Johnett Swiss Single Malt Whisky

Now here’s a fun and unusual one, which we got to enjoy because we flew Swiss Air recently. Johnett is made by a Swiss distillery that has been making fruit liqueurs for a long, long time, before breaking into the whiskey game recently. The version we had on the flight had a six-year age statement, so it represents some of the older liquid from the distillery. Johnett is very fruity, with loads of grapefruit, crisp melon, and strawberry. It smells like that part of the candy store where they store all the bright, multi-colored treats. The palate has all that fruitiness from the nose but a surprisingly pronounced oak and a touch of lemongrass. No doubt Johnett is young, and needs a few more years to truly hit its stride, as the flavors haven’t quite melded and harmonized together yet. The finish is reminiscent of a young bourbon’s vanilla and oak notes. I’m looking forward to trying Johnett 10 or 12 when it’s ready. If we had half stars, this would be a 3.5, but I'll round up because I've never had Swiss whiskey before and was pleasantly surprised.