicy, especially once the sweet syrupy notes begin to fade. The intense vanilla lasts longer but it too starts to fade, which leaves the wood spices and bittersweet cereals to fight it out with the bitter oranges. Delicious and mouth-watering. (www.whiskyforeveryone.com)
Gol^ L[\_l R_s_rv_ (N@S) Tot[l Win_, $65.99 Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve is the perfect blend for an indulgent celebration. Luxurious, creamy and honeyed, it is a wonderful tribute to the harmonious partnership of Speyside and Highland Whiskies, with just a hint of smouldering embers from the West Coast. In 2012, the Gold Label Reserve NAS bottling replaced the Gold Label 18-year old offering due, reportedly, to a shortage in the component whiskies of sufficient aging (although, in 2013, JW turned around and released the Platinum Label, which carries an 18-year statement). Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve has a very sweet and fruity nose with honey, apricot, and raisin. These fruit notes are monstrous and leap out of the glass. Underneath this fruit is a very subtle smoke, a little salinity, a touch of oak spice, and a little barnyard hay. The entry for Gold Label Reserve feels a little thin and watery, which is a disconnect from the extremely expressive nose. It takes a moment for the flavors to really arrive on the palate, but once they do they are a pale version of the notes in the nose with honeyed malt, apricot, and raisin. In the mid-palate the slight smoke from the nose does emerge along with very slight black pepper, but it s the oak that really jumps out and begins to take over the fruit, throwing whisky off balance. Towards the end of the mid-palate the fruit notes begin to dry out and are replaced by light citrus. The finish on Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve is fairly short and dry, mostly dominated by citrus, light smoke, and strong oak. (www.drinkspirits.com) Nose: There's a young feeling to the Nose. I find Grains, Heather and Honey, Toffee and Caramel, Oak, a little Sherry, a touch of Sulphur of the Vegetative type, Floral, Vegetable and Earthy tones, Straw, Banana Cake, Apple Pie with Raisins, Malt, Citrus Peel, a little Perfume and a pinch of Nutmeg. It's a bit of everything but nothing is really convincing. The Alcohol is not fully integrated. Taste: The Delivery is quite thin and watery. Nothing to get excited about. I find Honey, Toffee/Butterscotch, Wax, Citrus Peel, Dried Fruits, light Oak, Grain and light Spices. Finish: Rather Short and Disappointing. Sweet at first, Dry later on. A bit of Toffee, Honey, Orange Peel, Pepper, Raisins, Wax and Oak. (www.bestshotwhiskyreviews.com) Pl[tinum L[\_l, 18 y_[r ol^ Tot[l Win_ $99.99 Johnnie Walker Platinum Label was inspired by the tradition of giving private blends to a close circle of family and friends by John Walker & Sons. Blended from Scotch Whiskies that have matured for at least 18 years, it combines sophisticated and contemporary tastes with classic Johnnie Walker flavors. When you want to make a special occasion truly exceptional, Johnnie Walker Platinum Label 18 Year Old is the discerning choice. Johnnie Walker Platinum Label blends big, classic Johnnie Walker flavors with intriguing contemporary notes of citrus and fragrant almonds. Initially sweet with a warm vanilla undercurrent and a suggestion of tangerines, it moves smoothly over the palate into a nutty, malty dryness before a long finish brings elegant suggestions of soft charcoal smokiness and a beautifully fading citrus zest. Nose: Malty, with sweet cream, vanilla, notes of candied almonds, lightly medicinal. Very subtle nose. Palate: Sweet and easy to drink. Creamy and dry. Delicate. Notes of sweet cream, warm cinnamon rolls, grapefruit zest (which I normally despise, but find pleasant in this context). Smoke arrives quite late. The finish is soft, slow, and lightly smoky, with lingering malt notes and a hint of pipe tobacco. (www.thewhiskeywash.com) The nose on this starts sweet with creamy toffee, honey, and light fruit (think cherries, apricot and honeydew melon). Past that I get smoke and faint citrus. Taste-wise, there are bold flavors here honey, bittersweet dark chocolate, citrus, smoke and nuts. It finishes with sweet fruit and charred smoke. (www.adventuresinwhiskey.com) Nose: Complex! Nutty. An almost sherry-like sweetness. Glazed oranges, toffee and malt some of that Speyside herbalness. A little well integrated smoke. Muted spice, pepper. Fruity rich apricot, citrus and banana. Taste: Tastes and smells line up here: Malt, toffee and sweet citrus. Nutmeg. Very dark chocolate raw cocoa. Pecan nuts and salt. Leading inevitably to Finish: orange peel and an extended, brilliantly bitter, slow ride to the finish. One to be sipped slowly over the course of an evening. (www.capewhiskyclub.co.za)
Blu_ L[\_l (N@S) Tot[l Win_ $199.99 (750 ml) $64.99 (200 ml) Johnnie Walker Blue Label is an unrivaled masterpiece. It is an exquisite blend made from some of Scotland s rarest and most exceptional Scotch Whiskies. Only one in every ten thousand casks has the elusive quality, character and flavor to deliver the remarkable signature taste of Johnnie Walker Blue Label. An extraordinary Scotch Whisky for extraordinary occasions. Johnnie Walker Blue Label is incomparably rich and smoky, with velvety smooth breaking waves of powerful flavor. Created from hand-selected casks of some of the rarest and most exceptional whiskies, there is no sensory experience quite like Johnnie Walker Blue Label. Hazelnuts, honey, sherry and oranges tumble in first, before releasing hidden secrets like ginger, kumquats, sandalwood and dark chocolate. A rich honey sweetness emerges, accompanied by hints of pepper and dried fruits, before an impossibly long, lingering, smooth finish of perfectly balanced, soft smoke. It s tasty. Caramel sweetness, a bit of spice, characteristic JW smoke in the back, some smooth vanilla and mild berry. I think I am getting a little bit of light orange fruit as well. It has a thick creamy body and nice mouth-coating quality to it. Not much more will creep forth on the palate from what you ll pick up on the nose. In fact, the fruitier notes seem to get buried a little here. The flavors are mild and well-mannered. Highest marks here are saved for balance. Not a bad note to be found. In fact it almost lacks distinction because of this tightly-woven tapestry of blending. Can I fault a whisky for being too smooth? Well, no I wouldn t deduct points, but should point out to you when searching for that special diamond ring, shouldn t there be a beautiful gem that sits in the forefront of the setting? JWB seems to lack that. This is simply too mediocre to justify the cost. Final notes it does dry nicely in the mouth and leaves a touch of wood and (very) mild smoke behind. Also a hint of tart fruit skins. Not a bad finish. (www.allthingswhisky.com)