Tastes

A great expression of Johnnie Walker, a special blue label edition, legally a cask strenght one, bottled at 55.8%abv On the nose is a little strange, Bruichladdich classic laddie strange. Actually it is a lot like that one on the nose. Soap, Rice, Hands cream, Herbal notes. On the palate it was divine, Dry cake, Chocolate, Pepper, Prune, Smoky dim, Wasabi, Ginger. Complex and well crafted. One of the best JW. Not strong at all for a 55.8%abv. Finish is spicy, ginger notes. Overall this is a solid 93 over 100, but the price point is unpayable, and even if this is a good dram and the porcelain (or ceramic) bottle is lovely, it is too expensive. (Around 550$). Slainte!

Enormous experience. First vatted (blended) malt i have ever had, om the nose is very appealing, specially since there is not much vanilla in it, making it different right on the spot. On the nose you will find herbal notes like wet grass, eucaliptus, acetone, mint and ¿coca cola after it loses the gas? (Beats me). Grassy and herbal notes are very powerful, making "the green label" very accurate in that way. On the palate is HOT. VERY HOT. There is a small caramel note, but hotness, oakiness, wood, spices are present. Also i got tobacco and the skin of a peach notes, very exotic flavor, but VERY HOT OVERALL. I liked it a lot. 88 over 100

My 200 whisky. As always, with every landmark, i want to try something special and famous. This time was the Johnnie Walker King George V. Only a sample (because the bottle is about 600 dollars, which i am glad i didn't pay)(nor i have them lol). A little history here, King George V was the King of England who gave Johnnie Walker the Royal Warrant in 1934. So, Diageo decided to make a blend from distilleries that existed while George V was King (1910-1936) including port Ellen that went silent in 1983 (but diageo plans to re-open it). Bottled at 43%abv, tawny color. Ok lets decipher it.... wait, is this talisker? I expected a sweet dram, i got an island one. On the nose, everything is balanced: balanced peat, balanced vanilla powder, sea food notes (seaweed), pepper, caramel (toffee), old lemon and oranges. If this were given to me in a blind tasting i would definitively say "it is a talisker". This also apply on the palate. On the palate, very spicy and oaky, ginger finish. That was my first impression. The aftertaste is medium with ashes, balanced and smooth. Hints of oranges and toffee here and there. Smoke also appears, everything in small portions. Blended perfectly, but the profile is to well known on any island whisky. Toasted caramel also appear but in a very dim way. Overall it is an 88 over 100 (22 points on each variable: nose, palate, finish and balance) and i don't think i would buy a whole bottle for 600 dollars, when i can get any talisker that gives me the same notes for less than $120.

One of the "limited" new expressions from Johnnie Walker, Blender's Batch Bourbon and Rye finish. Expect grain on this one. Its about $75, lets see if it holds to that price. Bottled at 40%abv probably colored. On the nose, very interesting: Ice cream vanilla, Banana influence of bourbon. At the same time i can feel the rye grain Sweet but a rye touch. Very interesting Spicyness very dim and pleasant, a cinnamon spicyness. Maybe some caramel too. Wet the walls of the glencairn to reveal wet rice and maybe soap, similar to bruichladdich. On the palate rye influence is enormous. A dry, spicy but mild dram, very grassy, hay-like and oily. Clove finish, with a little burning sensation, grain influence very present in this one. Adding a drop of water revealed "dulce de leche" ice cream. Much too watery on the palate and a grainy finish as if it were a haig club, grassy. Overall i give this dram a fair 81 over 100. I would not buy it again but it is not a bad dram.

Beautiful on the nose. Smoky notes and maybe caramel and almonds. Vanilla is presente but not with strenght. On the palate is mostly spicy but with a fruity flavor behind the spicyness. Sweet, smoky and spicy. There is almost no finish, short lenght. 83 over 100

The top one of the three "Explorer's Club Collection" from Johnnie Walker, and by far the most expensive one. It is the "blue label" of the "explorers club collection" in every sense, its elegant, expensive and doesn't live to the expectation. I have the three Explorer's Club Collection Bottles, (i believe there is a fourth one, equivalent to red label, i didn't buy that one, it just seems it is going to be awful). Previously to this one i have had the "brown" boxed one, called "the spice road", which is a beautiful whisky. Well, The Royal Route, is bottled at 40%abv, with a rare mahogany color, and i say rare because it is mahogany but also transparent, i dont know how to describe this, you need to see it to know. Overall the bottle is pretty straightforward, no complexity at all, inusual since it should contain very old whiskies in it (at least for the price). On the nose, Stinky Peat and tobacco. That's it. Not Bad, nothing special either. On the palate is delicious. Elegant, made for fancy people (lol) but it is still a blend, that means they are not going to take any risk, they need to sell something everybody will like, not thinking in us, the "wannabe connoisseurs" who want experiences in whisky, not fancyness or marketing. caramel, vanilla, cinammon, and spices, are the palate notes, very smooth, elegant, very easy to drink, toffee, pleasant hotness, ginger, Tobacco ash, medium bodied, finish is full of spices, medium also. I was saving this bottle for a very special event, but yesterday i was in a party and the host opened one. I couldn't resist the temptation to taste it (i actually drank 4 glasses, neat). It is a lovely Whisky, but as i have said before, it takes no risks, it is not that appealing to you, my fellow Whisky Critics. 80 out of 100. Slaintè!

I truly believe this is a good dram, but it just doesn't cost $105. For seventy dollars it would have been a good deal. Bottled at 40%abv, amber color. On the nose is very good. 4 notes very noticeable: Cocoa, Wedding Cake with Raisins, Tobbacco leaf and perfumed smoke. On the palate is a little straightforward. Very similar to the nose: tobacco, cocoa butter, oak and crackers. Finish is medium-long with bonfire notes and ashes. Overall i give this dram 88/100, nice and interesting, but you can get a lot more for the price.

Yesterday i received a surprise birthday party and i opened one of my relics, a bottle of Swing Superior. Nobody knows too much about this bottle but it is supposedly from the 90s. Actually a very fancy easy drinking whisky, bottled at 40%abv, with caramel color. On the nose Creme brulee, Acetone, Lemon, Vanilla, a typical JW. On the palate, Cake, Tobacco, Slight peat and biscuits. Finish allspice very pleasant very complex. Really a wonderful aftertaste. Overall i give this "rarity" an 89 over 100. Good dram without having to overthink it too much.

On the nose, vanilla and mint. On the palate, vanilla and flowery flavor. Short finish. Very bitter. Nice whisky. Superb experience super smooth. The caramel on this stands up. 88 over 100

Smoky on the nose, specially if you smell the bottle once opened. Then i lost the smoke in the glass and got Vainilla and a little caramel on the nose. on the palate is sweet at first, very sweet caramel and then at the finish you get a bitter kick, but is very short. Very oaky. 88 over 100.