Tastes

2.5 stars - Nice, but… Dude, you are trying too hard.

3.5 stars - Very good Every bar in the world has Johnnie Walker Black. And eventually someone in that bar will play Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing. You can hate all you want, but the world is better with Johnnie and with Journey. You don’t need to over think it; just sit back and enjoy.

3 stars - Good; 100 ml sample Three cheers. Johnnie Blue has absolutely figured out their target market. That market is not me. I thought this was actually a little boring. The Green and 18 Year are much more tailored to my tastes.

5 stars - Stellar Welcome home, son, you have been gone too long. This is consistently one of my favorite Scotches. Pre-2012, I remember that version having much more of the signature Talisker flavor.

2.5 stars - Nice, but… What. The. Hell. Normally this is a 4 or 5 star whiskey. This has consistently rocked my world. Something was clearly lacking in this bottle; the depth and the richness were missing. I gave this bottle almost 8 months but it never improved. The aroma was still there. In fact when I first poured a glass, my youngest daughter walked into the room…smelled the air, and proclaimed: “Are you having bacon without me???” Still one of my all time favorites. Just will be a little gun shy before dropping $100 next time.

3.5 stars - Very good; 100 ml sample Such a good flavor combination. I will pick up a full bottle soon. My only complaint is sometimes this tastes like Glenmorangie 10 in a hat and sunglasses rather than a new member of the Glenmorangie family. I know there aren’t that many white wines finished in oak, but there is such a natural flavor match with white wine and good scotch. Let’s see more things like this! Enough with the red wine and sherry finishes.

3.5 stars - Very good; 100 ml sample Wow. I got into whiskey 15 years ago. At the time I hated Four Roses and Glenmorangie. Good thing I believe in second chances. These are now quickly becoming my favorites. I have a new respect for having a unique house style and being able to produce high quality whiskey at scale. This is such a unique and memorable flavor profile. To the point it can overwhelm some of the finished variations. I love this is finished exclusively in bourbon barrels. I will be soon picking up a full bottle. This is probably in my Top 5 for $30 whiskey.

5 stars - Superb Worth it. Everything is in perfect balance. Johnnie Walker Blue wishes it was this whisky. This is one of the few purchase above $60 that has left me truly happy. Johnnie Walker Green and Nikka Whiskey From the Barrel are the other blends that live in this rarified air.

3.5 stars - Very good Sometimes you just get lucky. My first bottle had wonderful oaky Chardonnay notes. Absolute 5 Star winner. Why doesn’t everyone buy this all the time? Second bottle matched very closely to the rest of the tasting notes on this website. Solid, good. Honestly, I like this a lot more than the other Makers Mark Wood finishing series special release and private store picks…and at half the cost.

4 stars - Excellent Let this beast breathe. Day 1, smells and tastes like new bicycle tires. Day 30, smells and tastes like burning tractor tires. Day 60, it all starts to come into perspective with a rich tapestry of flavors. This is very much a sip and contemplate whisky. I enjoyed this slowly over the course of a year. Drinks very smooth for its proof.