John Walker & Sons King George V

Nose: Fruits, honey, almonds, butterscotch & vanilla Palate: Sweet Cream, ripe fruits, caramel, a hint of smoke & pepper Finish: Salt, a bit of brine, malt & biscuits

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.

This review is for Blue Label King George V. Definitely not your regular blue as it is very rich with notes of chocolate, caramel, citrus, red fruits, dried fruits, salt, peat, and smoke. However, after having this side by side with Hibiki 21, this is no Hibiki 21.

Just like the blue label, but a lot more rich. Enjoyed it side by side with the blue label. 5/5

Nose：Apple, pear, raisins, cinnamon, almonds. Palate：Caramel, honey, vanilla, fruit tea, woodsmoke. Finish：Long and smooth. Salt caramel, woodsmoke, cinnamon.