Kilmarnock

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Johnnie Walker Blue Label Blended Scotch Whisky. Kilmarnock, Scotland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at The Royal Hotel, $35.

Colour: Pure gold.

Nose: Surprisingly complex – I was not expecting that. Light floral and almost a few sherry-like fruit notes. The barest touch of oak too.

Palate: A very smooth entry with a cooling sensation as it floats around your mouth. Oily mouthfeel, vanilla and floral notes.

Finish: Medium length. A salty fade initially, but then there’s a semi-sweet buzz of honey and gentle warmth that tingles on your gums long after you swallow the last drop of liquid.

Comments: I was a bit apprehensive about tasting the Johnnie Walker Blue Label, as it has so much hype and I was prepared to be quite disappointed. However, I really enjoyed it.  It has fantastic complexity for a blended whisky and a great flavour profile, not unlike some single malts actually. I think it’s overpriced and there are better value blends to be had, but if you don’t mind paying for the marketing it’s actually a very enjoyable whisky.

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Johnnie Walker Green Label Pure Malt Scotch Whisky. Kilmarnock, Scotland. ABV: 43.00%. Tasted at Canton Lounge, $17.

Colour: Golden amber.

Nose: Mandarin peel (definitely not Cantonese peel).

Palate: Soft peaty & briny flavours. Plenty of spice and some dried fruit flavours; very smooth.

Finish: Gentle spice and a bit of pepper lingers at the front of the tongue. Quite dry and clean, a medium to long finish.

Comments: A lot more character than other Johnnie Walkers, the Green Label is certainly the best offering from the vast Johnnie Walker stable that I’ve tried. Perhaps because I normally gravitate to single malts, particularly the fuller flavoured ones with lots of flavour complexity and spices, so your typical Johnnie Walker blend just doesn’t really do it for me.

I had heard that the Johnnie Green was once known as a “vatted malt”, but that this term has now been replaced by the more correct “blended malt”.  This is supposed to differentiate this type of whisky as being a blend of single malt whiskies, rather than a blend containing inferior and cheaper grain malts.

The Johnnie Walker Green Label has been discontinued, which explains why some bottles has been fetching some surprising prices online. In my opinion it’s a shame it is no longer made, it never pretended to be a world-beating whisky but it’s probably the most under-rated Johnnie Walker offering around. If you can get your hands on a bottle, it will be good for drinking, but dare I say in time it might make a good investment as the last supplies dry up.