Johnnie Walker Green Label 15 Year

Artificial gold color and clearness of the chill filtration can both be found in this dram. Nose is delicate, not very strong like you would expect from a 15-year-old whisky, with notes of black pepper, vanilla, a bit of oak, and smoke on the back. Palate is smooth, with sweet and sour notes in perfect harmony, taste of raising, figs, caramel, butter scotch, oak, vanilla, honey, sherry are all intertwined with a bit of smoke. This is for sure not dominated by Talisker and Caol Ila but you definitely feel their presence and they do add a nice layer of complexity. Sweetness of the speyside malts is the base of this complex dram. Finish is smooth and sweet, with raisins, apricots, and caramel, and a hint of lingering smoke on the back. A few drops of water in this 43% ABV dram opens more fruit and sherry character, although in my opinion this whisky is already very well balanced. Overall, it’s a very nice and complex dram that nevertheless has a distinct Johnnie’s character. It’s a blended malt that is not overpowered by its more smoky components and strikes a perfect balance between sweetness and complexity. I wish they would have left artificial coloring and chill filtration aside in this one, it definitely deserves to be honestly presented.

Taste neat from Matt the Lion's Glencairn at The MacMillan Whisky Room in Mosaic District. I remember having this a few times in the early 00's before it was discontinued. Glad it is back. Maybe - no, definitely - the only blend I would regularly seek out. Both the nose and taste are really well-balanced, with the right amount of smoke,honey, orange peel, grains, and brine. Just a great whisky. 9/15/19.

Smooth yet complex. A great balance of sweet and salty with a campfire feel… smoke, truffle and dates. The oak is light and sweet and earthy. This has dethroned my favorite offering from JW - which was the Platinum. Green is more complex for sure and less sweet. A fantastic value.